moflo-your online guide to Florence

The best museum in the city is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The Museum Café at the Collection is particularly impressive (it shares a kitchen with Ai Gondolieri, the VERY impressive restaurant across the Fondamente). Another very small art space is the Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa. It shows cutting edge contemporary work (I caught the Karen Kilimnik show during the Biennale). Apart from that, it is just the most wonderful place to wander around, I only stayed for a few days but saw a lot of art and will never forget it. Enjoy!

After a few months there, I have to say that as a place to live, Venice sucks. In fact, it is a bit like Disneyland; everything is overpriced, has long lines, and closes far too early. When people would ask me about staying in Venice I would sometimes say (half-joking), stay in Padova instead - it's cheaper.

All said, however, it is so architecturally impressive and downright different from anything else in the world that Venice is still completely worth visiting. For one night.

My best tip for a restaurant is Dei Frari (San Polo, Fondamenta dei Frari): Mediterranean / North African food, its relatively cheap and sits directly across from Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and you can see Titian's "Assumption of the Virgin" through the doorway. Don't waste your money on the entrance fee. Also, for a cheap bite, Pizza al Volo (Campo Santa Margarita) is the best pizza by-the-slice in the city. A spot for locals and University students.

The best thing to do in Venice: spend the afternoon on the Zattere (southern 'coast' of Dorsoduro island). It is a long, sunny, cement strip on the water, speckled with little caffes and gelaterie. Here you can catch the boat to go to Lido for an afternoon on the beach.

I had my birthdday during our trip to Venice and I can tell you, there is no nightlife in Venice. We only saw aperitivi. When going out for a drink, my best advice is to avoid Harry's Bar at all costs. The best places to get a spritz or prosecco are the bars in Campo Santa Margarita (Orange, Margaret Duchamp), Café Noir and Café Blue. The best part about bar-hopping in Venice is getting totally lost in the narrow, twisting streets.

As for clubs, the best, or should I say ONLY, ones in Venice are Piccolo Mondo (Dorsoduro, Calle Contarini-Corfu'), which is mostly students and Guggenheim interns; Round Midnight (just off Campo Santa Margarita) is largely full of local Venetians. N.B Avoid any club that doubles as an internet point and/or casino.

For dinner we went to Ai Quattro Feri (Dorsoduro, Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, 041/520 6978) – it was great, cheap, (apparently) classic Venetian food.