Archive for 'Restaurants & Cafés'

Florence, as an important art and design centre of the world and the famous birthplace of the Renaissance, is a destination that has long attracted some of the most renowned and important artists throughout history. If you, too, have found a luxury villa in Florence, and are spending time in the city, you may want to follow in the footsteps of some of these greats to, perhaps, soak up some of their inspiration and genius. A great way to do this is to grab coffee or a drink or a bite to eat in one of the city's famous and iconic coffee houses in which great minds used to (and often continue to) convene. One such example of this kind of hallowed venue is the Caffè Concerto Paszkowski in the city's famous Piazza della Repubblica in the historic core of Florence.

Declared a National Monument in 1991, the Caffè Concerto Paszkowski was an important literary café that attracted key Italian writers and thinkers such D’Annunzio, Soffici, Papini, Montale, Saba, and Pratolini at the beginning of the 20th century. A lovely and centrally-located place to take a rest and grab a coffee while exploring the historic streets and endless sights of Florence, it continues to be a hub of culture to this day and hosts live music regularly as well as special events such as conferences, fashion shows, literary evenings and more.

In the grand and charmingly elaborate Baroque city of Lecce, you will discover lots of stunning churches, architectural gems, Roman ruins, great works of art, and delicious food. If you have found a villa in Apulia, it is definitely a place to plan a day trip to as it is impossibly picturesque and the eating is always good. From perfectly fresh seafood, to fluffy pastries bought still warm from the oven in the morning for breakfast, to gelato to cool you down while exploring the winding little streets of the city, to pasta-making classes, to multi-course meals; there are all sorts of incredible culinary experiences to try while in the city. However, if you are looking for a lighter, elegant, excellent dining experience paired with some delicious local wines to tide you over, then we particularly recommend a visit to the Mamma Elvira Enoteca.

Imagine it. You've finally decided to go ahead and plan your dream citybreak to Milan; you've found the perfect villa in Milan, you've set aside some money to go shopping in this incredible fashion capital, and you've planned to visit major attractions in town like the city's stunning Cathedral and the Armani Museum and the pretty Aquarium. So, once you arrived and you've begun darting from shop to attraction to landmark, you'll likely burn through a lot of energy! But, if you want to keep going and make the most of your vacation in Milan, then you'll need to refuel and we have an important suggestion of a place in which to get some delicious, chocolate-based treats to give you the boost of energy that you'll need: the famous and beloved Zàini Milano.

One of the most enduringly famous portrayals of Sicily that has ever graced the silver screen has to be Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece, “The Godfather”, starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. This iconic movie is set in 1940s and 1950s Sicily and New York and tells the story of the Corleone family, characters from Mario Puzo’s novel, “The Godfather.” Many tourists have gone in search of filming locations from the movie throughout the years since its release. Many head to Corleone, the town that shares its name with Don Vito Corleone, but it was not actually where the film was shot as when they began making the movie in the 1970s, it had changed drastically in the time since Puzo wrote his novel. Modernised and greatly expanded, it no longer resembled the rural place from the books. However, never fear, if you have found a vacation rental in Sicily and are a fan of the movie, there are plenty of filming sites to visit as the villages of Motta Camastra, Forza d’Agro, and Savoca were all featured in, “The Godfather”.

Milan is one of the most impressive fashion capitals in Italy and in the world with a long and lauded sartorial history, plenty of incredible boutiques, headquarters and flagship stores of many of the world’s most famous designer labels, designer cafés, restaurants, and bars, fashion museums, ample opportunity for stylish people-watching, and so much more besides. However, as more and more of the clothing market turns to vintage and resale in a bid to make the industry much more sustainable, savvy and stylish travellers who have found a vacation rental in Milan might be looking for some of the best places to shop for clothes in search of a new home. As such, we have compiled a list of just five of the must-see vintage stores in Milan in order to kick off your trip to this fashion fanatics’ dream holiday destination. Read on, get shopping, and go green.