An alternative way to see Florence

There is a new way to see Florence that causing quite a stir of interest among the streets of the Centro Storico. Rather than a conventional walking tour, Segway tours have embraced cutting edge technology and offer a tour where visitors maneuver their way around the city on a self balancing electric vehicle. Segway Tours provide a totally unique adventure around the historic city centre which boasts an abundance of Florence apartments that are available for short term rentals.

The Segway PT was invented by Dean Kamen and is produced by Segway Inc who are based in New Hampshire, United States. The word Segway is derived from the Italian verb segue, which means to follow, the PT part stands for Personal Transporter.

In order to make the Segway move forward the user simply leans forward and to go backwards, leans back. The design incorporates a “lean steer” handlebar which enables the user to turn. It is driven by an electric motor and travels at a maximum speed of 12.5 miles per hour (20.1 km/h). In order to deal with the issue of tilting the designers have incorporated Gyroscopic sensors which cause the motors to respond and return the handle and foot plate to an upright position.

The Segway tours are given by professional guides who have been educated in Art, History and Languages. Users are given a 30 minute “orientation session” so that they can become acquainted with the functions of the Segway before embarking on the tour.

This is a totally unforgettable way to see Florence’s highlights and you will have enough energy after the tour to carry on your holiday activities. The tours can be booked online at the official website here:
http://www.segwayfirenze.com/florence-segway-tours.asp?lang=en

Further Information
The Morning Tour Starts at 10:00 am *
The Afternoon Tour Starts at 3:00 pm *
*Given in English
From Monday to Saturday
15th of January - 31st of March: Available only the morning tours
1st of April - 31st of October: Available the morning and the afternoon tours
1st of November - 15th of December: Available only the morning tours
16th of December - 15th January: Not Available

Florentine Cuisine: Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Many restaurants in Florence specialise in this typical steak, Bistecca a la Fiorentina, also known as Porterhouse steak. If you want to cook at home in your Florence apartment and want to impress, here’s an easy guide to preparing your own Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Firstly you’ll need the right cuts at the macellaio (butchers). Bistecca alla Fiorentina uses local Chianina beef. These are huge white oxen raised in the Val di Chiana; their meat is tender and full of flavour.

You’ll need about 10 minutes to prepare the steaks and roughly half an hour to cook, depending on how rare or well-done you require the steaks.

Ingredients: Thick Chianina steaks, fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste.

Firstly, place the steaks in a hot grilled frying pan (if you do not have a charcoal grill) and let them sear briefly, then reduce the heat and cook slowly for a few minutes.

As soon as the steak will come off the grill easily, turn it and sprinkle salt over the grilled surface. After a few minutes on the other side, turn it again and apply salt on the surface. The seared surface will act as a barrier against the salt drawing moisture from the steak.

The next two turns of the steak should be for applying the fresh cracked pepper.

What’s important in cooking the steak is the first few minutes on high heat, to seal the exterior, followed by a constant medium heat to allow the steak to cook to your liking.

A 1-inch steak , for example, needs about 10 minutes if you want it rare, or medium about 15 minutes.

A 2-inch steak needs about 20 minutes rare and just over 25 minutes to become medium-cooked.

Bear in mind also that the steak will continue to cook a couple of minutes after you have removed it from the heat, so add a minute or two onto the estimated time for each steak. Also, if the meat has been kept at room temperature, it will cook a little faster.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina is best served in your Florence apartment, on the terrace or balcony, with a lemon wedge, a fresh green salad and a fine bottle of Chianti wine from your nearby enoteca (wine shop).
Buonissimo!

Florence Shopping Guide

Florence has always had a great hand in commerce. Florence apartments and shops have existed since renaissance times and older, when each area of the city was characterised by a certain craftwork. Members of each guild were required to be descendants of each craft society to join the profession.

In this way, the skills have been handed down through the generations, to their present day glory. Florence is best-known for its gold and jewellery crafts, its leather bags and shoes, its art and renaissance antiques, as well as meats and of course, Chianti wine.
When in Florence, it’s important to note that the city specialises in luxury goods and high quality, so if you really want to go shopping, you´ll need a good budget.

Have a read on for some of the best places to satisfy your shopping desires.
Florence souvenirs and small charms can be found on the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
If you’re hunting for Florentine antiques, you can find the best on Via Maggio.
Leather goods are popular in this city; the best bet for luxury Florence shoe-makers, boutiques and accessories is Via dei Tornabouni, with brands such as Gucci.
If the old Florence pharmacies and perfumeries interest you, go to the Antica Officina di Santa Maria Novella, where it is possible to buy essences from yesteryear.
Pick up some better value in Florence’s high street shops, such as Diesel and Sisley, which are located on the main street Via dei Calzaiuoli near the Duomo.
From Monday through Saturday, look for bargains at Florence’s fleamarket at Piazza dei Ciompi. This outdoor market offers small antiques and nick-nacks.
Finally, for Florence fresh produce, meats and cheeses, an array of leather goods and general market items can be found in the San Lorenzo market, between Via Cavour and Via Nazionale.

Happy shopping and don’t forget to stop along the way for an espresso!

Cantine Aperte 31st May 2009

The region of Tuscany is world renowned for its beautiful rolling countryside and exquisite wines and cuisine. Wine production is deeply rooted in Tuscan culture and has existed since the Etruscans imported the grapevine from the orient and began cultivation of the vines on a large scale, the Greeks named Tuscany "the Land of Wine".

The last Sunday in May offers wine lovers the chance to sample wines that are produced throughout Italy through an initiative called the Cantine Aperte or Open Cellars. The public are invited to try the wines offered by each winery and observe the cultivation and production processes involved in making them.


With a wealth of central Florence apartments on offer, this initiative provides the perfect excuse for a day trip into the countryside that surrounds the city, which is a recommendable activity to help truly appreciate this part of Italy and its cultures, which are rooted in traditions of fine wines and good quality cuisine.

On the 31st of May 2009, around 800 wine cellars throughout Italy will open their doors to an enormous visiting public of around 1 million people, Tuscany alone has 130 participating wineries. The massive scale of this event represents the importance that wine cultivation has on Italian culture from region to region.

The event is coordinated by the Movimento Turismo del Vino, a non-profit organization that was set up in 1993 with the aim of promoting wine tourism in the region and improving the “image and prestige” of the wine producing areas. The wineries chosen to participate are given the opportunity based on strict criteria which places emphasis on a high level of quality in the visitor tours that are offered.

The event also celebrates the cultural and culinary traditions of the region and is an ideal way to discover many local delicacies . Information on participating wineries can be found by visiting the official webpage of the Movimiento Turismo del Vino.

Divinely Dante in Florence

Follow the Florence trail of Dante, the writer of the Divine Comedy, one of the most acclaimed literary masterpieces in world history. Dante Alighieri, Florentine born, frequented Florence apartments –many of which are still the same today- and streets at the end of the 13th century until his political banishment from Florence. In the years that succeeded, he wrote some of his works, as well as the Divine comedy, between 1308 and his death in 1321.

The 14,000 lines of Dante’s Divine Comedy or Divina Commedia unfold as the writer takes a journey through the three Christian phases of the afterlife; Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio) and Heaven (Paradiso). Written in the first person, the poem’s famed allegory and Christian themes, along with the Italian language used, helped to portray the religious and scientific ideas of those times in Florence and in the Western World, while establishing the Tuscan dialect in a historical context.

When in Florence, it’s worth visiting those monuments of a great literary past with Dante, as follows:

Baptistery of San Giovanni- Where Dante was christened. There is a painting depicting Dante showing Florence his poem, painted in 1465 by Domenico di Michelino.

Via Corso and the houses of Portinari- Where Beatrice lived; Dante’s obsession as portrayed in La Vita Nouva.

Chiesa di Santa Margherita de' Cerchi- The Florence church in which Dante is believed to have married Gemma Donati in 1295.

Florence’s House of Dante - A little museum with articles pertaining to Dante’s life and works.

Palazzo del Bargello- The building in which Dante’s banishment from Florence was proclaimed.

There is a Giotto fresco of Dante in Paradise, in the building’s chapel.

Chiesa di Santa Croce- See the Dante sculpture outside the church, created by Enrico Pezzi in 1865.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella- Frescoes by Nardo di Cione which show Dante’s Paradise and Hell.

For enthusiasts of literature, a trip to Dante’s monuments in Florence will make for an interesting trip.