Author: Lourdes Flores

An American living in Florence for over 10 years, Lourdes continues to explore and discover new places in Tuscany with the eyes of a tourist but with the experience of living in Italy. She shares her experiences on this blog and website, particularly offering lots of travel planning help on the Forum!

Halls 2-7 Reopen at the Uffizi

April 27, 2015

I had the chance to go see the new rooms 2-7 which reopened at the Uffizi Gallery last week and I have to say the museum has done a wonderful job. First, we have to recognize that the decision to close several rooms at a time is not easy, it does cause many mumblings and…

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The White Night on April 30th will be Black

April 22, 2015

While the official calendar has yet to be released, we do know that this year’s edition of “white night“, a cultural marathon of special events running from the evening of April 30th and running through the night on to the 1st of May, will have the “Black Night” as theme with MUSIC at its heart….

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Special Openings on Easter Sunday and Monday in Florence

April 1, 2015

Easter is this Sunday and the city of Florence expects to welcome thousands of visitors, particularly as many are drawn to come witness the Scoppio del Carro, the Explosion of the Cart, in Piazza del Duomo. If you’re in town this weekend, know ahead of time it will be a busy weekend and expects crowds,…

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The Botanical Garden in Florence will Reopen April 1

March 28, 2015

Good news! It is officially confirmed, Florence’s Botanical Garden, the Giardino dei Semplici, will reopen April 1st. Hours will be 10am to 5:30pm with reduced ticket admission (3 euro). We thank everyone who has already contributed to the restoration of the gardens through the crowd-funding project on PlanBee. Another heavy rain storm at the start…

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The Middle Ages on the Road

March 27, 2015

Whether you’re attracted by the Medieval period or not, the special exhibit that just opened at the Bargello last week will likely make you rethink your interest. Since living in Tuscany, I’ve found the Middle Ages to be a fascinating time in history. The signs of that period still evident in Tuscany (just think of…

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Easter Brunch for the Whole Family

March 26, 2015

I was at the Hard Rock Cafe this week to try out some of their most popular dishes (yummy!) and found out that this Sunday, March 29th, they are hosting a special Easter Brunch! It is an event planned especially for families with children, as there will be an Easter egg hunt, crafts and entertainment…

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Gerrit van Honthorst at the Uffizi Gallery

February 27, 2015

The first exhibit of Florence’s rich program “Art for a Year” recently opened at the Uffizi Gallery and I had a chance to go see it on the first day. Gerrit van Honthorst, known as Gherardo delle Notti in Italy, was a Dutch Golden Age painter with the exhibit centered around his time in Italy…

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Ingress #Shonin in Florence

February 26, 2015

Were you in Florence last Saturday and noticed groups of people walking around dressed in either blue or green and wondered who they were? As we had anticipated and shared, Ingress by Niantic Labs @Google arrived in Florence in the form of an “anomoly” called Shonin. The two factions signed in and then headed on…

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San Gimignano’s ‘900. Una Donazione

February 25, 2015

Need a break from the medieval and Renaissance religious icons at churches and museums? Then head to San Gimignano, one of the most representative villages of Medieval architecture in Tuscany to discover contemporary works of art. San Gimignano surprisingly has attracted many contemporary artists over the last half-century and now is home to the Gallery…

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