Florence

By CadyLuck Leedy on July 2, 2013

Florence is my favorite city in Italy, bar none. Due to my harried arrival I was ready for a glass of wine on the roof top garden of Antica Torre.  You can see the entire city from here and it is spectacular! There is an indoor garden and an outdoor garden with plenty of snacks and drinks and a friendly staff. After our welcome wine we ventured out into the nearby street to the Trattoria Carrozze.

It was still raining cats and dogs so we followed suit at the restaurant and placed our umbrella at the door with the other odd forty of them.  That is what you do with your umbrella in Italy, leave them at the door in the stands for them.  I always leave with my own umbrella too.  Miracles do happen.  The penguin-dressed waiter led us to a table by the window of the rustic feeling establishment to dine on pasta and more wine.  It was just like an old 40’s black and white movie, watching people hurry by on the cobblestone walkways, umbrellas open in the light hazy drizzle.  After our dinner we strolled through the narrow passageways to Piazza della Signoria and the Rivoire Cafe.

This is my favorite cafe in THE WORLD for hot chocolate.  Thick, thick, thick and chocolaty, chocolaty, chocolaty, with another great spot for people watching! If it hadn’t been drizzling we would have taken a table right on the Piazza.  Inside the cafe people were buzzing like bees!  While we waited for someone to leave, so we could take their seats, I eyed the counters of desserts.  It all looked so yummy!  Following another stroll to the Duomo we returned to the hotel to settle in for the night.  I needed plenty of rest for the four train excursion the next day to the Cinque Terre!

For information on Antica Torre see: http://www.tornabuoni1.com

For information on Trattoria Carrozze see TripAdvisor.

For information on Rivoire see TripAdvisor.

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