Archive for June, 2012
We recently found ourselves at the swanky Four Seasons in Denver. Located right in the heart of all the action and just steps away from trendy Larimer Square, this recently opened hotel is a shrine to elegant modern design.
Along Washington Boulevard in Culver City is a nondescript barber shop. Step inside and you’ll likely see customers getting spruced up in the barber chair. But head on to the back of the joint and give a knowing nod to the man by the unmarked white door and you’ll find yourself inside a hidden corridor behind the barber shop.
As the birthplace of the renaissance, Florence, Italy was home to the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Dante, Galileo and countless others geniuses. Art lovers will never be bored strolling Florence’s winding streets and admiring the many world class art collections the city has to offer. Here’s a sampling of the best:
Top Museums
Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery)
Not to be missed, the Uffizi houses a phenomenal collection of Italian paintings like Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” and masterpieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Titian, Giotto, Da Vinci and Rubens, among many more. Be sure not to miss the Botticelli room, or the gothic altarpieces. (The Uffizi can get crowded, so it’s best to make a reservation in advance.)
Italy, the land of pizza, pasta and gelato, is a culinary paradise. Every region has its own distinct flavors, and among the best is Tuscany. Here are a few delicious spots to savor la dolce vita in Florence, the heart of Tuscany.
Le Bertucce
This fantastic pizza and panino joint has a small, simple dining room and adjoining counter centered around a wood burning oven. Located right in the heart of central Florence steps from the Duomo, friendly staff serve up freshly baked meals at reasonable prices to hungry crowds of locals. Honestly, I’ve never had a panino as perfect as the ones at Le Bertucce. Their panini feature mouth-watering combos with cured meats and tuscan staples. The best part is the bread—baked fresh on the spot once you place your order. It’s an unforgettable sensation to bite into a steaming panino with bread pulled straight from the oven!
Le Bertucce | Via Santa Elisabetta 16/r
Florence, known in Italian as Firenze, is in my opinion absolutely the most beautiful city in the world. I fell in love with the city during a blissful year abroad studying art, art history and the Italian language. I hadn’t been back to Florence for over a decade and with such great expectations to live up to, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
