La Tenda Rossa, Tuscany

Advantages: Good food&wines, sweet hills, nature, quiet
Disadvantages: ..........

...I know, Piemonte is not well knowed like Tuscany, Liguria or other Italians' regions. But all the world knowed its wines and its mushroom, the famous Tartufo. At La Contea you can have all these, because the chef, Mr Antonio Verro, created this restaurant with wines of his chellar and with a few of very nice rooms. In the small village everybody was thinking that he was a little bit creazy to open this restaurant, but now it is one of the best in the area. He opened La Contea in 1978. I passed there a long week end a few years ago with my mother. We had a great time. La Contea is located in a house/small palace of the XV century. Mr Verro, together with his wife, did a great study in the search of the old kitchen prescriptions of the area. They went in trattorie and osterie to do training in the kitchen. In this way at La Contea you... Read review

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Advantages: quite small, but still very vibrant
Disadvantages: expensive to stay

...Bologna is the capital of the province of Emilia-Romagna, and is about an hour north of Florence, and a bit further from Milan in the other direction. It is famed for primarily for its culinary produce and also the university, which is the oldest in Europe. It is also known as 'Red Bologna' or Bologna Rossa, both because it's left-leaning politics (which led to the tragic bombing of the railway station in the early 80s which killed 80 people)and because it was the first city in Italy to elect a communist council, and also because of the clay-like stone which makes up the colonnades, and gives the city a reddish tinge especially as the sun is setting. One of the most famous landmarks though, are the 'Due Torre' or two towers, whereas many towers once dominated the skyline of this city, somewhat like San Gimagnino, now, only two... Read review

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Advantages: The oldest hotel in Florence
Disadvantages: a little bit expensive

...When someone arrives in Florence always look for something original, not the hotel stereotyped proposed by guides and magazines, everybody wants something special to tell to friends and parents when back home....this is difficult to realize because the hotel offer is very similar also in Florence. You can accept this standardization in every city in the world but not in Florence, this particular town must have a own style. For this reason I suggest you this three stars hotel where I worked when I was younger: located in the center of Florence (address: Via Porta Rossa, 19) is a particular hotel. What's particular in this hotel? It'a the oldest in Florence!! There are some manuscripts signed by a famous wool merchant named Datini that wrote in May 1386 he was in this hotel at that time named Locanda del Cammello, the nowadays Hotel... Read review

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