My husband and I stayed in Casa Santa Caterina for 14-19 July.

The apartment is in a 700-year-old building (ex-convent) in the heart of Florence. Its location makes it perfect for anyone wanting to visit the historic city's major tourist attractions: it's a 10-minute walk (maximum) to the Uffizi Gallery, for example.

The apartment itself is quaint: watch your head coming down the stairs from the bedroom if you are over 5 foot 7! The lounge/dining and bedroom areas are spacious, the kitchen is a cupboard (but has everything you need) and the bathroom is cosy. The water pressure is a downer -- pretty much just a dribble -- but it is a "limitation of the hydraulic system" according to the information provided in the guest book. The hot water is also a little come and go: you need to be patient for the 'on demand' system to kick into gear.

There is an iron, but the ironing board is doll-house-sized -- similar to those I have encountered in Japan; mean to be used on a tabletop, I think.

The apartment has a dehumidifier, which runs all the time, and has a hint of old musty building smell -- but it's not bad. And it also has a window to the outside, near the (high) ceiling in the bedroom. It's not air-conditioned, but we never got too hot. In fact, it's a lovely cool haven away from the baking summer sun.

The supermarket is literally 5 minutes' walk round the corner. Awesome.

The website leads you to believe this apartment has a washing machine -- it doesn't. The nearest coin-operated laundry mat (lavarapido) is the Wash and Dry, a 12-minute walk away on via del Campuccio, just down from the intersection with via dei Serragli. A huge industrial-sized load of laundry will cost you 7 euro to wash, and 3.50 euro to dry (30 minutes). If you have a smaller load it will only be 3.50 to wash. (Don't use the Lavanderia just around the corner: it's 18 euro to wash and dry just 5 kg of laundry!)

Paolo met us at the train station and walked us the one-and-a-bit kilometres to the apartment, which was much appreciated. Paolo has a great sense of humour, very workable English, and gave us some 'must-try' food tips. All turned out to be right on the money.