Notte bianca (white night) in Florence

Tonight there will be a special event in Florence: the "White Night" ("Notte Bianca"): from 6 pm to 6 am everything will be open in Florence. Museums, shops, churches and there will be many live concerts in the main squares. Over 150.000 people are waited in the center of Florence to celebrate this long evening. This year it will be a kid friendly edition with puppets, shows and games for children, until midnight. Don't miss to visit Palazzo Vecchio (free entrance to the museum and to the tower from 2 am until 5 am) and the free cappuccino for breakfast at Salone dei Cinquecento.

Rik van den Bosch live for the first time in Italy

Radio Radicchio and Indietravel present Rik van den Bosch live for the first time in Italy. Two unique shows, in Florence and in Montaione, to see a musician soaked in many different influences. Rik absorbs and elaborates them during his tireless wanderings throughout the world. He's a real globetrotter-songwriter and his guitar and his harmonica will take the audience to a trip crawled by his unique folk-blues-Americana. In 2002, Rik made a journey from New Orleans to New York, with a guitar, a bicycle and a little tape recorder, to find the roots of the music he loves. The album "A Musical Impression Of A Journey From New Orleans To New York" came out of this experience. After publishing "Out Of Town" e "Blues For The Lowlands", Rik began working to "Coffee, Cigarettes And Beer", an album Rik himself defines as "folk, eclectic, old country blues style, Mexicana, emofolk, singersongsongs, country, rhythm and blues, and also mixtures between them". Rik's cover version of "Heaps Of Sheeps" is in Robert Wyatt's album "Robert Wyatt, Anthologie du Projet MW". His latest work is an EP called "Sea Side Mountain Side", recorded in Spain and featuring collaborations from many great Spanish musicians. Enjoy Rik van den Bosch live on April 24th at the NOF Gallery in Florence (start 10.30 pm) and 25th at pub Lo Strettoio at Montaione.

Lee Rainie in Italy

On April 24th, the meeting News in a Networked World with Lee Rainie will be held under the initiative promoted by the RFK Center and the Consulate General of the United States of America. Lee Rainie, who is going to be host at the International Journalism Festival, is the Director of the Pew Research Center's Internet &; American Life Project, a non-profit, non–partisan "fact tank" that studies the social impact of the internet. The Project has issued more than 300 reports based on its surveys that examine people's online activities and the internet's role in their lives. The meeting, featuring the US Consulate General in Florence Sarah Morrison and the RFK Center Director Federico Moro, will be held in English from 5pm at La Nazione Auditorium (via Giovine Italia, 17). 

Best garden in Florence where to rest and have a sunbath: Boboli Garden

Boboli garden is a big historical italian garden close to the center of Florence. You can enter in the garden through different gates: Porta Romana, via Romana and Palazzo Pitti, in Pitti Square, close to Ponte Vecchio. The garden is quite big and full of paths, trees, fountains and places where you can lie and rest from your tiring touristic tour.

Admittance fee is 7 euros (reduced for over 65 years) and in the price the visits to Bardini Garden and 2 other small museums are included.

In the garden there aren't any bar or caffetterias, so be sure to bring with you some water if you get thirsty. But there some toilets you can use for free.

What's on in Florence in May: FABBRICA EUROPA 2012

For 2012, the international Festival of contemporary stage arts Fabbrica Europa plans a particularly varied and complex programme with exhibitions, workshop and shows. The main theme is the concept of “the mobility of art”, indicating “movement”, “transit”, “journey”, both across nations and across cultures, but also across “time” and “generations” (focusing particularly on the relationship between the Masters and the young). Musicians, videomakers and dancers are coming from all the parts of Europe for 10 days of contemporary art.

From its catalyzing historical centre, the Stazione Leopolda in Florence, Italy, where a number of the most interesting European contemporary works will be hosted, it will stretch out across the city of Florence in a capillary invasion of squares, streets, Renaissance corners etc., to bring alive a real “creative, hyper-textual and interactive map” of the contemporary scenario in order to involve and spread cultural action not only to the wide public of the Festival, but also to the still wider “man-in-the-street” population, not habitually in touch with the languages of art. 

Florence, Stazione Leopolda and other places

Opening May 3rd 2012 - until the 13th of May

XIX edition

Sunday aperitivo in Florence at Piazzale Michelangelo

While you are coming up to Piazzale Michelangelo's hill to admire the heart breaking view of Florence, and need a rest, stop a Caffetteria La loggia for a great aperitivo before lunch. For just 9 euros you can have your favourite drink such as italian best famous Negroni Cocktail with the best view of Michelangelo's David and Ponte Vecchio just in front of you. 

And if you are starving... have some appetizers for free! Enjoy those tiny pizzas to pick up with your fingers.

Caffetteria La Loggia Piazzale Michelangelo 

(there's also a restaurant if you want to stay longer)

Every Sunday from April to September.

Aperitivo from 11.30 until 1.00 pm

Lunch from 1.00 to 2.30 pm

Cheap vegetarian brunch in Florence

Last Sunday a friend of mine went to this cozy restaurant in the center of Florence, close to Santa Croce Square. The space is small. It's a sort of a private club: but the entrance fee is included in the 15euros brunch menu.

You can eat as much as you can, choosing between: tasty fried salted pieces of bread ("coccoli"), italian ricotta cheese served with some topping and apples, sweet italian buttery cheese called "burrata", pumpkin vegetarian cakes, pasta salted with red salad cooked in the Guinness beer, spicy vegetarian cous cous, fried spicy aubergines with rice... all served with several types of bread, and american coffee.
Don't miss to taste the desserts: apple crumble, cherry pie, sachertorte chocolate cake.

La Vie en Rose
Borgo Allegri 68r Firenze (close to Piazza dei Ciompi)