Since Florence is one of my favorite cities, I spend a lot of time there. And when it's time to eat it's good to know a place where you can eat well and not spend a lot of money.

Here's a great list of 10 Cheap Eats in Florence

Some of these are old favorites of mine and some I haven't tried yet.

I would definitely second the suggestion for Il Teatro del Sale. Amazing food and a unique experience. It is great value for the money.

And here's another list of cheap and traditional places to eat in Florence. Some are the same as in the link above.

Photo courtesy Richard, enjoy my life! on Flickr

If you go to Italy and want to have a good cup of coffee, you won't have any trouble since there is good coffee everywhere. But if you want the best, and there is more than one coffee bar in the vicinity, then choose Illy. It is just that little bit better that makes the difference.

They also put out espresso cups in collectible limited editions which have fervent collectors. eBay is the place to find a great set.

ILLY COLLECTION VIDEOGRAMMI NAM JUNE PAIK 6 CUPS SET $349.00 Time Remaining: 9h 9m

ILLY COLLECTION ESPRESSO CUP 2004 LOVE DIFFERENCE MICHEANGELO PISTOLETTO NIB $71.99 Time Remaining: 15h Buy It Now for only: $98.99

Illy Espresso Cup Saucer Set Rauschenberg Maps of the World London Rome $28.50 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 18h 15m

ILLY Art Collection 2009 Tobias Rehberger Espresso Cup Limited New $135.00 Time Remaining: 1d 7h 15m Buy It Now for only: $135.00

illy Art Collection 1998 LOS NINOS Cambiaremos espresso cups saucers with coffee $159.00 Time Remaining: 1d 17h 45m Buy It Now for only: $159.00

2004 Illy Collection Padraig Timoney Pen Test Espresso Cups Saucers $224.99 Time Remaining: 1d 18h 46m Buy It Now for only: $224.99

illy art collection cups espresso Anish Kapoor 2011 12 $125.00 Time Remaining: 2d 1h 4m Buy It Now for only: $125.00

2 ESPRESSO CUPS ILLY COLLECTION 1996 BASKET PLAY GROUND PAOLO CERVI KERVISCHER $80.00 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 56m Buy It Now for only: $80.00

ILLY ART COLLECTION 2009 PEDRO ALMODOVAR 2 CAPPUCCINO CUPS NEW $140.00 Time Remaining: 2d 7h 49m Buy It Now for only: $140.00

5 ESPRESSO CUPS ILLY COLLECTION 1998 WORLD CUPS BY ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG $350.00 Time Remaining: 2d 7h 50m Buy It Now for only: $350.00

ILLY ART COLLECTION 2011 BY ANISH KAPOOR LIMITED EDITION VENICE ONLY 999 CUPS $250.00 Time Remaining: 2d 11h 6m Buy It Now for only: $250.00

ILLY COLLECTION 2004 IN PRINCIPIO INDIA BY SEBASTIAO SALGADO1 ESPRESSO CUP $110.00 Time Remaining: 2d 11h 7m Buy It Now for only: $110.00

ILLY ART COLLECTION 2008 SIXTY MARINA ABRAMOVIC MUG Espresso cup $150.00 Time Remaining: 2d 11h 8m

9 Pcs Illy Contemporary Coffee Espresso Mug Saucers IPA Italy Cappuccino Cup $19.99 Time Remaining: 2d 16h 49m

Vintage 2000 Francis Ford Coppola ILLY COLLECTION Textures Of Home Cups Saucers $99.99 Time Remaining: 3d 8h 20m

Collectors illy espresso cup Julian Schnabels 2005 Chuck surfer TUESDAY $17.50 Time Remaining: 3d 13h 58m Buy It Now for only: $35.00

Collectors illy espresso cup Julian Schnabels 2005 Chuck surfer WEDNESDAY $17.50 Time Remaining: 3d 13h 59m Buy It Now for only: $35.00

illy art collection 2002 Michelangelo Pistoletto Spicchi specchio 6 cups espres $280.00 Time Remaining: 4d 3h 10m Buy It Now for only: $280.00

EXTRA SUPER RARE ILLY SPACE ALIEN DOUBLE HANDLE CUP BLUE NEW UNUSED BRIGHT $77.77 Time Remaining: 4d 11h 32m Buy It Now for only: $199.99

3 ESPRESSO CUPS ILLY COLLECTION WORLD CUP 1998 ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG $159.99 Time Remaining: 4d 14h 32m

illy Espresso Cup Feel With the Mind 52 IPA Italy 2007 TagSale $9.95 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 4d 16h 24m

ILLY Espresso Cup Saucer 2002 Marina Abramovich SPIRIT SIGNED NUMBERED $100.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 16h 43m Buy It Now for only: $750.00

ILLY COLLECTION IN PRINCIPIO SEBASTIAO SALGADO 2004 ESPRESSO CUP AND SAUCER $69.99 Time Remaining: 5d 6h 40m

Illy Espresso Cup Saucer Set Signed Numbered Rufus Willis Design Set of 4 $200.00 Time Remaining: 5d 9h 55m Buy It Now for only: $200.00

Illy 2003 Bonami 50th Biennale Sogni e Conflitti Espresso Bar Cup Blue Orange $24.99 Time Remaining: 5d 14h 16m Buy It Now for only: $24.99

illy art collection 1999 espresso Cups cup Roberta Pietrobelli Zebra $270.00 Time Remaining: 6d 3h 25m Buy It Now for only: $270.00

ILLY Collection 2001 P S 1 Espresso Cups Cafe PS1 MOMA World Trade Center $125.00 Time Remaining: 6d 17h 48m Buy It Now for only: $125.00

Illy Espresso Coffee CupSaucer 2004 Daniel Buren $49.99 Time Remaining: 6d 18h 30m

Illy art collection 2001 PS1 ps1 cups 6 espresso saucer Original Box $199.99 Time Remaining: 7d 4h 45m Buy It Now for only: $199.99

Illy art collection 2002 M Pistoletto Spicchi di Specchio 2 cups saucer can $190.00 Time Remaining: 7d 5h 46m Buy It Now for only: $190.00

In a city like Rome you almost don't know where to start when it comes to exploring. But I was looking in an old guidebook from 1911 and here is their recommendation:

To get a good idea of Rome and its topographical situation, take a carriage and drive for three hours through the principal streets; more can be learned in this way than in any other.

Start from the Piazza di Spagna; drive down the Via Babuino to the Piazza del Popolo, up to the Pincio, for a view of Rome, looking west; then along the Via Sistina, up the Quattro Fontane, to the right, down the Via Quirinale; stop in the square for the view. Proceeding to the Via Nazionale, turn up it to the left as far as the Quattro Fontane; then turn to the right past S. Maria Maggiore direct to the Lateran, from the front of which see the view eastwards; then follow the Via S. Giovanni down to the Colosseum, passing by the most perfect part. Turn left, then, first turning on the right, through the Arch of Titus past the left hand side of the Forum up to the Capitoline Hill, crossing which, proceed down to the Piazza del Gesu; turn left, following the line of streets to the Ponte Sisto; crossing this, proceed up the Via Garibaldi to S. Peter in Montorio. Grand view of Rome and the Campagna, looking north, east, and south.

Return to the foot of the hill; turn to the left down the Lungara to S. Peter's; drive round the square; then down the Borgo Nuovo to the Castle of S. Angelo. Crossing the bridge, take the Via Coronari to the Circo Agonale; then on to the Pantheon, and by the Minerva to the Piazza di Venezia; thence up the Corso as far as the Via Condotti, up which street you return to the Piazza di Spagna, after having thus made the most interesting drive in the world.
Now in the very first sentence we already run into a problem with "drive down the..". You would not find it possible to do that in present day Rome I think. Many of the areas are closed to vehicular traffic. And the streets where vehicles are permitted would be so congested that you would have all your attention focused on the traffic instead of the sites. So that is out. But walking is certainly possible.

You will need good shoes. Whenever I am in Rome I find myself walking and walking and can't stop myself even thought my feed are tired. It is so fascinating that you just have to see what is around the next corner.

I tried to plot this route on a map. Not being in Rome made it a bit difficult as some things are left to the imagination in the itinerary above. And it may be too long for practical purposes and would have to be broken up.

View First Impressions of Rome in a larger map

Part 1 - Overview

Part 2 - You and the Autostrada

Part 3 - Understanding the Signage on the Autostrada

Part 4 - Autostrada Rest Areas

Part 5 - Paying Tolls on the Autostrada

Part 6 - Buying Gas for Your Car

Part 7 - What to do about Paying Driving Fines

Part 8 - How to Avoid Getting Fined

Part 9 - Understanding Italian Road Signs - Part 1

Part 10 - Understanding Italian Road Signs - Part 2

Part 11 - Parking

Florence Scene with Ponte Vecchio

Free Fashion and Art Tours in Florence

YES! The city of Florence has begun offering free fashion/art tours of Florence. It seems the majority of the tours visit a couple of fashion ateliers and a museum or church (full of artworks). Anyone who plans to be in Florence between now and June 21, 2010 should check out this website and make a reservation for one or more of the tours.

Here is the link to the website homepage. Click on the link on the lower right that says "Fashion Itineraries".

Fashion in Florence: Art and Craftsmanship

Do leave your comments if you take one of these tours. I'd love to hear your experiences.

When we travel to Italy (or other foreign countries) we like to spend money on dining, shopping, sightseeing and other fun stuff.  But since we are now so conditioned to be on our smartphones so often, it would be easy to rack up quite a hefty bill.

Here is a great explanation of how to keep your mobile charges at a minimum from the New York Times:

Cheap Mobile Calls Overseas

This is a great find - lots of quick videos on how to prepare great Italian food. The recipes are not complicated and, with few exceptions, can be prepared with ingredients that can be found easily outside of Italy. It seems like lately popular cookbooks and magazines call for a lot of hard to find and expensive ingredients but this website is different. They seldom call for ingredients I can't find even in my small town in the middle of nowhere.

Italian Cooking Lesson Videos

After you click on the link above, wait a couple of seconds and the most current video will start. On the right are other recipes to choose from. Lots that look simple and delicious.

I think you will like them. You comments welcome.

Grow Italian Vegetables and Eat Well

Italian Vegetable Seed Packets

Do you like good tasty vegetables? I do, and I like growing them myself even though I am really a novice gardener. My new seed catalog from Seeds from Italy just came in the mail and it's fun to start planning what to grow for next year. These seeds are the best. Seeds from Italy is a small company that imports the seeds from Italy. Which means that they are not genetically modified as that type of seed is illegal in the EU. The Italians are serious about food so their vegetables have flavor.

Their seeds are for varieties that you will not find in the stores. My biggest success last summer was the Supermarconi. They are so tasty. One of my friends who swore she did not like green beans fell in love with these. Everyone who had them, said they were great. And they are heavy producers too. They practically took over as you can see here. Have to figure out a better way to stake them next year though. I did mention I am a novice at this.

Supermarconi Beans

And you can even order 250 from Vista Print.  You just have to pay a modest amount for postage. It works out to be very cost effective.  Just click on the banner below and you will see they have a great selection of attractive designs to choose from.