A Tuscan Fall - Wickwood Inn - Saugatuck, Michigan - romantic Bed and Breakfast near Chicago.

A L L T H E L O C A L N E W S, G O S S I P, R E C I P E S & L O R E T H A T' S F I T T O P R I N T

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Florence

Florence once seemed small to us - but she bustles much of the year. We must always pay homage - check out what's new and then start wandering!

Is there enough time in a lifetime to visit Florence as often as you wish?

To telephone Florence
011-39-055 + the local number

HOTELS
The Lungarno
14 Borgo S. Jacopo
264211
Right on the Arno, this is like going home for us.
Hotel Loggiata dei Serviti
3 Piazza Santissima,
Annunziata; 289592
Small and gorgeous – the chic fashion folks keep this one booked, and it’s very reasonable.

Old Standbys –
The Excelsior
The Majestic
The Grand
Villa Medici
The Savoy

On the road to Fiesole –
Villa San Michele
4 Via Doccia, 59451

Best Bites
Trattorias:
Belle Donne
Via Belle Donne #16,
262609
The trattoria for Florentines at lunch – Mario is the owner.
la Baraonda
67 A Via Ghibellina,
2341171 da Noi
Always in fashion and great.
Forno Sartoni
Via dei Cerchi 34r
The best pizza to go in Florence.
Sostanza
Via Porcellana 25
On every trip, we visit here at least twice. For so many years they’ve been perfecting Beefsteak Florentine, beans, and irresistible desserts. There are no reservations, so arrive early and be prepared to share tables. You’ll meet some interesting people.
Il Cibreo
Via de Macci 1181r
Don’t ask to see the menu, but let them select for you. You’ll not be disappointed.
da Ganino’s
Piazza de Cimatori 4
The most wonderful crostini in Tuscany is made by the
Bernadoni family.
Cantinetta Antinori
Piazza Antinori 3r
The 15^th-century Palazzo is a magnificent setting for tasting Antinori wines.
Coco Lezzone
Via del Parioncino 26r
287178
La Vecchia Bettola
Viale L. Ariosto 32r-34r;
055 22-4158
Loriano and Carla Stagi
The menu has the best of what Tuscan food can offer in game: wild boar, pheasant, hare
Enotecca Pinchiorri
The 3 star Michelen in City Center – spectacular wine list
Fuori Porta (outside the gate)
Is a hole in the wall crostini bar. It’s worth an adventure just beyond the city walls to the
San Niccolo Quarter – especially at lunch time. The adjacent wine shop is the secret to it’s great wine list!

Art and Museums

The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine – and the stunning murals of Masaccio.
The famed Baptistry Doors of Lorenzo Ghiberti – it is said of them that they look as though “they had been created by a breath".
Europe’s most important ancient jewelry collection, collected by the Medici family (over 2300 pieces) is now on display at the Archaeological Museum in Florence.
Galleria del Costume of the Palazzo Pitti’s Museum features three centuries of magnificently decorated rooms.
Check out the Museo Marino Marinu just off Via Tournabuoni in Piazza di San Pancrazio.
Bargello, the National Sculpture Museum, has been renovated and reopened. The della Robbias, small Renaissance bronzes and smaller versions of Michelangelo’s "David" are housed there. And of course don’t miss the Galleria dell Accademia where the newly restored Michelangelo’s “David” is housed.

Art Schools
Academia del Diletto In the Garden of Palazzio Corsini
58 Via il Prato, 282831
Studio Cecil-Graves
68 Borgo San Frediano, 285102
Lorenzo do Medici Art Institute
43 Via Faevze 287360

Shop Talk
Vino & Olio
Via de Serragli 29r
For olive oil and great, well-priced Tuscan wines.
Melli
The only jeweler we trust on the Ponte Vecchio, 44-46
Il Torchio
17 Via dei Bardi, 2342862
Lungard Soderini
The dean of Florentine antiques
Bruno and Giovanni Turchi
14 Rosso Via Maggio

Great Streets to Just Walk
Via Tourinabouni
Via della Vigna Nuova
Via Maggio
Via del Moro
dei Fossi
Via Borgo Gnissanti

Pottery
The Village of Imprunata
This is where the best terracotta is made. It is located one and one-half hours from Florence.

Wander the Tuscan Countryside

Lucca
Il Vipore
39-583-59-245
One of the best kept secrets in Tuscany, it’s five miles from Lucca on Pierre Santo Stefano. Located in an 18^th century farmhouse, it has magnificent views, but best of all is chef Cesare Casella’s home-style cooking.

Imprernato
If you covet terracotta – take a side trip here – to the “Terracotta Garden Pot” capital of the world. Every size and shape, you can imagine, can be inspected and lists of US distributors are yours for the asking.

San Gimignano

This “town of fine towers” lies about 25 miles south of Florence and is well worth a detour on the way to Siena. Built in the twelfth century – the towers of nobility were built for defense and as a sign of power – today few remain – but about 15 can be seen here – and you can climb some of their stairways to the lookout tower.

San Giovanni d’ Asso

For white truffles. Those in the know, venture about 25 miles south of Siena to this sleepy village. Their white truffles are found amongst the vineyards growing two of Italy’s finest wines! Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Monte Pulciano. Here, nothing appears “touristy – but there is the country’s first museum dedicated to truffles housed in a 13^th century castle. Most importantly white truffles are found in simple dishes in restaurants and bed and breakfasts all over town.

Hotels
La Locanda del Castello
Ankhura
Truffle Tours by Assotartufi

Siena

One of the most beautiful medieval hill towns in Tuscany – this is the home to the famed “Palio,” the annual summer horserace. With its Medieval Field of honor and glorious pageantry, it is worth a trip even when the celebration isn’t running. There are multilayered layers of intrigue here all year long.

Visit the Campo and linger in one of the cafes around it. It’s great people watching. Be sure to climb the Torre del Mangia the gothic bell tower rising out of Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico – It’s a twenty story stone staircase built in a tight square capital that allows fantastic vistas of the countryside.

It’s a must to visit the hub of activity at the Piazzo del Duoma and the 14^th Century Duoma.

Enotecca Italiana Wine Bar – sponsored by the state – with outstanding wines for tasting. It’s a single stop tour of the Tuscan wine country.

Hotels
Hotel Duomo
Via Stalloreggi 38
Albergo Il Giardino
Via B. Peruzzi 33

Restaurants

You almost can’t go wrong being spontaneous!

Casual

Osteria Il Ghibellino
Via dei Pellegrini 26
Save room for dessert
La Taverna di San Giuseppe
Via G Duprè 132
Upscale Sienese Clousies Ristorante Enzo
Via Camollia 49

Wickwood Inn | 510 Butler Street P.O. Box 1019 | Saugatuck, MI 49453
Tel (800) 385 -1174 | www.wickwoodinn.com | Bill and Julee Rosso Miller, Proprietors

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"Florentines say they don't get home-sick. They get dome-sick. To be a real Florentine, you must be born under the shadow of the dome" Bill Moyers There are few places in the world that you can visit repeatedly and always feel that your soul is never satisfied for there's always more to learn, more to love and more laughter to have. While "Rosso" is Italian - ("Red") - and I am not, in my soul I am from Tuscany.