OK....somebody is going to say it...I'll jump in! DON'T drive in Florence. Get to a place like Arrezzo, park right beside the train station and take the train in to Florence.

to lastraniera - thank you so much for a detailed, wonderful and spot on post - it is very helpful and I would love to follow up a bit if you are willing and able.

To datthecoast - I'm wit ya. I would never want to, or try to dry through or in Firenze, Siena, or many other cities/towns. My wife and I are currently living in downtown Philadelphia and we have previously resided in NYC - we are into walking and strolling through the town centers, stopping every minute or so for a gelato, or espresso, gazing at the colors, architecture and textures of Italy. Although Firenze is incredibly beautiful and packed with amazing sights, art and much else, it deserves it's own many days-weeks-months of time to explore and wander through and we have very little time so we figured we would take a train or use the car to park outside the city and spend a day just walking around looking for a piazza to sit in, have a gelato and maybe some special florentine meal -- maybe start in the Piazzale Michaelangelo, then on to the Accademia for an hour followed by a walk to the piazza at the Duomo - look at the duomo, check out the porta del paradiso, and make the climb to the top of Giottos Bell tower -- lunch - then to Piazza Signoria and Santa Croce - traditional dinner in Firenze and back to Castello delle Serre -- any specific advice on the one day in Florence - great gelato, great cafe, local Tuscan food/trattoria, place to get bistecca - would be welcomed. Thanks again

In addition tho the excellent information of the other posters, the proprietors of the Castello Delle Serre, Sal and his family, have excellent knowledge and connections to the area. Three years ago, Antonio, Sal's son, was able to get me tickets to the Calcio Storcio in Florence and tickets for a Contrada Dinner and balcony seats for me and my family to the Palio in Siena. You have made a wise choice for a place to enjoy your visit to the area.

Hi,

Question (to lastraniera) regarding the market in Rapolano Terme;

Is it a good market for foodies?

The market is not too touristic?

We are group of foodies arriving Siena area next week (Tuesday).

I know there is a market in Siena but we read it is too crowded...

Thanks,

Noam

You're arriving next week or in April / May? Next week I doubt you'll see any tourists at Rapolano Terme! But to answer your question re food, I guess it depends upon what you're expecting as foodies. I personally don't think the markets provide that much by way of foodstuff and personally split my shopping between specialist food shops such as the numerous enoteche, local farm shops or, even, top notch supermarkets such as PAM or the Coop where there's a very wide range of local produce and it's good quality too. I took a foodie friend from London to the Coop at Camucia (near Cortona) last autumn and she thought she'd died and gone to heaven. However, as a visitor, you'll certainly find the weekly markets interesting, even if the range of items is not that extensive. You'll find lots of fruit and veg stalls that will include seasonal herbs, a porcetta van, at least one van selling various types of pork products, also cheeses (especially pecorino), and another selling cereals / grains (which are very popular in this area) and, sometimes glaceed fruits. Being a Thursday, they'll be a fish van too. You may also find someone selling locally made honey but, generally, the local village markets concentrate on clothing and household items for local people who rarely travel far so need visiting stalls such as these for essential items.

thank you very much for the detailed answer!

we arrive Feb 5th...and the COOP looks great.

this is the address Centro i Girasoli (on SS71) - Camucia?

Also, do you know if they have a web?

many thanks again

That's the place, it's on the main road and signposted from all over town. But, look, as real foodies there are lots of specialist food stores and enoteche that you should try too.

e-coop.it/portalWeb/stat/docPortaleCanali/do…

Here's the website. But I'm in fear of my life now for some local food enthusiasts are bound to chip in and question why I'm sending you to a supermarket. Only, trust me, several in this area (like this one) are exceptionally good and the advantage is there is a massive range of produce all in one place. I think you'll find it interesting from a professional viewpoint too.