Osteria del Proconsolo (Florence, Italy)🇮🇹

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Buongiorno Florence, Italia! Today’s blog is on Osteria del Proconsolo. Osteria del Proconsolo is an Italian restaurant located in Florence, Italy on Via del Proconsolo, 59. In fact, we call it Florence, but locals say Firenze. There are many other restaurants to choose from in the city of Florence, but my favorite restaurant was Osteria del Proconsolo. This restaurant is a great place to stop at for lunch or dinner. We sat in a wonderful open atmosphere next to the large full size window that opened to the street, so you’re sitting inside, while enjoying the activity outside.

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Finally, customers have the option to pick between a variety of delicious desserts. My favorites included the Tiramisu and the Crème Brulee.

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I look forward to visiting Florence again someday! Grazie mille for reading!!

Ciao

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

Miscele e Fuoco (Rome, Italy) ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡¹

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Rome is filled with a variety of restaurants, but my favorite was Miscele e Fuoco. It is located a few blocks from the Colosseum on Via Cavourright down the street from Hotel Romano. Miscele e Fuoco serves everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and cocktails. They have a variety of seating both inside and out. The food that I ordered was very delicious. My favorite dish was the chocolate waffle. It was super moist with tons of whip cream, and cut up strawberries drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was by far the best waffle I’ve ever had!!!! This is a meal I would recommend to anyone who eats at Miscele e Fuoco for breakfast. If you’re looking for something more on the healthier side, I recommend their bowl of fruit. The fruit was amazing and super fresh. It consisted of pineapple as your base with strawberries, oranges, raspberries, blackberries, and honeydew melon inside.

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Customers who sit inside will find the atmosphere very comfortable, and those who sit outside will find it a little busy on the street.The staff is very nice and takes great care of their customers. I definitely look forward to coming back to Miscele e Fuocothe next time I visit Rome.

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

Top things to do in Rome, Italy ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡¹

  1. The Colosseum of Rome
  2. Try some Gelato
  3. Italian Opera
  4. Spanish Steps
  5. Altare della Patria
  6. Vatican City

 

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Buongiorno Roma, Italia! Today’s blog is on the top things to do in Rome. There are plenty of things to do and see in Rome, and I have to admit that Rome is my favorite city in Italy. The weather in Rome was warm and sunny during the day and a little chilly at night. The things I enjoyed doing most while in Rome included the Colosseum of Rome, Gelato, an Italian Opera, the Spanish Steps, the Altare della Patria, and the Vatican City.

My favorite attraction was the Colosseum of Rome, also known as the Flavian amphitheatre. The Colosseum of Rome is located in the center of Rome right across from the metro station. In school, I remember doing a paper on the Colosseum of Rome, and to actually stand in front of it and explore the inside was a dream come true. It was definitely an experience I’ll remember. Here’s aa fun fact about the Colosseum of Rome, it was built in 70 AD and was the largest amphitheatre ever built.

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Besides the delicious pasta, I became obsessed with the Gelato. Gelato is a very delicious Italian ice cream that’s similar to a sherbet texture. Each gelato restaurant is filled with a variety of flavors. My favorites included mint, tiramisu, white chocolate raspberry, and mixed berry. Since a small one didn’t fill me, I ordered a bigger one, but with fresh fruit this time. It was very delicious, and very filling.

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Next, if you are looking for a fun evening out, I highly recommend seeing an Italian Opera. In Rome, I saw La Traviata at Salone Margherita. La Traviata is a three act opera. I purchased the option of watching the performance with dinner that included a 3 course meal. We ate the first course of the meal before the show, and then went to our seats to watch the first act. We went back to our table to eat the second course during intermission between acts. After the second act we had our third course, and returned to our seats to see the final act of the opera. They allowed us to bring our beverage to our seats in the balcony to drink as we watched the performance.

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The Spanish Steps is a very busy attraction in Rome. We climbed a total of 135 steps to get to the very top where the Trinità dei Monti Church sits. We also notice flower pots with beautiful flowers inside spread throughout the staircase.

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The Altare della Patria is a monument building in Rome built for the first King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel. The Altare della Patria is an amazing building filled with many statues and the history of Rome. The building had an elevator outside that took us up to the top of the building with an amazing view of Rome. We even saw the Colosseum of Rome from the top!

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Finally, another popular place to visit in Rome is Vatican City. Vatican city is the home of the Catholic Church and the Pope. The  museum, MCSEI VATICANI is the busiest museum in Rome. There are multiple lines of people down the street waiting to go inside to see the ancient artifacts. It takes hours to get inside, so I highly recommend going during the early hours of the morning when it first opens at 9 am. Also, if you prebuy your tickets, you can schedule your entry time to eliminate waiting in the long lines.

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I look forward to visiting Rome again someday! Grazie mille for reading!!

Ciao

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

A Day in Venice, Italy ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡¹

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Buongiorno Italia! Today’s blog is on a day in Venice, also known as Venezia, Italy. Venice is an island city that is surrounded by water. The only transportation visitors can take to travel around Venice is by boat or walking through the cobblestone streets. So, be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Venice, is filled with numerous famous attractions and things to do. It also has two small islands across the canal which include, The island of Murano and Burano. My top things to do in Venice included taking a Gondola ride, visiting the Saint Mark’s Basilica, and finally the island of Murano. The Gondola ride was fantastic and the most relaxing activity in Venice. It is a great way to see the city from a different perspective and learn about some of the history.

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The streets and piazzas in Venice were extremely crowded with tourists and the lines were so long that unfortunately, I couldn’t see Saint Mark’s Basilica from the inside.

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It is important to schedule your day to accommodate the local customs because there are very few restaurants that open before 7 pm for dinner. Many of the bars were open, yet only offered light snacks. Next, the island of Burano is filled with colorful houses and many hand crafted lace garments and linens. As a keep sake from the island of Burano, I bought a beautiful pink blouse with pearls sewn onto it.

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Finally, The island of Murano was full of glass artists that display their intricate glass works of art in shops. Some of the glass artists open their factories for glass blowing demonstrations. Their skill and talent for designing and developing their works of art is truly mind blowing.

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Venice, is a wonderful city to experience in Italy. I recommend doing all your exploring during the morning hours due to the busy crowds in the afternoon and evening. I also added a short video of the glass blowing down below for your enjoyment.

Ciao Italia!

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

 

Pizzeria Tortuga (Venice, Italy) ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡¹

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Buongiorno! Venice is an island city in Italy that is surrounded by water. The only transportation visitors can take to get around the city is to travel by boat or walk through the cobblestone streets. Vehicles are not an option. Venice, is filled with a variety of delicious pizzeria and pasta restaurants. However, I recommend visiting the smaller local mom and pop restaurants, to experience the atmosphere with traditional Italian dishes.

My favorite mom and pop restaurant in Venice, is Pizzeria Tortuga, where many of the locals eat. Pizzeria Tortuga is a small Italian restaurant that is located on Salizada dei Spechieri, around the corner from the ferry to Murano Island. They serve a variety of pizza, pasta, and wine. When customers walk in, they will find a variety of seating throughout the dining room, bar, and outside. The food was very delicious from start to finish. A few of my favorites included the Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce, Cannelloni, and Gnocchi with red sauce. 

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Customers will find the food very fresh and reasonably priced, which makes it definitely worth it. Best pasta dishes I’ve had! The owner was very friendly and attentive to our needs. This restaurant was open extended hours between lunch and dinner, when all the other restaurants were closed, . Finally, customers who dine at Pizzeria Tortuga will find the atmosphere very relaxing in both the dining room and the bar, and full of activity outside. I look forward to coming back to this restaurant the next time I visit Venice.

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Ciao!

© 2018 Sundown Pointe