Florence
Under the Tuscan sun in Florence...
It is swelteringly hot and a tourist fanfare. But still, oh so magical. No matter the amount i’ve sweated in this city, I always want to return for more (gelato aside).
Antico Florno Ghibellina Bakery. Lovely bunch of women running the joint, Perfect espresso and biscotti. All the baked goods I tried were indulgent and heavenly. This place is perfect. Go here.
And speaking of gelato... I'm not pictured per se, but the best gelato for me in Florence is La Gelatiera. Hands down, it is one of the best gelato I've ever had. Just a little unassuming shop front and it was never very busy the several times I visited. Any nut flavour here with chocolate blew my (sweaty) socks off.
EAT HERE! This old-school Trattoria, which opened in 1953, serves simple soups, pasta, and bistecca (beef steak). I opted for pasta ragu, which was one of the best ragu's in my life. The steaks here are HUGE, but don't be discouraged by the portion size (I'd never!). butt perhaps it would be an idea to find a stray solo traveller to share with if you really want to go all out. You get a dinner with a show here, as your cut of meat is butchered in the main dining space right in front of you. On that note, perhaps it's an idea to vet your dining companion before bringing them here. The plant-eating type might not appreciate this gem as much as we carnivores. (MEAT is also served very rare here).
The courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) is one of my favourite buildings in Florence. The afternoon light that streams in is defiantly worth catching. If you're lucky, someone (who can actually play) will be occupying the community piano in the foyer of the building. Light, live piano wafting.. YES yes all very cliché but I recommend leaning into the the spell of Firenze 🪄
The Tuscan coast dream
Castiglione Della Pescaia
This place felt like a dream. Days were spent reading in a hammock, swimming in the warm water of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and watching, salty haird and sun-kissed men run around the laid-back beach club, pouring espresso and icy cold water for regulars on their summer holidays. I stayed in my friend Jacapo's van just behind the beach, but there was a fantastic campground just down the beach with a small grocery store and coffee shop, perfect for our communal lunches. Every day, I’d venture down the packed beach and buy whatever produce looked fresh at the market, along with anchovies or other marinated goods. Anja, a long-time holidaymaker from Switzerland and now a good friend of Jacapo, would come around… midday? (time didn’t really move here) with arancini and other treats from the town centre. By night, we would go into town for pizza or dine at the Michelin-starred La Trattoria Enrico Bartolini. They served one of the most delicious bottarga pasta to rule them all. BOTTARGA FOR LIFE! The restaurant's location is a true Italian fairytale: steep cobbled streets only wide enough for pedestrians, lined with fairy lights and flower boxes. My favourite of all was eating on the beach after it had cleared of families and just a few lovers or teens stayed to watch the sun setting. My friend Jacopo, an unassumingly wonderful cook, made prawns in a tagine gnocchi over a camp stove. We drank wine made by more friends, sisters with a vineyard just down the road.
Here, life is full of all the good things, with the only discomfort being the scorching sand you had to pounce across from mid-morning. Far from the usual tourist path, there are more local Italian tourists and families from nearby European countries. This place was full of generosity, joy and comfort. People were so comfortable just being themselves. The lesser the swimsuit, the more themselves they seemed. What is it about Australia and our need for full coverage after age 29? I think we could learn a thing or two from our seemingly tan-line-lacking Italians.
My favourite discovery of all here was that my grandparents used to come down here on their getaways when they were living in London. My grandma and I, along with this camera, have really touched so many parts of the world, with only decades between us. As I said, time didn't really move here. It was a dream family holiday.
Where else?
but
Venice
You should go to Venice at least once in a lifetime. The older I get, the more I’ve grown a real appreciation for this picture-perfect city. So there's no rush, yeah? Well, other than the fact that it’s sinking, but you’ve got until the end of the century before it’s produced to go totally under, so a little hurry but not too panicked, yeah?
Sure, good food is hard to come by; it’s renownedly stinky, unbearably humid in the summertime, and a pickpocketer heaven, but it sure is beauuudful. As you probably have guessed, I recommend heading to the outskirts and getting lost in the maze of back allies. If you can, definitely try to catch the Venice Biennale. it runs every year from April to November so you’ve got a good chance of being there at the right time.
Yes, a good restaurant is hard to come by in Venice but look for these gems.
Stappo - Enoteca Con Cocina for natty wines and upmarket yet honest food with its courtyard away from the heaving crowds.
Right in front of Basilica di San Marco is a small bar, Ai Do Leoni, serving killer cocktails and Cicchetti, Venetian-style tapas.
Sardegna
The never-ending blue…
