In 2011, the Caffē Letterario Le Murate was born in Florence, in one of the oldest districts of the historic center of Florence. Located within the complex of the Murate, the former old prison of Florence and former convent, returned to the city after a restoration whose guidelines were traced by Renzo Piano. The Caffè Letterario is first of all a place of aggregation (especially during summer) which serves as a space for multiple cultural initiatives. For everybody and for the families living in the area, it offers a calendar full of literary, artistic, musical and gastronomic activities.

The market here is held every morning (excluding holidays) from 7:00 to 14:00, from Monday to saturday. It's where I shop weekly. It is partly outdoors, with stands of clothing, fruit and vegetables and food, and partly indoors, in the building built in 1873 by Giuseppe Mengoni. Inside the building you can find stalls of food, meat and fish, a couple of bakeries. While all the stalls inside are always the same- the ones on the outside (apart for the ones selling fruits and vegetables) tends to change everyday. Depending on the day you can find vintage clothing, shoes, vintage bags, military clothing, a florist, a stall that sells fabrics, an underwear stall and so on. The prices here are way much cheaper than the San Lorenzo market (the one close to the station) and the quality of the food is better. If you're planning to stay in Florence for a while, grab a tote and do your grocery shopping here.

Florence may be beautiful, but with the amount of tourists it can get quite overwhelming. Todo Modo is a wonderful escape located near the centre that provides a space to sit, sip, read, and reflect. A quaint bookstore in the front, with a bar/café in the back, Todo Modo is one of my favourites in Florence. The hanging plants, the smell of books, the wood covered interior, all provide a cosy nook to sink into. Recommendations: a glass of chianti classico + a pen and journal.

La Specola is one of my favourite museums I have ever visited. The museum is a branch of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence and is one of the oldest science museums in Europe, built in 1775 with the aim of gathering the natural treasures collected by different generations of the Medici family, such as fossils, animals, minerals and exotic plants. You really have to go. The displays are stunning and odd, also the Zoological Collection is full of specimens and old taxidermy pieces. On top of that there is also a quite "scary" collection of about 1,400 pieces of anatomical waxworks (made between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century).

Nice Lunch.