May 2019 Archives

May 15, 2019

Perched Above Siena with a Porcupine and a Macchiato

Join me now from a secret hideaway above Europe’s finest square — Siena’s Il Campo. I’m here with my friend and guide, Roberto Bechi, just enjoying a caffè macchiato and experiencing one of Italy’s great cities.

Twice every summer, all of Siena hurls itself with medieval abandon into the world’s wildest horse race — the Palio — and this square is overcome by pandemonium. As Roberto explains, in Siena you’re born…then there’s the Palio…and then you die.

Planning a trip to Siena? You can pick up the latest edition of the Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany guidebook here. Happy travels!

May 13, 2019

Florence’s Rustic Gem: Trattoria la Burrasca

I’m so happy that Florence’s Trattoria la Burrasca is still good. I was worried that it had gotten touristy over the years, scaring away the locals — but it’s still a great trattoria. Join me in this clip with my friend Elio, in one of Italy’s small, humble kitchens that work wonders.

This is my kind of place: family-run, offering a people-to-people connection, and personality-driven. Here’s how I wrote it up in my Rick Steves Italy guidebook:

[$$] Trattoria la Burrasca is a rustic gem on a cruddy street with a time-warp atmosphere — a dozen rickety tables under a single vault. Elio and his hardworking staff offer a traditional menu featuring fine steak and good-value seasonal specials of Tuscan home cooking (Tue-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Sun and Mon, reservations smart, Via Panicale 6, north corner of Mercato Centrale, tel. 055-215-827).

May 12, 2019

My Florence Hotel: Location, Location, Location

Join me at the place I’ve called home for the last few days in Florence — Hotel Loggiato Dei Serviti — and check out my rooftop view of the Duomo, coming right in through the bathroom window. I’ve set up a little office here where I can work on the next edition of my Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany guidebook while enjoying a picnic dinner with the best sandwich in town.

May 11, 2019

The Renaissance at Night — With Wine

Tonight, after a beautiful dinner and a bit of wine, I was overcome by the historic beauty of Piazza S.S. Annunziata, the most Renaissance square in Florence — and the graceful arches and columns of Filippo Brunelleschi’s Hospital of the Innocents, built in the 1420s.

Join me as I take in the harmony, just feelin’ good under the floodlights, out and about, getting excited about the Medici. Life is good.

May 10, 2019

Dessert with Bobo

My friend Tommaso (who runs Hotel Davanzati with his family) and I have a tradition of spending an evening getting up-to-date on restaurants in Florence. I’m so thankful to have a local friend to help me know the latest. Join me here, with Tommaso and Bobo (who runs this restaurant), as we get all excited about a 500-year-old dessert the Medici family loved, and we debate the best after-dinner drink: Amaro vs. Limoncello vs. Vin Santo.

Excuse our French.