Market in piazza Santa Croce

This coming week end if you are in the Santa Croce area you cannot miss the international market, not as famous as the Xmas Heidelberg market but still very known.

From October 2nd to the 5th 120 stands coming from 18 different countries of Europe: taste cakes and cut meat from Austria; chocolate from Belgium; cheeses from France; the German beer. Or if you have a British taste why don’t buying a piece of the fine porcelain, house ware from Portugal, flowers from Holland and Lap land, Magyar or Lithuania art craft or a Finnish Reiner sweater …
If you then are in Santa Croce you can always go to see the theatre show “The tears of the Virgin Mary” by Jacopone da Todi in the Basilica of Santa Croce on Thursday, October 2nd at 9pm. The Virgin Mary role is performed by an Italian actress, Claudia Koll.

Original sound movies in Florence: October 2008

THE NEW PROGRAMME IN ORIGINAL SOUND OCTOBER AT THE ODEON CINEMA

Abba fans will not want to miss Mamma Mia!, Phyllida Lloyd’s musical montage of Abba hits strung together in a conventional narrative that replicates the musical that had everyone dancing in the aisles. The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has Brendan Fraser again as explorer Rick O’Connell called upon to save the world from the evils of the resurrected Emperor Han. In the outrageous comedy You Don't Mess With the Zohan Adam Sandler plays an Israeli Mossad agent who smuggles himself into the US and masquerades as a hairdresser to hilarious effect. Mulder and Scully return for the stand-alone thriller The X Files: I Want To Believe, a very creepy supernatural investigation that lovers of the series will not want to miss.

October

Th 2 FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN (USA - 120’) by Dennis Lee
with Julia Roberts, Carrie-Ann Moss, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Hayden Panettiere, Ioan Gruffudd. Berlin film festival
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm

Mo 6 MAMMA MIA! (GB, GER, USA - 108’) by Phyllida Lloyd
with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm

Tu 7 MAMMA MIA! (GB, GER, USA - 108’) by Phyllida Lloyd
with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm

Th 9 THE MUMMY: THE TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
(GER, CAN, USA - 112’) by Rob Cohen
with Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm

Mo 13 You Don't Mess With the Zohan (USA - 113’) by Dennis Dugan
with Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Lainie Kazan, Rob Schneider, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Nick Swardson
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm

Tu 14 The X Files: I Want To Believe (USA, Canada - 104’) by Chris Carter
with David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connolly, Mitch Pileggi, Amanda Peet, Xzibit, Callum Keith Rennie
Shows: 4.00 - 6.10 - 8.20 - 10.30 p.m.

Th 16 BURN AFTER READING (USA - 140’) by Etan and Joel Coen
with Brad Pitt , George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins. Venice Film Festival - Opening film
Shows: 4.00 - 6.10 – 8.20 – 10.30 pm

Tickets and Club Card: A regular ticket costs Euro 7,50 but you can buy the Club Card which gives you a 40% discount for 8 admissions of your choice. The card costs Euro 38,00 and expires at 31st of July 2009. It admits up to two people at a time (i.e. 2 admissions). It can be purchased at the Odeon Cinema box office.
Cinema Odeon
Piazza Strozzi, 2
50123 Firenze - Italia

Tonight Spike Lee will present Miracle at S.Anna!

What's on in Florence in October

Exhibitions:

Caterina and Maria de' Medici: women in power. Thursday 23 Opening, until 8 February, 2009. Palazzo Strozzi 9am-8pm (on thursday until 11pm) tickets 10 euro.

Festival of Creativity promoted by the Tuscan Region at the Fortezza da Basso from thursday 23 to Sunday, 26. Free entrance.

Lucca comics and games: international exhibition of comics, mangas and games. Cosplay parades and concerts. In Lucca (1 hour from Florence) from thursday, 30 until November, 2. Tickets 12 euro. It's very funny to see all that crazy people dressed like a cartoon. See some pictures here>>

The heritage of Giotto, at Uffizi Gallery. 8.15am - 6.50pm. Closed on Mondays. Tickets 10 euro.

Pictures by George Tatge: "Presenze. Paesaggi italiani" (italian landscapes). Until november,2. Italian images of one of the most appreciated Italian landscape photographer. Free entrance. At Villa Bardini (after the exhibition you can enjoy a cocktail at MOBA: wonderful view!).

Museum of Jewish Art and History. The museums founded in 1981 is reopening with an all new look. See the history of Jews in Florence: from the first settlement in 1431 to recent times. Via Farini, 6. For info: www.firenzeebraica.net

Next time I will talk about original language movies, music events, festival in Tuscany...

Hairforce, much more than a hairdressers

Last friday I went to Hairforce, after my travel to Ny I needed to have my hair cut and brushed!

The hairdressers Hairforce is in the heart of Florence, in the historic Via Ghibellina, 2 steps from Santa Croce.
The salon, recently restructured, is managed by Joe, Sicilian, but in reality a citizen of the world (including London and Tokyo - searching for the latest fashion trends). Working alongside Joe is a group of young, very friendly and well-trained colleagues.
Always up-to-date on the latest cuts and colours, they understand quickly which look will suit you best, and when the moment has come for a change.
But the really great thing about Hairforce is not just the professionalism or the talent of the team in terms of cut and style, it is the atmosphere that exists in the salon - a place where you can really relax in peace.
As soon as you walk in the door you are offered a coffee and then head to the shiatsu massage chair for a shampoo.
There is also free internet for clients, so you can check your emails if you like.
A quick flick through the magazines, a chat, a joke and then the relaxing shampoo and massage.
Then the cut, the colour, the blow dry.
Every one of the team specialises in something: whether its colour,up-dos and styling or cutting.
The fact that they are in the centre of Florence also means that they know the new bars and restaurants that opening - in a chat between cut and blow-dry, you often find out nuggets of information about things to do in the city.
And they are pretty quick, and reasonably priced.

Hairforce
open from monday to saturday.
late opening on mondays.
hairdressers for men and women.
english speaking.
free internet access for clients.

Hairforce V.Ghibellina 74/R Tel. 055 241736
Hairforce V. Tozzi 28 Tel. 055 608119

If you print this page Joe will make you a 10% off discount!

Dinner with murder in Florence

Saturday 27th September, dinner with murder on the Hotel Minerva (Piazza S.Maria Novella in Florence). The dinner will be served at the hotel restaurant “I Chiostri” on the top floor. During the dinner you will be “disturbed” by various sounds and noises that allow you to discover who the murder is. The aim of the dinner is to conjugate the sounds with the taste of the dishes. The restaurant became a meeting place for the Florentines (but not only) who want to spend a different evening, in a historical place and try their capabilities of being a new Sherlok Holmes.

Menu:
Welcome drink
Octopussy of the Tirrenean sea with lime and radicchio salad with tomatoes
Sea food risotto
Grilled Salmon and black sea bass with rosemary oil
Rolled green beans with bacon
Grilled tomatoes
Bavarese with fruit and English cream Coffee with various little desserts
Montecarlo white wine and Moscato d’Asti
Cost € 50,00 per PERSON For info: info@grandhotelminerva.com

Events of the week end

In the next two weekends there will be the two European art patrimony days; more than 1000 places to be visited completely for free. Among those which you can find here you have the possibility to visit Villa Spadolini and the Jewish Synagogue in Florence.

Then at the Padiglione Spadolini , Fortezza da Basso there is ArteFirenze, modern art show from September 26th to Monday September 29th.

On Sunday September 28th, the 2008 edition of Corri la Vita, Run or Life.

A good occasion to support the cancer research, prevention and the assistance for those women suffering of breast cancer but also a good occasion to walk trough the beautiful Florence and its hidden corners entering for free in some of the museums along the way.

Lastly, an event in Prato: Economy 3- Europe, business and culture. At the Forum in Prato there will be a symposium with some of the most important and well known economists of now days whose try to describe and explain the actual international economy scene.

Among these experts it will be presented Hal Varian, one of the biggest expert of economy in Information and Communication technology and Google economy expert together with Alberto Alesina one of the greatest international economy scientist in the politician economy, Professor at Harvard University.

At conclusion of the event you can listen to Daniele Silvestri’s concert on Sunday September 28th at 9,30pm, free entrance.

Events of the week end in Florence and surroundings

In Oltrarno on September 26-28 you can find between Piazza S Spirito, Piazza della Passera and Piazza Pitti the Florence wine event and as the word say you can taste all the best Tuscan and Italian wine: from Morellino to Brunello and Barolo. Concerts and dinners all over these squares and on a Sunday a market…the bad note is that at 10pm everything shuts down.

Speaking about wine we cannot forget the most famous wine event of Tuscany in Impruneta. The wine fair takes place on Sunday at 3,30pm and as every year there’s the flats parade with the four area (rione) of the Chianti village: Pallò,S.Marie, Fornaci and S.Antonio.

Another wine fair is near Siena in this tiny medieval village called Vagliagli (September 25th-28th). This tiny village will be a show case of typical Tuscan products and wine tasting than another floats parade inspired by country life with men and women dressed in traditional costumes.

And for those of you who like the so-called sagre, festivals, in Certaldo there’s the T-bone steak and porcini mushroom festival instead closer to Florence, in San Donnino there’s the pork festival. They start at 7,30pm with tasting of Tuscan delicatessen, ham, salami, crostini and lard then pasta dishes with sauces with a pork base and as a second dish; sausages, aristae, pork meat, mixed grilled…