So, you've found the perfect luxury villa in Florence for the summer, you've booked the days off, circled the date ten times on your calendar, arranged for your cat to stay with your aunt and for your bestie to come water the plants and make sure the place hasn't burned down and now you just have to worry about having a good time.
If you are visiting in the middle of the High Season, however, you may find yourself dealing with large tourist crowds and sweltering heat waves that are bound to cramp your style and take away from all that relaxation you have been desperately craving.
Well, don't worry. Fear not, we have come up with a perfect list of things to do to make sure you stay pleasantly cool and relaxed.
If you are visiting in the middle of the High Season, however, you may find yourself dealing with large tourist crowds and sweltering heat waves that are bound to cramp your style and take away from all that relaxation you have been desperately craving.
Well, don't worry. Fear not, we have come up with a perfect list of things to do to make sure you stay pleasantly cool and relaxed.
1. Order a Negroni (And Drink lots of Water!)
Okay, so alcohol does dehydrate you so we recommend drinking lots of water throughout the day. In fact, the best plan is to bring a bottle with you in the morning and top it up with the fresh, cool mountain water that comes from the fountains dotted around the city – it's free, tasty and better for the environment! These fountains can look like taps but they're safe, we promise! Just avoid any labelled “non potibile” or “non potable”.
However, as long as you're properly hydrated, stopping in a bar for a Negroni and getting out of the sun for a while sounds like a plan too! Born in Florence in 1919 at Caffè Casoni (now called Caffè Giacosa) when Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender to strengthen his regular Americano.
Okay, so alcohol does dehydrate you so we recommend drinking lots of water throughout the day. In fact, the best plan is to bring a bottle with you in the morning and top it up with the fresh, cool mountain water that comes from the fountains dotted around the city – it's free, tasty and better for the environment! These fountains can look like taps but they're safe, we promise! Just avoid any labelled “non potibile” or “non potable”.
However, as long as you're properly hydrated, stopping in a bar for a Negroni and getting out of the sun for a while sounds like a plan too! Born in Florence in 1919 at Caffè Casoni (now called Caffè Giacosa) when Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender to strengthen his regular Americano.
The drink was suddenly transformed by adding gin rather than the normal soda water and, to help differentiate between the old and new, the bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon. Given that you are in the city of its birth, it would just be rude not to have at least one!
2. Grab some gelato!
Like you needed any convincing, am I right? But this is the perfect excuse to try out that famous Italian dessert. We recommend Edoardo's, as do Beyoncé and Jay-Z who made sure to stop there on their visit in 2015. Using natural ingredients and focusing on quality, artisanal products, they were the first certified organic gelateria in all of Tuscany. The parlour is designed to give off an old-school 1940s and is the perfect setting for a pit-stop to refresh and grab some gelato!
We have plenty of more tips on how to stay cool in Florence so be sure to read on to the next posts in this series.
2. Grab some gelato!
Like you needed any convincing, am I right? But this is the perfect excuse to try out that famous Italian dessert. We recommend Edoardo's, as do Beyoncé and Jay-Z who made sure to stop there on their visit in 2015. Using natural ingredients and focusing on quality, artisanal products, they were the first certified organic gelateria in all of Tuscany. The parlour is designed to give off an old-school 1940s and is the perfect setting for a pit-stop to refresh and grab some gelato!
We have plenty of more tips on how to stay cool in Florence so be sure to read on to the next posts in this series.