Does Florence have an off-season? What's it like on the south side of the city? Where can you find good food without having to spend €20 on a plate of pasta? Where can I look for leather goods that are high-quality? In this episode we answer those questions and more! After visiting Florence back in February we intended to record this episode in the winter, but alas we did not, so here it is now!

It's going to be summer soon and the height of tourism, so stay tuned for next week's episode: Florence Condensed! We'll tell you the essentials for visiting Florence from transportation and food to museums and the David.

The restaurants, bars, and cafes we mentioned in this episode are:

On the south side of the Arno:

Trattoria Sabatino - Via Pisana, 2R, 50143 Firenze FI

Fuor di Porta - Via Pisana, 29/r, 50143 Firenze FI

Circolo Rondinella del Torrino - Lungarno Soderini, 2, 50124 Firenze FI

La Cité - Borgo S. Frediano, 20/R, 50124 Firenze FI

Piazza Santo Spirito (this is a piazza with many bars/cafes) - 50125 Firenze FI

On the north side of the Arno:

Trattoria Le Mossacce - Via del Proconsolo, 55r, 50122 Firenze FI

Caffè Gilli - Via Roma, 1r, 50123 Firenze FI

Il Mercato Centrale - Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell'Ariento, 50123 Firenze FI

Vino Divino - (Neri is the name of the lovely owner) Via Taddea, 6, 50123 Firenze FI

Da' Vinattieri - Via Santa Margherita, 4/6r, 50122 Firenze FI

The leather school we mention is called Scuola del Cuoio - Via di S. Giuseppe, 5/R, 50122 Firenze FI

The roads Darcy mentioned with artisan and antique shops are Via Lambertesca, on the north side of the Arno, and Via Santo Spirito/Borgo San Frediano, on the south side of the Arno. As you walk over the Ponte Vecchio to the south you will end up on Via de' Guicciardini which is the road infant of the Pitti Palace, there are several great shops there as well and closer to the tourist attractions.

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to us on Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

You can also support us by using our Booking.com link when booking your trip to Italy or anywhere!

If you have any questions, you can find us on our ⁠website⁠⁠ or on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠!

Thank you so much for listening!

Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about femicide, assault, women in the workplace, abortion, IVF, and adoption. We do our best to put trigger warnings where appropriate so you can skip ahead. If this episode isn't for you or if you're not in the headspace to listen, we completely understand!

This episode is a bit of a departure from our normal topics, but it's something we care deeply about: women's rights, equality, and access to healthcare. We also touch on another topic important to us, LGBTQ+ family's rights and healthcare. As we've said before, it feels irresponsible to encourage you all to visit and stay while only talking about the beautiful coast, rich history, and incredible food. We want to tell you the good and the bad.

You may notice that I (Darcy) say "uh" and "um" a lot in the beginning of this episode. I was fairly nervous to talk about these topics, because they are serious and heavy issues, unlike our typical lighthearted episodes. I hope it doesn't take you out of the episode and I appreciate your understanding!

If you are experiencing violence or stalking you can call 1522 where you can reach professionals who are trained to help victims of violence and stalking. They also have an online chat and app. This hotline is multilingual and available 24/7. If you are in an emergency call 122, which will connect you to an operator for police, ambulance, and fire (it's like the US's 911 or the UK's 999).

More resources:

Vita di Donne is a great resource for women's health. They have articles and further recourses for assistances well as a hotline as well as emergency numbers for the morning-after pill and gynecology services.

Artemisia Anti Violence Center has resources for women and children who have been or are experiencing abuse.

Arcigay is an overarching organization made up of 72 associations and committees across the country who fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Italy.

We'd love to hear from you! You can reach out to us on our website Only a Bag and on Instagram. If you would like to donate to us, you can do so at ⁠⁠ko-fi.com/onlyabag⁠.

Thank you all so much for listening!

In this episode we’ll tell you all you need to know about renting a car in Italy. "Do I need an international driver's permit? Should I rent a car for a wine tour? I can't drive manual, can I rent an automatic?" From personal experience and in-depth research we’ve got you covered from getting a permit, renting a car, road rules, and everything in-between. One thing we forgot to mention: "Which side of the road do they drive on in Italy?" in Italy, we drive on the right!

If you'd like to support Only A Bag, you can use our affiliate links to book your rental car through Booking.com and DiscoverCars.com.

And if you'd like to donate, you can do so at our Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

If you have any questions, you can find us on our ⁠website⁠⁠ or on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠!

Thanks so much for listening!