Florence Italy……the Magic of this Historic Italian Town is That it Has it All!

As My Red Glasses Goes International….a fun group of locals head to this magical city to seek culture, history, tour wineries, eat great food and of course, to shop! This is our last Fall Group pictured above….Roseann, Angela, Karen to name a few!  We’re taking a new group back this Fall,  with BPP Tours (Brunello, Pasta and Prada). Let us know if you want to come with….it’s not too late. Click here for info on some great pricing on open seating!

Overview of BPP Tour Excursions:  M.A. Shute’s tours are such a dream for those of us that have always felt that being part of a tour was not for us (I was one of those!). She caters to small groups only….tour size 6-10 people; chocks it full of TLC, so that everyone’s needs are cared for and has hired a team of specialists in their fields that guide you through the cultural sites, the wineries of Tuscany, a fun and delish cooking school plus days of shopping in the many awesome storefronts and markets of Florence. My job is the shopping piece where we will walk and visit from the beautiful fashion boutiques on Via de Tornabuoni to the Oltrano (other side of the Armo, ala NYC SOHO area) to the fun outdoor markets such as the infamous San Lorenzo Market.  Plus I have found many small out-of-the way and somewhat hidden treasures for some delightful shopping!

As we prepare to go again this Fall, I will be enticing you, I hope, with many of the shots from our past trips in a short series I will be referring to as MY RED GLASSES GOES INTERNATIONAL…..first stop, Florence/Tuscany Shopping….(dining, culture, wineries to follow)

Welcome to Via de’ Tornabuoni (Florence most fashionable street)

Fendi Boutique

 Louis Vuitton Boutique

Ferragamo Boutique and Museum….home of Salvatore Ferragamo’s first property;  located at the Palazzo Sprini Feroni across from Ponte Santa Trinitá ; Upstairs full women’s and men’s boutique….downstairs the Ferragamo Luxury Museum that takes you back in time to his early beginnings in Naples plus special exhibits that change seasonally….must see for fashion-lovers, very interesting!

 Welcome to Piazza di Santa Maria Novella….home of earliest basilica in Florence, train station and region that is home to one of the oldest Farmacia (Pharmacies) in Europe:  Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

We were treated to a private tour of this amazing establishment, founded in 1221 by Dominican friars who began to study and experiment with the properties of the herbs in their adjacent garden. By 1612, they had opened to the public and their products can now be found all over the globe, including in Houston, Texas at Kuhl-Linscomb. The experience of this exclusive guided tour pointed out many things to our group, from the ancient architecture to the painted murals and awesome ceiling details to the full array of luxury products….the one thing that was most impressive was in the sampling process we were able to sample the fragrance created  by the Friars for Caterina di Medici, Florentine noblewoman who was to become Queen of France.  I purchased it and have on my dresser today…….Acqua della Regina-Water of the Queen

Jennifer Tattanelli

Casini Firenze Boutique, Piazza de’ Pitti

I had received the recommendation to visit this quality leather goods boutique in the Oltrarno region of Firenze by my friend, Jane Tabbah, who I consider a Firenze native. When I walked into the store I was taken by the beautifully crafted woven leather bags, very Bottega in feel (one reason could be that her hubby Giulio was SVP of Bottega for a decade!). Jennifer Tattanelli,  a native born Florentine of Italian father and American mother….she considers herself an Italian-American and does in fact live between NYC/Hamptons and Firenze. She is an experienced leather maker growing up in her family’s business and at Casini you can buy off-the-rack or as she did for me, have special order booties made, which came out perfect and I wear constantly….loving that there are no others exactly like my booties! I have heard since I left that she had opened up the JT Caffè, in 2014 and gotten many rave reviews on that as well…will be trying it this trip for sure!

A unique store, Bottega Quattro,  around the corner from the Baglioni Hotel is where I first found and was greatly attracted to the huge assortment of the Save My Bag collection that can be found here in Houston at Cotton Club Collection and Muse Boutique  

Whether shopping in the ever-so-clever and creative PYLONES, a French gift store, founded in Paris in 1985 and is now 150 stores in 28 countries.  It takes ordinary every day items from hair brushes to cheese graters and paint them and add a decorative twist to it all…..makes great ‘take away gifts’ for the younger set or just the young at heart!

There are pros and cons about shopping the street markets, but I must say you have to experience the different markets, most famous the San Lorenzo Market at the Piazza San Lorenzo near the Piazza del Duomo….it’s such a part of Florentine street fare!

Jewels…… found in a small, family owned Jewelry store that I have visited and purchased from for years

Florence resident jewelry designer, Angela Caputi, that I have been a fan of and wear regularly has boutiques and sells product all over the world, including sparingly in Houston. What a field day we had when she let us just go through her drawers….we left with shopping bags of great, affordable but stylishly on-trend jewelry!

Prada’s over-the-top free-standing outlet is high on all tourist’ attractions. Although she has a store in the Outlet Mall, SPACE, located in Montevarchi, in the region of Arezzo, Italy, about an hour outside of Florence, is the one to go to…you take a number and get in and have a field day on the Prada savings on the newest, freshest product of all Prada outlets.

 

Gathering in the lobby of our hotel, comparing Prada SPACE shopping bags after our morning at the outlet…..such fun! 

‘Girls Just Wanta Have Fun’ and what fun we had and you can too…..if you join our soon to be infamous non-tour BPP Tour….after all we travel around in party buses, the sizes are small 6-10 people and you have all of the culture, shopping, dining and wine tasting you can handle.

Please consider joining us, you’ll love it!

Brunello, Pasta and Prada Tours

photos courtesy of My Red Glasses