Do you have fantasies about wandering the halls of Pitti Palace after midnight, pretending you live there? Do you dream about spending a late night evening with David? How about thoughts of exploring Cosimo’s offices after dark? (We’re convinced the Uffizi has more than a few ghost stories to tell.) No, just us? If you’ve […]
A few Mays ago my friend and fellow expat, Emily and I struck up a flirty conversation with two handsome Italians at a party. Flirting with foreigners is actually quite easy as endless quirky cultural differences are sure to keep the witty banter alive (if you haven’t tried it, do). Our cultural difference that evening happened to be the concept of exercise for […]
We’re back, as promised, and hoping that everyone made a full recovery from the mid-week festivities. Because there’s so much more to see and do this month! The first few weeks of May are arguably when Florence is at its finest: vibrant wisteria is casually draped all over the city, all other flowers are bursting […]
Time to wake up, everyone! By now you’ve had a good nap since your all-night Notte Bianca bender and breakfast with Matteo Renzi, but the festivities are far from over. Today – May 1 – is a bona fide public holiday in Italy, when the country celebrates Labor Day. That means explorers should be prepared […]
It’s finally here! The night we’ve waited for all month, and the event that pretty much sums up what Florence for Free is all about – Notte Bianca. Well ok, technically it’s not until Tuesday, but for the night Florence has in store for you, we have some preparing to do. Writing about the “white night” is […]
Guys, I have a confession to make. I used to live in the San Marco neighborhood, and anytime I needed to head into city center I’d practically skip down the cobblestones of Via Ricasoli towards the Duomo. But my gait would slow when I’d pass the long line of people snaking around the block. Tourists […]
I have 4 happy places: my grandparents’ basement, the Kansas State University football stadium, Piazza Navona in Rome, and at the top of the list, San Miniato al Monte. The last is where my mind vacations when I need a real mental getaway. I close my eyes and listen to the evening church bells, let […]
So you might be thinking, “Ladies, I just saw a pair of oxen pull an exploding cart into Piazza del Duomo and witnessed a sparking dove sprint down the center of Santa Maria del Fiore. What free event could possibly top the Scoppio?” Well loyal lovers of FFF, we’re here to tell you that the […]
This Sunday is Easter. And if you are in, around, or even a train ride away from Florence, you will be in Piazza del Duomo come 11 AM Sunday morning. Oh, I’m sorry, you had brunch plans with the Pope? You’ll have to reschedule. The historic Scoppio del Carro (explosion of the cart) is a […]
We understand that shopping fundamentally flies in the face of our Florence for Free mantra, but you’d miss a major part of Italian culture if you didn’t explore the country’s many open-air markets! Brimming with charming antiques, fresh fruits, and homemade soaps, each bazaar is a feast for the senses. Of course, buying something is […]
Hannah
Meg
