I would die for one of these necklaces by Rossana Fani, the Florence based jewelry designer. Her lengthy design career has evolved from being a window dresser, to collaborating on tableware designs, creating handbags and now to making stunning fashion jewelry. The necklaces below are made of leather and resin beads (some cases, crystal beads). Rossana’s necklaces have a beautiful minimalist quality to them but are textured, sculptural and interesting to look at.
Have you ever had a meal that immediately stands out from the rest that will go down in your books as your top five, all time meals? I had that experience in Florence a couple of weeks ago when I went to ZEB. ZEB is a small restaurant, kitchen and deli/shop located outside the historic centre of Florence. We showed up twice and finally got seated the second time for a late lunch. It’s a hot culinary spot in the city with counter-seating only. For lunch we ordered two glasses of wine, a big bottle of mineral water, two heaping plates of the most delicious pasta I have ever tasted, an espresso and a mille-feuille for dessert, all for 30 Euro. We left stuffed, satisfied and dreaming of the next time we would return to this gem. I am convinced I would drive back to Florence simply to taste another plate of tagliatelle drenched in olive oil, topped with thyme, parmesan and shaved white truffles.
via tripadvisor
via tripadvisor
via tripadvisor
Another interesting spot that I discovered in Florence that is blog-worthy material is the Stickhouse. The Stickhouse makes handcrafted gelato on a stick, aka popsicles, in a variety of different flavours using 100% natural ingredients. While walking down the touristy road that leads to the Ponte Vecchio, I noticed a tiny, flourescent green retail shop with a display full of beautifully merchandised, gleaming popsicles, neatly displayed and ready to eat. Over the four days I spent in Florence, I sampled Stickhouse’s frutti di bosco, coconut and strawberry popsicles and they were fabulous. They were even great to eat in freezing cold, rainy weather. I can only imagine how refreshing they would taste if it was sunny and warm. For chocolate lovers, they also make chocolate dipped popsicles that looked awesome (next time & see below). This is a smart concept that has been expanding around Europe and the Middle East with locations in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Indonesia and the Philipines. I recall reading in the New York times
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via red suitcase
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Hi, my name is Lamb. I am part globetrotter, part foodie, part researcher, part writer. I enjoy travelling around the world uncovering design inspired travel experiences from hip hotels and cool boutiques to stylish restaurants and interesting small businesses.
I am currently based in Copenhagen where I am enjoying new Nordic cuisine and Scandinavian design.
To read more about me, see the about page 