As Google reveals that one of its most popular travel search trends is currently 'cheap summer vacations', there are lots of ways that travelers can find ideas to travel for less.
29.04.2024 - 11:37 / lonelyplanet.com
Food is big business in Florence, to the extent that the city council introduced a law limiting the opening of new bars and restaurants in the UNESCO-listed city center.
This measure was in response to concerns about the excess of tourist-focused dining options there, exacerbated by the tripling of restaurants in just 10 years between 2005 and 2015.
In the center of the Renaissance city, there is approximately one dining establishment for every 31 residents. While the array of options seems endless, Italians, generally being creatures of habit, tend to gravitate towards familiar foods. Lengthy queues outside TikTok-promoted venues are met with disapproval, and terms like "traditional," "authentic," and "genuine" have been so overused when describing new restaurants that they've lost their meaning.
For Florentines, no culinary novelty will outshine a reputation built over the years. We stick to what we know and are generally skeptical of everything else. Here are my tried and trusted places to eat and drink.
The day starts with a shot of bitter espresso – the first of many – at the nearest cafe. In my case, that’s Bar Piccioli, a dimly lit, old-school patisserie in Borgo Ognissanti.
Italian breakfast is quick. Many foreigners who arrive in Italy for the first time are often surprised that a sweet pastry and espresso, typically enjoyed standing up at the bar, are what locals consume to kickstart their day. But pastries can go a long way if done right, and Claudio, Piccioli’s owner, has been serving exquisite cornetti (croissants) and other morning delicacies fresh out of the oven for decades.
The daily changing variety of crunchy croissants – filled with anything from zabaglione (egg and Marsala custard) to pistacchio – are a safe bet, but depending on when you visit you may also find maritozzi (brioche buns) filled with whipped cream, custard and pine nuts, shortbread, and seasonal specialties such as rice frittelle (fried bites), prepared in early spring.
I would love to feature Circolo Rondinella in every category of my list. It’s a place where you can easily spend the whole day, from breakfast to dinner. There's something special about sitting, coffee in hand, on the faux grass in the outdoor area, which overlooks the Arno River and the 14th-century Torrino di Santa Rosa. Here, you'll often find groups of elderly men gathering daily for a glass of wine and engaging in lively games of briscola, peppered with good-natured swearing.
In terms of food, don’t expect anything especially refined here. Coffee is your standard espresso shot and lunch is a changing menu of seasonal pastas and main courses. That’s the draw of Rondinella – not trying hard to be special in a city where hundreds of restaurants and cafes
As Google reveals that one of its most popular travel search trends is currently 'cheap summer vacations', there are lots of ways that travelers can find ideas to travel for less.
I (like you, I’m sure) have friends who don’t eat meat. I also have friends who don’t eat fish. Others don’t eat eggs. Then there are the ones who don’t eat fruit. Vegetables. Gluten. Dairy. Nuts. Sugar. Chiles. Salt. Sugar.
More Manhattanites are making their way out East this summer, with popular downtown restaurants expanding their reach all the way to the Hamptons.
Renowned for its rich history and stunning architecture, Florence is a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts and history buffs alike. From Michelangelo’s David and the Duomo, one of the largest churches in the world with its famous Brunelleschi-designed dome, to fashion museums from Gucci and Ferragamo and fabulous Tuscan food (including gelato), Florence offers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Sunday day-trippers to Venice flashing their €5 entry ticket QR code to get through the turnstiles at the city’s main access points look bemused when football supporters simply show their match tickets instead. Attending a sporting event just happens to be one of the exemptions in the opaque regulations behind what locals see as an attempt to turn their town into a living museum.
With four official languages yet a distinct sense of national identity, Switzerland is a mix of cultures and at the same time innately Swiss – and that goes for its cuisine, too.
Don’t be deceived by the opulent Renaissance palaces, the gold jewelry shining from Ponte Vecchio’s storefronts and the high-end brands lined up on Via Tornabuoni – Florence doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julie Williams, 60, a semi-retired woman living in Devon, England, who has used HomeExchange more than 100 times over the last decade to travel the world. The website helps facilitate accommodation exchanges between 150,000 users in 145 countries. Williams estimates she's done about 140 exchanges since joining the site.
Padua, in northern Italy's Veneto region, is the site of one of the world’s greatest art treasures that should be on every art lover’s bucket list. The Scrovegni Chapel houses the extraordinary 14th-century fresco cycle by Giotto that covers all the walls and ceilings. Despite having such a masterpiece and being a lovely small city, filled with history, culture and culinary delights, Padua is far less touristy than other Italian other art cities like Florence, Rome or nearby Venice. It’s a real hidden gem. And, at just 25 miles from Venice and easy to reach from Marco Polo airport, Padua is an easy day trip or addition to a Venice itinerary.
Art in hotels, both to admire and to purchase, has become a strong focus in recent years. The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands has an impressive art collection including a giant Louise Bourgeois spider in the courtyard, 45 Park Lane in London has regularly changing exhibitions and art tours, Claridges has its own gallery with regularly changing shows, while La Residencia in Mallorca, Spain has 33 original pieces on display by Joan Miró. The luxurious Hotel Savoy, in Florence, is another hotel that takes art seriously by creating suites for artists to stay in and through hosting regular exhibitions in its public spaces.
I cycled into birdsong, into colour, the light glimmering against the white of the low stone walls. There was a spaciousness as I cycled, a lateral stretching of soundscape, big skies, birds fluting. I didn’t meet anyone else on the narrow lanes and had a sense of being completely alone on an island of 2,000 people. Is there anything happier than being on a bicycle early in the morning, heading to the sea?
Airbnb is taking themed accommodations to the next level with its new Icons category, featuring a collection of stays that offer an immersive experience centered around music, film, television, art, sports and more.