🤗 Be
Welcome in Firenze
special notices for summer 2023
very often some spam filter send in the spam folder my replies,
so if within a few hours you have not received my reply, better you
look in the spam folder. - If you are so strict not to accept my email in your mailbox how can I be
accepting you in person in my home?
On some days you will see a hourglass symbol with a date nearby: it means
that I have unconfirmed plans for that days that could lead me far from home
so until the specified date cannot give a firm confirm; on the other way
dates more than 4 weeks away could not appear, feel free to ask but do not
expect to have always immediate confirm for such dates.
About last minute requests: If you ask for staying here less than 4
days in advance I expect you are ready to answer to my answer quickly.
After 4 hours from my reply without acknowledgement I will assume you
could have changed your plans and so would not reserve space; If your
request is for the same day this limit is just one hour. Keep phone on
that is some cases is possible I will call you. (if you miss the deadline
call me immediately, ofter there are no problem for a late reply)
In general every day is "omnivore day" so
you will be free to cook what you
prefer the day it will be your turn to cook but the other days leave
complete freedom to the one[s] that will have their cooking turn;
not eating what has been prepared
for you, here is considered rude both toward the cook and toward the host; asking
someone to cook something different that what had expected to cook is
easily leading to get unhealty meals.
If you want really eat together some specific kind of food on the day of arrival,
you are welcome to prepare it, but in this case I ask you to meet me on the day
of arrival no later than 1400.
If you are a group of 4 or more -up to 7- please
read
here, even if in the day you arrive do not appear enough free places
Due to maintenance works scattered all around in the area of
the province of Firenze public transportation in this area
is much less reliable than usual.
For this reason, unless you are using your own means of
transportation for all the way to Firenze, the exact travel
plan to arrive here will be a major point on the decision
to accept you or another group but also it will
lead to restart the process of acceptance in case you change
one or more of the details of arrival trip.
please note that times and itineraries on googlemaps and
many other travel assitance services could be not been
updated for these changes that often last just a couple of
days.
my e-mail address for contacts:
leo5ucc@trail.it
If
you arrived here it is because you wanted to come in my home.
We
say "patti chiari amicizia lunga" (clear pacts, long
lasting friendship), so read carefully:
When can I host you ? home
The dates for which I can take in account requests at this time are:
On 2023-09-29 I can host 2 people, maybe too late!
On 2023-09-30 I can host 0 people,
On 2023-10-01 I can host 1 people,
On 2023-10-02 I can host 5 people, ↓,🌙
On 2023-10-03 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-04 I can host 4 people,
On 2023-10-05 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-06 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-07 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-08 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-09 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-10 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-11 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-12 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-13 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-14 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-15 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-16 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-17 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-18 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-19 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-20 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-21 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-22 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-23 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-24 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-25 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-26 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-27 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-28 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-29 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-30 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-10-31 I can host 5 people,
On 2023-11-01 I can host 5 people, ✝
If you see changing the availability after I have sent
you an e-mail reply it does not mean that I cannot longer
host you, but just that I set aside for you the space!
In the days marked with ↓
for different reasons I cannot accept new people arriving at my home exactly
on that days while place is still available for people that were here since
at least the previous day (so you may freely ask even these days as a final
or intermediate days of your stay). Note that the status may change closer to
the date, so may worth check again closed to date.
Unless differently stated, if after my reply I won't receive a
reply from you within a reasonable time (two days if request is
more than 3 weeks away,
one day if more than 5 days, 8 hours if it is less than 5 days,
two hours if your arrival were within 26 hours),
I will not keep longer on hold the place for you.
Days marked with ✝
are the principal public holydays, or days with special uses.
For that days I could be unable to satisfy special dietetic
requirements expecially for people arriving exactly on that days.
... and finally a warning for this period: not only in Firenze there are a lot
people visiting the city, but also a lot of mosquitoes "visiting" tourists.
If you do not want a review on mosquitoes' michelin guide of restaurants,
better you get some cautions and be prepared to meet the breed that
during the year is the most aggressiveWhen I say that I want a phone number I want to say
that I want to have a globally reacheable phone number, so a number that
can be dialed by any public service and route the call to you cellphone
that have to be active. Actually I will send you all details to arrive at my
home within 300 meters at the time you send the request so you know exacly how
much time you need to the various points of interest, and print the maps
and timetables in advance (or you may read here :-)),
but I will give my complete address only by calling you at that number a
couple hours before arrival, once -three days before arrival- I will have
received a call from you, to confirm that phone is working and numbers are
correct.
The dates shown above are the ones opened to everyone for which I
may confirm hospitality at the time you read it
.
However to give opportunity to bigger groups to found an accomodation together,
since I am one of the very few hosts in Firenze able to host 5 or more people,
such larger groups may ask and have confirm also for further dates
until a reasonable future.
Also, irrespectively of what is written in the calendar, one day stays are
subject to final confirm only at a maximum of
one week in advance, often even less.
my e-mail address for contacts:
leo5ucc@trail.it
How much time can I host you ?
Preferred stay is 2 to 4 nights, but I can make exceptions, just ask.
Normally
I will confirm once we have had an e-mail exchange and all personal
informations; according the period of the year I may have one to
four rooms available for guests.
Only two have single beds. So, if you are more than one
person, when requesting, tell me if you prefer single or double beds.
If you say that is just a preference for single or double, but not a
constraint, this would help a lot.
In case you ask only single beds, tell me if you
accept to share the big room, that has three single beds,
with other guests.
In your request
please state clearly the exact date (and where possible approximate time and
mean of transportation used) you expect to arrive, and also date and time
when you plan to leave.
Include also a list with the complete names and e-mail of all the people
in your party, as well at least one working GSM phone number that I can use
to call you while arriving and. -very important- an indication if some of
you have dietary constraints.
I will consider the request complete only when I will have all these
informations
"dates are flexible"
does mean that in case I had no availability in the day[s] you ask,
rather than declining, I may offer you an option to shift dates, not that
you reserve you the right to change dates last minute!.
Once accepted, the dates become fixed.
I expect that, unless differently specified, that
you reply after my confirm message no later than 2 days, if arrival date
is more than 2 week apart, 24 hours in the other cases but within
3 hours if request were sent less than 48 hours before arrival
(keep phone on, if last minute I may directly call you)
Note that if you ask to change the dates
after I have confirmed, not necessarily means that you will still be
accepted.
What
if we are a large group (or a family)? home
I can host even groups of 5 or
more people, up to 9: since I am one of the few ones in my town that is able to
host such a large group, to give them more chances I may also accept requests
for dates more than 5 weeks ahead, up to a reasonable future. For groups of
4-7 people I can carve out two more places when availability if the calendar
says 3 or more, and up to four if it says 5.
For last minute requests: I cannot accept same day requests from groups of 5
or more; smaller ones can try also last minute
(but see notes on availability after the general availability
calendar at beginning).
Note about families: a family is defined a group when there is at least one person
and at least one of its parents. Except certain "family friendly" periods
(already passed for 2023, not yet scheduled for 2024)
I will host families only if at least one of following conditions is true:
a. at least one
of the person among parents or kids has been my guest before, or I
have been their guest; or
b. at least one of the parents and at least one of
their kids has (proved by references) had at least one experience as a
guest (not by the same person) somewhere out of their home country.
BTW: between october and end of april I have available only 3 single beds,
so if you are 4 or 5 you will get a double
and two/tree single beds and if 6 or 7 two doubles and two/three singles.
What can I offer ?
home
I am in east part of town, about 20 minutes by transit to the historical center (or 3 km walking or cycling)
click here to visualize a map of the area
Breakfast is at 0820, dinner usually around 2115
In
Italy communal meal with guest is an institution, and many people come to my
house for the "kitchen sharing" so your host will expect guests to share at
least one main meal together, the day they arrive, or two if they stay more than one night.
More details on meal sharing HERE
Who cook on one day has the right to decide what to cook.
So in general is omnivore diet.
Since the number of people that did change their plan really last minute,
sometimes even after dinner had been prepared, has been quite consistent,
this lead to often have to freeze something that had been prepared for them.
For this reason until my freezer will not have been emptied by all stuff bought
for people that did not show,
I won't be able to accept guests with special dietary requirements unless
with very special arrangements and conditions.
Read the specific page for more informations!
If you stay three or more days and expect one evening not being here for
dinner, please tell it at time of sending the request.
Read the specific page for more informations!
Please remember that in Italy «vegetarian» is one that eat eggs and
cheese and drink wine and beer, but do not eat any kind of meat, including
seafood.
Do not expect that I will take you around
to visit the city unless you have some specific interests (but -if weather
allows- we can easily organize excursions in the nature around);
if you write me in advance telling me your interests I can however give you some
suggestions or prepare a thematic itinerary.
please note that due to (long term) roadworks, from february 2021 the stop for
buses arriving from city center has been moved 750 m far from here (I have not updated the map
on this site since situation could have changes almost every month until end of 2024).
House
policy says that when there is no people of the family, even the
guests are out. In general I do
not leave home early, at least not before 940 (some saturdays 840); just
on some days it is possible that I leave earlier, but these would be
marked in the calendar with 🕖; unless differently arranged do not
expect I be back home until 1940.
In general I ask guests to leave the room free, on the day they leave, no
later than 820, to give time to clean it. If it is not a day I
leave more or less early you may stay longer, but if you
leave after 820 you are expecteded to do a complete cleaning
of the room before leaving.
.
Free internet access.
In case you need to use it after you leave my house, it is accessible
also from the benches on the park in front ot the house.
If you have bicycles you
can use my garage, but ask me at time of request or at least 36 hours
before arrival, same notice in advance if you need space in the fridge
or need to do laundry.
What
i am asking you ? home
Some people complained that I
had too many rules: I wrote the rules here, so you can
decide if they are reasonable for you and then send me a request or not.
- Call me using your phone
to confirm arrival 3-4 days in advance,
including your estimated time of arrival, if you don't not only I
cannot help with logistics, but I will cancel your request.
Please do not use other ways to confirm than voice calls since sometimes
certain phones do not work correctly with SMS (sometimes it is also
a question of phone_model-operator-installed_software triplet!).
- if you plan not to stay
with me for dinner on one of the evenings, please tell me at
least 3 full days in advance. (preparation of certains typical food
certain times spans on more days and I don't want to throw away food,
also accept that if you were the only guest and I had better options
in the late evening I could say "no dinner: no bed").
for
last minute requests of course people should be ready to get what has
been prepared, so if you have alimentary constraints tell me when you
send the first request.
- We will share expense for food; people that stay more than one day
is expected to cook at least one day.
In that case think about a recipe that you know you can prepare
(possibly, but not necessarily from your region), and take a list
of ingredients with quantities (by mass), this would help in buying the
right quantity and adapt according the number of people that evening,
also it is possible I already had ready most of the ingredients.
- If you want to change the day
or time of arrival, or change way of transportation expect to
renegotiate availability
- do not smoke in the house, nor in
the balcony
- The guests have one bathroom all for them. also cleaning
is left to them, so keep it clean, for the people that come after you.
- do not contaminate
recycle bins (or you have to clean it too)
- do not take anything out
of kitchen (glasses can be get lost or broken in strange places,
food could have been a key ingredient for next dinner)
- if you help cleaning in
the kitchen never put knives in dishwasher, on the other part
plastic and glass cannot be safely washed by hand
- do not open the window in
the dining room unless you remain inside that room ready to close it.
(if there is just a bit of wind current will be strong and internal
doors can slam and be damaged)
to
get a quicker reply - Last
minute requests home
When you send a request or
reply to a last minute invitation, to be sure to get a quick reply
always send an email to the address that appear at beginning of this page,
specifying there your username and adding the e-mail addresses of all other travelmates,
and expecially your cell phone number, caring that my reply could
arrive from a different email address, or a different phone number,
so check that you accidentally
(or voluntarily) had not set your spam filter to ignore messages,
or your phone not to ring from unknows callers.
When you send arrival and leaving dates,
unless differently written, I assume that you arrive at my home
between 1950 and 2020 on the arrival day, and leave between 0700 and 0830 on
departure date (too many people set as end day the last night,
so actually end requesting a day less than they expect).
If you send a request very
close to arrival date remember to give answers, in your request, to the
questions about the kind of bed that you prefer, the time you plan to
arrive and leave and if you have food intolerances. This would help
to know immediately if there are problem or on the other side accept
immediately.
I will try to reply to your
request in the shortest time possible, but since often I receive more
requests than I can accommodate (Firenze has a lot of people coming
...) I have to ask also you to be quick in replying, so to be helpful
to as many people is possible.
So, if it is a request more than 8
days in advance, I can wait for your reply even 24 hours, but if you
require a couch in short advance I ask you to reply within a few
hours, in general I will wait one eight of the time remaining to your
arrival (1 to 6AM is neutralized).
If I will not receive an answer
within that time and have other requests I will consider it as
cancelled.
If you expect not to have internet access for some time
please post in your message a note about when you will be able to
read the message.
If I think we need a quicker turnaround in replies, I will send
you a SMS or will call you in voice, so please keep the phone on:
sometimes I need some immediate clarification, or I had
problem replying by e-mail.
I am not picky if any person
in the group does not have a personal profile, if the person
that makes the request has an adequate hospitaly exchange experience,
But I ask as a
minimum that the person
that makes the request indicate name and personal contact [email
address], for each one in the group, so i can reply individually
and ask further informations.
In particular I
ask that all the people in the group share a common language with me.
I can make an exception only if there is just 1 person not sharing my
or the other guests' languages.
If you are one of the people
that do not want to have a cellphone, or do not want to give to other
people their personal number you can buy a SIM just for the trip!,
otherwise I will be usually unable to host you, expecially on last
minute or when you cannot adjust your arrival time to my movements.
If there is more then one group for dinner not knowing where they are
when they are late is not nice.
Some
things you should know (even if you do not come at my home). home
When planning a visit to Firenze remember these things:
Some bus operators sell tickets to Firenze offering three
different stations: Piazzale Montelungo, Villa Costanza, Guidoni T2 and via
Santa Caterina. While Piazzale Montelungo and Santa Caterina are in the center, adjacent to SMN station,
Villa Costanza is NOT in Firenze, but in Scandicci at 8 km SW from city center.
There is between 0430 and 2345 a direct tram line to Firenze center,
but this takes at least 25 minutes (plus time to buy tickets and wait departure).
(and I live 4 km E of city center) GuidoniT2 is still in the city but
distance (in time) is more or less the same than villa Costanza.
If you expect to arrive from Bologna and Venezia or go to such
cities after Firenze know that on sunday afternoon and often on friday it
is extremely common that some fast train services to/from that direction
be sold-out (and regional service is not present in many weekends).
I recommend to buy such tickets at least 3 days in advance to avoid surprises.
If you have not found cheap enough train select "solo regionali",
that have a lower base fare, in this case ticket should be bought
only on same day (there are no reservations), hovewer on certain days
it is possible there are none of such trains, so check before online if
you may buy a ticket for such day. If still the fare looks high consider
the offer "Italia in tour" that does not appear when you select a trip,
but it is a pass, that you can buy in "offerte regionali" section,
that for 29 EUR allow you three consecutive days of travel on regional
trains [or 5 days for 49 EUR ].
On public holydays
(in 2023/2024 they are 1/11 8/12 25/12 26/12 1/1 6/1 1/4 25/4 1/5 2/6 15/8)
public transit services from my area start at 0600 (while on weekdays
at 510, 520 on saturday and 0605 on sunday,
so take it in account if you have a long distance services leaving from a
distant terminal early in the morning.
About museums: check always the opening days on their sites.
You may buy also a combined ticket including Uffizi, Palazzo pitti, Boboli, giardino Bardini,
museo Archeologico and Opificio delle Pietre Dure; in any case Uffizi
MUST be the first visit and pass price includes reservation.
Even single tickets to Uffizi are valid to visit (within 3 days) opificio delle pietre
dure and Museo archeologico; the same option is available to visit
Giardino Bardini after Boboli (on the same day)
People age 18 to 24 (citizen of EU plus ch,li,no,uy) pay 2 euro for
entrance at each museum (this fare is valid also for Bargello and San Marco).
WARNING: From march until november 10 state museums apply
a surcharge between 10% (Accademia, Bargello) and 110% (Uffizi, Boboli,
Palazzo Pitti) on their regular prices for general public, and between 15 june
and 15 december a 50% surcharge for under 25; so if your plan is to visit
museums I suggest you to postpone your visit to Firenze in low season
(10 january to 15 march), when it is also much less crowded and hot.