Autumn in Florence - food festival in 4 star hotel in Florence

From Thursday 20 September to Saturday 13 October at Grand Hotel Minerva, Florence there will be this special food event.  Fried, grilled or sautéed porcini mushrooms; Caesar’s mushroom salad; verdino and dottato figs; Italia, strawberry and globe grapes. These are just some of the products accompanying the classic Florentine steak, duck, wild boar or pappardelle. A festival for rediscovering traditional flavours and recipes, and experimenting with the sometimes bold combinations of chef Sandro Pedica. Traditional dishes: salame (sausage) and figs, pappardelle with porcini mushrooms, Mugellan potato ravioli with wild boar ragout, charcoal-grilled Florentine T-bone steak with grilled porcini mushrooms. Creative interpretations: porcini mushroom cheese cake, verdino fig muffins with Tuscan ham, porcini mushroom cappuccino with poppy seed puff pastry for dipping. All of this "seasoned" with a view of Alberti’s facade for the Church of Santa Maria Novella and the whole square. 

In addition to a generous menu of 27 dishes to choose from, Autumn on the Table offers: 

Promo-Dinner: 2 courses to choose from for € 29.50, including mineral water and coffee, excluding wine. 

Promo-Dinner: 3 courses to choose from for € 39.50, including mineral water and coffee, excluding wine.

Have a look to the menu>>

All hotel customers who book a table with their receptionist are granted a 10% discount. Please note that those who book their stay at the hotel through its official website (www.grandhotelminerva.com) are entitled to a bonus equivalent to 10% of the value of the reserved room, which can be used for dining facilities, including a dinner at our Food Festival. 

For example, if your room costs 100.00 Euro per night, 10 Euro per day can be used at the hotel bar and restaurant. 

Superlative massage at the Four Season Hotel Spa in Florence

I was completely shocked when I received, as a birthday gift, a superlative 75 minutes massage at the Four Season in Florence! I had various opportunity to visit the Four Season in Florence (aperitif, brunch etc), but a visit to the spa was certainly a treat. 

I chose the massage, “Gocce di Luce” with candles. The candle composed by a special butter melt transforming the butter in warm oil used to massage the skin: this oil is composed by avocado oil, coconut oil, Shea butter; the fragrance is sweet oriental- spicy with vanilla tones.

Few words about the atmosphere of this Spa: amazing, warm and a tremendous kindness of the girls who work there. They let you fill up a form, first of all, asking if you want a gentle, medium or strong pressure of the massage then they lead you to the big changing room.

Everywhere all kind of amenities you might need like towels, make up removal, candles, water, fruits, fragrances: a true paradise for women.

After wearing my soft bathrobe I enter my room called after one of the hundreds kind of trees of the garden. It took me just few seconds to disconnect my brain from the rest of the world: the gentle but energetic massage of my back, the legs, feet and the massage of my face relaxed me so much that I said to myself: ”I stay here forever”.

The relax continued also after the 75 minutes massage when I lay on a bed in the relaxing room, sipping a herb tea cup and eating some organic biscuits watching the freezing cold wind bending the arms of the trees.

Other details I appreciated of the spa:

Many objects that you see at the Four Season in Florence are created by Florentine or Tuscan artisans like the alabaster shelf coming from Volterra or the tray and basket coming from a Florentine artisan, but above all, all the spa products coming from The Officina Profumo of Santa Maria Novella, an institution in Florence since 1612 that created only for the Four Season in Florence (no other 4 Season of the world have) the 4 Spa line named after the seasons, like the famous scrub made by the berries of the Tuscan cypress. 

Info: 055/2626 630 - mail: spa.firenze@fourseasons.com

Four Season Hotel - Borgo Pinti Florence, Italy.

You may be interested also in http://lovingflorence.blogspot.com/2008/10/mediterranean-massage-at-urban-spa-in.html

3 star hotel in Florence with free parking and Wi fi

I would like to suggest this 3 star hotel in Florence: the Hotel Jane is located near the banks of the Arno River just a few steps from the historic center. Small and welcoming, suitable for accommodation for tourism, business, families and small comitive. The rooms are newly renovated and tastefully decorated. Continental buffet breakfast, including croissants, cereals, juices, yogurt, cheese, salami etc. is served in a beautiful dining area. The staff is always available to satisfy your needs.

By booking through this blog (lovingflorence), have a special discount of 10% on for sale on their Internet sites and Bike rental + Garage for free.

Wi-fi Internet Connection.

Hotel Jane Via Orcagna, 56/58 - 50121 - Florence Italy · Ph.: +39 055.677382 · Email: info@hoteljane.it

From Tripadvisor:

Xmas holidays in Florence: new year's eve dinner and hotel

If you are planning you Christmas holiday in Florence or you are making up your mind where spend the New Year’s Eve in Florence (December 31, 2009) here are some suggestions for your trip.

For the lodging I can suggest you a small, lovely, and very fashionable boutique bed and breakfast in Florence center. There's a small spa with a romantic jacuzzi and a turkish bath available just for the guests.
They offer a special Christmas package:
- tasting the typical italian Xmas dessert “panettone” cake in your romantic room upon arrival, and the warm athmosphere of the candle lit SPA with jacuzzi hydromassage, a bottle of Champagne and red candles. Prices starting from only 145 euros for 1 room (2 people!) Here are more info and the prices>>

And for the night of the 31st of December enjoy the big party just few step away the B&B: new year's eve galà and party in Florence at Palazzo Gaddi.

B&B in Florence: seniors special

In this lovely bed and breakfast in Florence if you are older than 60 you can get a great discount all year off.
Moreover there's a gorgeous Jacuzzi and a Turkish bath if you would like to relax after visiting the big Michelangelo's David.
Enjoy...>>

Florence rental apartments in Ponte Vecchio

San Niccolò is one of the most authentic quarters of Florence, where many Florentines still have their homes and where you can still find small food shops, craftsmen shops and art galleries. More about San Niccolo>>

Easter in Florence and surroundings

Easter is approaching and even if the weather news is not so positive, we hope for the best! Furthermore the sailing week end to Elba Island, here there is some activities for those days:

Friday, April 10th from 9pm
In Grassina there is the famous historical commemoration of the passion of Jesus Christ on the holy Friday: more than 500 figures such as roman soldiers, women in ancient costumes, horses, they all walk through the main street of Grassina following Jesus.
Sunday, April 12th in Florence there is the explosion of the Fire cart. There is a similar thing also in Greve in Chianti at 12pm on Sunday instead in Panzano on April 14th at 6pm, the flight of the columbine and the explosion of the cart. An as usual for pasquetta (Easter Monday), there is the antique market in Greve in Chianti.

For tourists I would like to underline:
B&b with private SPA in the historical city centre of town a superior double for € 120.
Easter Sunday brunch at Rifrullo for € 20, 00 all you can eat, and the special Easter Monday lunch

Discovering tastes in history in Tuscany

Week-end March 20-22 - Discovering tastes in history

Antico Podere Marciano, in occasion of its seasonal opening for 2009, offers a promotional week-end with a special evening devoted to the history of Italian gastronomy. The promotion includes:
Friday, March 20th, arrival and check-in, accommodation in double bedroom
Saturday, March 21st, breakfast, free day, special dinner: Discovering tastes in history, banquets of the Pope court at the end of the 16^th century
Sunday, March 22nd, breakfast, check-out
Price: 145,00 € per person
Superior bedrooms will be assigned to early bookings.
Discovering tastes in history, banquets of the Pope court at the end of the 16^th century. This special evening is the first of a series of appointments devoted to ancient culinary culture. Dishes of Bartolomeo Scappi will be prepared, one of the greatest Chefs of all the times, known as the Michelangelo of the kitchen.
Scappi in the 16th century cooked for Kings and Popes (on one occasion he prepared a 780 courses banquet for Carlos V, king of Spain) and left exhaustive evidence of his banquets, menus and recipes which is a beautiful 'Affresco' full of flavours and tastes that may sometimes be recognized as the roots of our gastronomy, thus being intriguing, and surprisingly modern.
Menu for Saturday March, 21st:
Tartallette di rape con agliata di amandole
(turnip tarts with garlic and almond sauce)
Minestra di zucche nostrali in giorno di quaresima
(pumpkin soup in Lent time)
Gigotto di castrato arrosto con sapore di finocchi selvatici
(roasted lamb in wild fennel herbs)
Frittelle di salvia e zafferano con salsa di mele
(sage and saffron cake with apple sauce)
Before the dinner, a brief presentation of the gastronomy of the 16^th century will be given.

Opened to the public in 2004, Antico Podere Marciano is the result of a comprehensive and very careful restoration of an ancient rural house. he landscape seen from its wide terraces seems as if it were lifted straight off a Tuscan postcard – gently sloping hills dotted with cypresses, castles and stone farm houses surrounded by vineyards spread out into the distance, where you can also see the outlined spires of the famous towers of San Gimignano. Located in the hills of the Chianti region, near Castellina-in-Chianti, Antico Podere Marciano looks directly out over the spectacular panorama of the Val d’Elsa. For info: info@poderemarciano.it

Hotel in Florence for New Year's Eve

Where to sleep in Florence for New Years’ Eve days...

Following an email wrote by one of my reader, I decided to give you some advises on where to sleep for New Years Eve.

Hotel Giada is close to San Lorenzo where there the famous open and indoor food market is. The hotel is very simple but the owner is a very nice young guy who knows how to treat customers. A double room is around € 130, 00. It is very close to the train station of Santa Maria Novella.

Hotel Columbus, a 3 stars hotel on the homonymous Lungarno (Colombo) is again a very simple one but if you want just to sleep one night and if you are not to pretentious, it has some very good fares.

If you are looking for a long term rental apartment close to Ponte Vecchio, with half board or for a flat in San Lorenzo area...

The alternative is a bed and breakfast: in Viale Don Minzoni there is one that it is not bad.

You can email also the Ostello 7 Santi, near the Stadium. They also have double rooms.

Another Youth Hostel is Youth Hostel 2000 in the San Frediano area, V.le R. Sanzio 16, a double is around € 39,00.

If you want some more news about New Years Eve see these posts…
- low cost dinner in a farm house close to Florence
- restaurants in Florence with special menu for the New Year's Eve
- some ideas to spend the New Year's Eve in Florence

Restaurant of Four Season hotel, Florence

After the sicilian restaurant, here is another review by Sabino, the restaurant il Palagio of theFour season hotel

The Four Season hotel opened in Florence last June and I red various reviews of the inside restaurant in some gastronomic blogs. I decided to try during one of my unusual long lunch break. I passed the sumptuous atrium of the hotel and I arrived in the restaurant, elegantly interior designed which is in communication with the wine bar area where from 7pm they serve the aperitif with finger food.

I have lunch in the garden as it is still warm in town: the scenario of the garden is fantastic if you think that we are in the middle of the historical city centre of Florence. I try the tasting menu’ at € 50, 00. As a first dish they serve an octopus with gazpacho sauce in a big iced bawl. Even if I don’t like gazpacho, the presentation was fantastic and at the end I liked it.
Then you can choose between a first course and a second, they were all fine, (meat of fish) but the dessert was the top.
A caramel sphere with violet, tasting as a violet, and then in addition I had also a tasting of a chocolate mousse with a very good pastry.

A spectacular place where the service is excellent and the waiters are careful. For dinner, prices are higher: it is very worthy for a very special occasion.

Here more info:
http://www.fourseasons.com/florence/

Apartments for rent in Florence

Today I would like to introduce you to a very useful website I found few days ago.

Firenzelodging.it is a service oriented rental agency in Florence: they offer apartments for rent in Florence. As a licensed real estate agency in Florence they offer lodging services for tourists looking for quality short term rentals solutions in apartments, villas, residences as well as for those looking for more traditional mid to long term stays when relocating, living or studying in Florence. Their listings of properties are reviewed and certified by their staff to help you find what better suits your needs at the more suitable price for your budget. They target clients needing a solid and reliable service mixing the help of technology with more traditional service oriented efforts to make you feel safe and comfortable while searching, booking and then enjoying your time and your life in Florence.

Long term rental apartment in Florence

Long term rentals

Elegant bilocal apartment in a country house, few steps from Florence, Italy.

The apartment is in the countryside, 10 minutes from the the city center of Florence. It’s an independent building, nobody under, nobody above, nobody besides.
It’s very silent and quiet, the ideal place for relaxing after work.
It has private parking for car and motorbike. The apartment has been completely renewed and furnished in August 2007.

The apartment is on 2 floors: on the main floor there is the living room, upstairs the sleeping room (double bedroom) and the bathroom (with window). All the windows have nice views on gardens and trees. The building belongs to an old tuscan country structure. The ceilings have wooden beams and the floors are in cotto. The dining room has the cooking corner and a lovely fireplace. The dining room has a table that seats six persons.
On the first floor there’s a bright double bedroom with a wardrobe, a bath with shower.

Where it is:

The flat in the area knowed as “Firenze Certosa” very close to the city of Florence and to the roadway (A1). It could be a good place to stay while visiting Tuscany: Siena and Arezzo are less than 1 hour, San Gimignano and Volterra are about 40 minutes. Pisa is near too. With the roadway you can reach all the places of interest in Italy: Rome, Naples, Bologna.. Then, when you come back home, you can park easily in the front of the apartment and rest in the silence of the country. The apartment is not far from Impruneta, at the beginning of Chianti area, where you can find many typical restaurants and wine bar.

Luxury hotels and restaurants in Florence

Strolling on my own in the web I found one more out of hundreds website about Florence: Italianday.com.

One can say there are too many touritsic website. That was different. I rather enjoyed the pictures of monuments and landscape (marvellous!).
Actually there is not only Florence, there are much more Italian destinations. I see there are many hotels around all Italy (Sardinia, Venice. Rome, Florence, Umbria, Apulia..).
Some of there are really gorgeous.. This website offers a selection of Italy luxury hotels and charming accommodations (I think it is very useful for those travellers willing to come to Italy).
There are 4 and 5 stars hotels, castles and charming dwellings and some restaurants. In Florence's page at the moment there is just one restaurant: Borgo San Jacopo. I have never been there so far, some of my friends have been there and said they eat well. Surely on the photo looks like it is on a great position (Ponte Vecchio just few steps away) and prawns in another photos look really tasty.. something to try for sure! Well, in Italy there are really fabulous places. I know the five stars hotels on the Florence’s pages of Italianday.com (Westin Excelsior and Grand Hotel) because sometimes I popped put there for some parties or ‘aperitivi’ I really didn’t know anything about Castello del Nero in Tavernelle. I actually read on a newspaper they have a spa as well. I really would love to sleep in a luxury hotel once.