Florence for Free

[hhartsig-blog]

holiday hack: florentine christmas traditions

holiday hack: florentine christmas traditions

Florence during Christmas is wondrous, magical, sparkly, etc, etc, etc. It’s also a little weird. If you didn’t grow up in Florence, or Italy for that matter, it’s only natural to wonder what’s up with the witches everywhere. Or how about the men walking around in tights? And why are there oranges in the Christmas garlands? As a self-proclaimed Christmas expert, I made it my business to get to…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

a few of our favorite things

a few of our favorite things

You probably haven’t heard yet, but Christmas is almost here! Wait, you have heard? Everywhere you turn someone is mentioning the birth of baby Jesus? So you CAN believe it’s almost time to celebrate? We at FFF also wanted to join in on the Christmas commotion, but we got a bit behind having too much fun reading other writers’ posts. Then we thought, why not share a few of them and spread the…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

live it local! at palazzo belfiore

live it local! at palazzo belfiore

Last week, Meg and I stacked our Instagram with photos and quips from our 2014 Italian vacation, the Friendsgiving edition. While social media may have led you to believe that all we did was hunt for beautiful panoramas and rustic color-washed walls (you wouldn’t be entirely wrong), we were also lucky enough to take part in Florence’s very first Live It Local!, generously hosted by our friends at

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

8 tips for maximizing your time in florence

8 tips for maximizing your time in florence

Trying to budget time when planning your vacation to Florence is stressful. It’s so stressful. You drained your savings account and kissed your entire stash of PTO goodbye. You better take full advantage of every single second–and you try to. But as you stand in front of David, staring into his eyes, you might feel yours beginning to droop. Although you have spent years dreaming about meeting…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

frightening florence: the monster of florence

frightening florence: the monster of florence

In Halloweens past, Meg and I have properly haunted this blog with spooky stories and lurid legends that lurk in the palazzi and piazze of Florence. That’s all they are though – stories, legends, claims and hearsay. Far more chilling to Florentines is an individual who has haunted the hills of Florence for decades and a case that has yet to be closed. They call him il Mostro di Firenze, and his…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

the palazzo crawl

In Italian/English dictionaries, the first translation of palazzo is palace, and let’s be honest, we all stop there. The rushed translation results in hoards of wide-eyed english speaking tourists awe-struck to hear that there are palaces on every single block in Florence. Italians, however, use the word palazzoto refer to many types of buildings (not just the palaces).  Although we may be bummed…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

freccia-whata? understanding the italian train system

freccia-whata? understanding the italian train system

Ok, so the word understanding might be a bit of a stretch. We’ve come to accept that we will never truly understand the Italian train system. However, after years of validation mishaps, sleeping through our stops, train strikes, and sitting on the floor of an over-sold train, we’ve learned our fair share of lessons. Through trial and error, we now consider ourselves proficient at getting by when…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

walking tour: via del corso

walking tour: via del corso

Each and every palazzo, piazza, or strada in Florence has a history, composed of centuries of unique stories. While people have come and gone over the past 2,000 years, their legacy remains in the layers of the streets and the tops of the towers–we just need to look for it. It is certainly not a secret, however, that the history of Florence is dense. That’s why we say, slow it down. Get to know…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

faking it: know your florentine skyline

faking it: know your florentine skyline

Don’t know much about Florence? Studying the skyline is a perfect place to start and just the way to fake it. Whether you just embarked on your semester abroad, are a few years settled into your Italian expat life, or are passing through with friends, it’s always fun to dote on your favorite destination and impress your friends and family with your breadth of knowledge about Florence. Not…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

summer in florence: but really, where is the air conditioning?

summer in florence: but really, where is the air conditioning?

Florence in the summer is hot. It’s really hot. One Florentine, Dante Alighieri, might even go so far as to call it an Inferno. But wait, isn’t Dante’s deepest circle of hell frozen over!? Before you start betraying, money lending, or whatever sins it takes to reserve a place in that icy circle, let’s try to find some less sinful relief.

Hannah drinking out of a dog water fountain

Casa di Hannah…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

Walking Tour: San Marco Neighborhood

Walking Tour: San Marco Neighborhood

Meg had the worst day of her entire life in Piazza San Marco. A few summers back, the girl with the worst case of ornithophobia(irrational fear of birds) that I have ever seen, found herself face-against-wing with a neurotic pigeon. After three years of crippling flashbacks, and excessive face-scrubbing, Meg is still recovering. Not to stir-up the memories, Meg, but such an anecdote seems the…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

The History of Florentine Fashion Through Photographs

The History of Florentine Fashion Through Photographs

For those of you in Florence this week, we imagine you’ve noticed that attractive, well-dressed men have invaded the city – not the worst invasion Florence has ever seen. Pitti Uomo 86 has arrived. Pitti Uomo, the largest men’s fashion event in the world, occurs twice a year in Florence, in Januaryand June. If you are wondering why twice a year, we are wondering why not more?! While a pricey…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

kimye's wedding: finding history and culture in the hot mess

kimye’s wedding: finding history and culture in the hot mess

“Kim is even more beautiful than I am talented,” gushed the always humble Kanye West in one of his three, 20-minute speeches throughout the course of the Kimyewedding weekend. With five first dances, a massive gold box housing the bathrooms, one Jayden Smith running around in a white batman costume, and Kanye’s wedding present to Kim (a nearly nude portrait entitled “Perfect B****”), this…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

sunny days are for san domenico

sunny days are for san domenico

If Florence and its surrounding hill towns were siblings, Florence would be the overachieving eldest chid with a trophy case of accomplishments; Fiesole would be the breezy youngest child with the enigmatic personality that demanded people come to her; and San Domenico would be the middle child, lost in the shuffle and often forgotten about. For all of you middle children out there who were…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

the official uffizi party: the guest list

the official uffizi party: the guest list

Notte Bianca is the one night a year that Florence (museums, restaurants, shops and all) parties all night long in the name of the arts. It is winding up for its fourth installment this Wednesday, April 30th, 2014. The official schedule, outlining locations of performances, parties, and openings, is never released until just before the event. Luckily, some museums have leaked their hours,…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

celebrate easter week in florence

celebrate easter week in florence

To most, Easter in Florence means one thing – a flaming dove igniting a giant cart of fireworks in the middle of a crowd at ground level. While this spectacle is certainly the main event, we don’t think you should limit your Easter festivities to Sunday morning. So we say, why not start today? And hey, who says you have to slow down after Sunday? Not these girls, and definitely not Florence. Here…

View On WordPress

[hhartsig-blog]

faking it: 10 tips to acting like a local in florence

faking it: 10 tips to acting like a local in florence

Longer days and budding flowers should be welcome signs of spring. For many Florentines, however, they are warning sirens – the tourists are coming. Admittedly, the awkward love/hate (mostly hate) relationship Florentines have with tourists often leaves me less than eager to fly my American flag while abroad. So what do I do? I fake it.

Faking itis one of our favorite touring techniques. Possible…

View On WordPress