Arriving in Florence with no-one to meet us, I was nervous about getting from the station to our B&B, Florence Relais Grand Tour which sounded very grand for a B&B but was absolutely delightful. The taxi rank was exactly where Christina, our hostess had told me to go and the driver found the tiny street in less than ten minutes. Double doors, two steps up from the pavement, displayed the number 21. After a couple of rings on the bell we were greeted by the charming Christina and our cases whisked inside and along the stone paved passage to our suites – Diva and Actor.
Diva Suite
Actor Suite
The building was once a small theatre and still retains traces of its dramatic past. Christina lives upstairs with her daughter (aged about three) and her husband. As a light sleeper I was concerned about finding a quiet place in the heart of Florence but this was ideal in every way. You can find it @ florencerelaisgrandtour.com
En-suite in Actor Suite
Our rooms were large, with en-suites and spacious sitting areas, a small fridge in each one and facilities to make tea, coffee etc. The breakfast was mainly biscuits but as we intended to have fruit and muesli that didn’t matter. The Central Market was a few minutes away at the end of the street, so that was our first stop.
At four o’clock the market closed, which didn’t give us much time, but we were able to buy enough for the following day’s breakfast, as well as antipasto for later that night. Upstairs, the food stalls seem to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner or anything in between.
My large vino bianco secco
Susanne found a couple of seats at one of the busy tables while I ordered our late lunch – chicken and vegetables for me and a seafood salad for her. When I asked for a glass of vino bianco secco I think the waitress must have realised that I was tired and in need of a good sized drink. The full glass was much appreciated and the wine delicious. Prices were very reasonable.
Feeling refreshed, we wandered back to our B&B, stopping at a mini-market for wine for me and diet coke for Susanne. It took a while for us to unpack, organise our clothes and to check emails
Enjoying our ‘picnic’ supper
and send out messages on Facebook, but then we decided to have another of our ‘picnic’ suppers. I’m not sure that plates, wine glasses and cutlery are always provided, but Christina was happy to rustle up all that we needed.
With only three more days to cover all the galleries in Florence, we had a tight schedule. By ten o’clock we had showered, washed as many clothes as would fit around the small bathrooms and snuggled into our decorative beds, which were also very comfortable.