Finisterrae

Hi, friends!

Today I want to share another restaurant I simply adore with you. It is called Finisterrae and it is in Florence, in the heart of the city, in Santa Croce square, opposite the famous church.

Fisnisterrae is a different eating spot from the typical ones you would find in the city as it specializes in Mediterranean cuisine with not only Italian dishes, but with Arab Greek and Libanese specialties as well. The food is superb and if it is to your liking you can try the Cus Cus, the Kebab or the Mussaka.

If you don�t want to be that exotic this restaurant also serves pasta from all Italy, not only Tuscany, such as Paccheri Campani (a very tasty pasta from Naples) or typical pasta from Sardegna based on semolina with strawberries and clams.

The restaurant also has a good selection of wines, of Spanish wines, too (if you grow nostalgic about them) and other more exotic ones from other Mediterranean regions.

The place is wonderfully decorated with Arabic touches and provides carefully chosen Mediterranean chill out music. If you come to the restaurant in the summer we suggest you should get yourself a table at the terrace, not in the exterior one, overlooking the Santa Croce church, but in the interior one, which opens up into an internal patio with a fountain and a lot of vegetation.

The last time I went to this restaurant was a year ago and I really found it was a perfect place for trying out some food besides the typical Tuscan cuisine, that�s why I want to recommend it as a restaurant to visit in Florence.

Well, friends, I�m attaching the link to the web of FINISTERRAE, where you can find more pictures of the ones published here, as well as the restaurant complete menus.

I hope you�ll enjoy and have fun in Tuscany.

routes in Tuscan cities

As we have noticed that many of you are demanding more articles about Tuscan cities, we have decided to open a new section in our Blog especially devoted to one- day routes in Tuscan cities.

Today the route is:

Siena-San Gimignano and Monteriggioni.

This route is surely one of the most beautiful routes you can do in one day.

Starting off in Siena and at Siena football Stadium or �Piazza del Mercato� parking lot you will find yourself practically right at the city center and at ten minutes� walk from the most beautiful Piazza del Campo, one of the most impressive historical monuments in the city.

The visit will continue with the Duomo. The Duomo, or better say, the Siena Cathedral, is ten minutes� walk from the square. It is a landmark you can�t miss and, in my opinion, it�s the second most beautiful cathedral in Italy after San Pedro. Its richness lies not only in its exterior, but mainly in its interior. Siena was one of the richest cities during the Middle Ages and the Sieneses wanted their cathedral to be the wealthiest and most stunning one in the world. The interior of the cathedral is home to marvelous mosaics as well as art masterpieces of all times.

After visiting the Cathedral I especially suggest a stroll around the center narrow streets and two brief stops at the following palaces: The Accademia Chigiana (the Siena Music Academy) and the Palazzo Salimbeni (the historical venue of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest bank in the world.)

The visit to Siena should last around 3 hours and end by 12.30 am, so you can continue your trip to Monteriggioni.

Monteriggioni is an incredible medieval village located at 15 km. from Siena( the access from Siena is really fast). I highly recommend having a meal here as the place houses two really interesting restaurants. The first one is called Bar dell Orso, where you can enjoy simple, but exquisite food based on cold cuts, cheese and wine in its fabulous terrace. The other eating spot is called il Pozzo and is located in the village of Monteriggioni, right in the heart of the Square. Il Pozzo is more expensive, but, at the same time, more refined. It offers superb pasta and fried food. Il Pozzo also boasts of a beautiful small terrace, where you can eat under the shade.

The town of Monteriggioni has a small church, which, from my point of view, is really worth visiting as it seems to be unscathed by the pass of time with its medieval towers and walls in perfect conditions.

Around 3 pm. you should be leaving Monteriggioni and heading towards San Gimignano, a true architectural medieval jewel. San Gimignano is absolutely fantastic; it still conserves many of the towers, which belonged to rich merchants and rich families, who wanted to show their power to the rest of the city dwellers in the Middle Ages.


San Gimignano offers a most interesting cathedral with Ghirlandaio�s marvelous frescos. A stroll round the city is a major experience. The highest location in town is home to a bar, where you can relax and have a good wine surrounded by breathtaking panoramic views.

The visit should be finishing by 5.30 p.m. to allow for enough time to get back to your hotel or villa, have a wonderful bath and get ready for a superb Tuscan dinner.

As usual, I hope this article is of your interest.

Yours,

Giovanni.