Florence - alternative guide #1 - my favourite place

MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN FLORENCE

I guess all of you have your favourite place in your hometown. A place, to which you always come back and sit there for hours. In Świnoujście it is a port. In Madrid – El Parque del Cerro del Tío Pío. And in Florence… Pescaia di Santa Rosa.

PESCAIA DI SANTA ROSA

This place is rather unusual and alternative one – you will find it in the middle of Arno river. To get there is not an easy task – in order to arrive there you need to.. jump off the wall. This place is between Ponte Amerigo Vespucci and Ponte Alla Carraia (where I’ve eaten delicious ice-creams – I described it here).

My plan was always the same – the purchase of wine in the supermarket, ice-creams in Gelateria alla Carraia, watching sunset at Pescaia di Santa Rosa and in the end of a day, for a dinner – Margherita in one good pizzeria (the summary of best pizza restaurants you will read here).

This place is definitely non-touristic – mainly locals and Italian teenegers come here. I love all these lovely places by the river – especially these, where next to the amazing nature I can find some interesting street-art.

LA FESTA DI SAN GIOVANNI – BIG CELEBRATIONS

On 24th of July there is a big celebration of Florence’s patron saint – La Festa di San Giovanni. I was lucky to take a part in it, especially that the same day is held always another special event – the final of Calcio Storico. It is a unique sport, that was born in XVI and is a combination of football, rugby and wrestling.

In the evening, about 22, the neighbourhood of Arno river was very crowded – all bridges and pedestrian zones where so busy that it was impossible to cross the river. Finally, we managed to do that – we jumped off the wall in a rush and sat down by the river literally in the last moment – right before fireworks.