Florence discoveries: lemons in November

There are countless treasures in the birthplace of the Renaissance. Usually the first that come to mind are the Accademia Galleria, home of the Michelangelo David, and the Botticellis in the Uffizi Galleries. Another archive not to be missed (according to some) is the Ferragamo museum and "gift shop." There are the restaurants and shops featuring the great wines of Tuscany or the goldsmiths on the Ponte Vecchio. I've seen most of these but on my last trip, I ran across something totally unexpected in my hotel's garden: lemons still on the tree in late November.

This was at the Monna Lisa on Borgo Pinti, one of many small hotels in the city that were formerly the posh homes of nobles but thanks to off-season rates and currency fluctuation, available to certain humble office workers from Pittsburgh. I can only imagine what it's like in the warm weather when they open the breakfast room onto the garden.

Food is always a good discovery. A few doors away from the hotel was a tiny bakery where I bought snacks every day. Although I couldn't very well get a whole loaf of the delicious-looking bread, they had little savory pies that more than made up for my loss. They must have been a local specialty because I haven't seen them elsewhere in Italy: tender crust like focaccia filled with all sorts of things like onions, potatoes, and the fresh porcini mushrooms that were in season. I bought them by the sackful and munched on them all day.

Snacks are very important when you're traveling, especially in places like Italy where the restaurants open late in the day. It's a long time between meals!

Aside from its proximity to the little bakery, the Monna Lisa is a lovely place with an attentive and helpful staff. It's located within easy walking distance of the city center and all the major attractions (Florence is very compact). The hotel conversion preserved much of the original architecture and interior details, so you can pretend you live in a palace at least for a few days.