Once again–the list of ten recommendations and observations to know before you go to Florence.

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List of Ten

1. Getting there. While there is a regional airport in Florence, Rome is the primary airport for going to Florence. Taking a train from the Rome Fiumicino Airport is the best option. Before, you had to take the train to the termini in Rome and change trains to go to Florence. Now, there is a direct train the Leonardo Express leaving from the Fiumicino Airport to Florence twice a day at 11:08 and 3:08–a huge timesaver and stress reliever.
   
   Bring enough euros to Italy to at least pay for a taxi. We arrived at 7:30 P.M. assuming we’d be able to use an ATM. None of the machines were working. We asked the taxi driver if we could use American dollars. His answer, “That would be a problem.” We were forced to change our money at a Currency Exchange losing about 25% of our money.
2. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster is the quintessential book for staying in Florence. The story begins in Florence where two English tourists, Lucy Honeychurch and her spinster cousin are staying in a hotel (the room with the view of the River Arno) at the turn of the 20th century. Don’t have time to read the book, the movie with Helena Bonham Carder, Daniel Day Lewis and Maggie Smith is one of the few cases where I’d recommend the movie over the book. It’s that good! A period piece with magnificent views of Florence and Tuscany, the sunny plot shows love and passion in an idealistic light.
3. As part of the wedding party events, we took a cooking class at Mama Florence where we created from scratch three types of pasta and side dishes. We relished our creations in the back patio sharing a scrumptious self-created lunch where the wine flowed freely. A bit pricy at 90 euros a person, but a great bonding experience for the family and wedding guests.
4. Where to find the best Chianti? Definitely, the Chianti Classico region. Some of the best Chianti just doesn’t get  exported to the U. S. I actually thought I didn’t like Chianti based on the wines I’ve sampled in California. I was 100% wrong.
5. While I don’t ordinarily recommend renting a car in Italy, our day trip to the Chianti region allowed us so much freedom and it was a bargain. The cost $60 for the day.
6. The last Sunday in May is the Radda Wine Festival. It’s worth putting on your travel calendar.
7. There is no Uber in Florence. There are a couple of things you need to know about the taxis. You cannot flag down a taxi. You must either call or go to a taxi parking stand and wait in line. There is a parking stand at the train station.
8. My first visit to Italy was when I was 19. I was traveling with my two best friends, Leila and Mariana. We bought an Opel station wagon in Frankfurt to tour Europe. We were traveling from Venice to Florence, and Leila was driving. Mariana and I fell asleep and woke up to find out we were approaching Rome. Asking Leila about it, she said there were lots of signs for Firenze and no signs for Florence. Itinerary changed: Rome first, then Firenze.
9. Not to date myself, but on that trip our bible was Arthur Frommer’s Europe on Five Dollars a Day.
10. If you choose any city in the world (excepting Paris) to visit museums, Florence is it. Too many to list, but the Galleria dell’Accademia has Michelangelo’s Statue of David. Awe-inspiring. The Uffizi Gallery has Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. Off season and rainy weather might even be the best time to visit to avoid crowds.

    

    Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus