Florence - February 97

This Italian city is one of the most charming we have met yet. Full of winding alleyways, little cafe's, restaurants and Italian bars, and plenty of character. A typical walk through the city will pass you by the river, little hills, forts and castles, loads of bizarre shops selling what some might call junk, and others 'antiques', and plenty of restaurants.

The centre of the city has a huge Cathedral which you can go to the top of for a really good view. The vibes inside this Cathedral are really chilled as you might imagine, and a visit to the top, via very windy stairs is definitely worth doing. If you like works of art, then you can visit the Medic art gallery, which is definitely the largest I have been to before, full of paintings from the Renaissance and beyond. Culturally, you really can't go wrong in this town.

The night life consists mostly of getting very lashed up. This town is better than Rome for nightlife for several reasons. Firstly, there is very little traffic. Secondly, this town is really quite compact, and you are never far from what the city has to offer. Unfortunately, we didn't find anything really hardcore in terms of clubs, but Bar wise, you can pick up half pint glasses of Vodka for 40 pence, and drink two-litre glasses of beer for a mere quid.

Herbwise ZeroZero didn't really step up to the challenge. We did meet some people who were "getting some" but we couldn't really be arsed after drinking copious amounts of alcohol. If you want to experience the Italian night life then make sure you don't eat till about 9pm, and don't go to the pubs till around 11pm. After this time the city starts 'hotting up' for some brain destroying drinking, especially in bars like "Robin Hoods Tavern".

When you finally stop doing what you do best, and feel hungry, don't despair. Make sure you don't eat near the centre of the town because this is where the profit margins really kick arse. Go to a little back street, or even better, out of town on a sunny hill side, and eat real Italian food at bargain price. Typically, a proper meal with wine will set you back what a McDonalds value meal will in England - and the food in Italy is infinitely better of course.

With flights from many operators approaching the £50 mark, getting to this city on a budget isn't at all difficult. For a quick, relaxing break ZZ recommends Florence.