Accommodations in Florence and Rome

…..in both Italian cities we used Airbnb and VRBO

Venice was the only place where we stayed in a hotel. Travelling with a baby required special needs and many homes listed on Airbnb and VRBO met the criteria for our daughter, her 9 month old daughter and for us, the grandparents.

In Florence we stayed in a lovely apartment above a garage. It was a gated property and there were no neighbours above, below or next to us. There were two bedrooms, a small living room and kitchen, a bath with a shower and an outdoor terrace. The place was air-conditioned and had all the amenities that we needed, including Wifi, a washing machine, a crib and a television.

The location was ideal as well. We were just outside the ring that surrounds the city centre which is closed off to traffic. It was about a twenty minute walk to the leather market and the farmer’s market and just beyond that were all the museums, churches and tourist attractions that Florence is famous for. We were also within walking distance to a small grocery store, numerous caffes and restaurants and a couple of parks.

More about our accommodations in Rome in a future post.

Ciao!

How to Stay Cool in Italy

….when people tell you it’s hot in Italy in the summer….believe them

We knew going to Italy in July that it would be very warm. Everyone who had been there before us warned us over and over again. One thing that we made sure of was to book accommodations that had air conditioning. Here is my list of how to stay cool in Italy in July.

  1. Stay only in air-conditioned hotel rooms or homes with air-conditioning.IMG_9456
  2. Drink lots of water.
  3. Walk in shady areas and underneath porticos if you can find them. They were everywhere in Bologna.IMG_9291
  4. When eating outside make sure you’re under an umbrella and preferably next to water.IMG_8954
  5. Spend time in the mountains (the Dolomites) or high up in the hills of Assisi.

    6. Always wear a hat.IMG_91427. Cool off in the sink, shower or pool.

    8. Sit or stand by a fountain.

    9. Spend time in an air-conditioned museum or find an old dark cathedral to sit in.

    10. Enjoy a gelato.

    11. Cover yourself in yogurt.IMG_9487

    11. Find a shady park and sit or lie down for a spell.

    12. Enjoy an icy glass of  Aperol spritz or Prosecco. IMG_8945

    I hope these suggestions are helpful. Enjoy!