Weekend Escapes from the UK: Easter Fireworks in Florence

Last year on Easter Sunday, I stood, along with thousands of others, mobile phones held high, in the shadow of Florence's Duomo, waiting for something special to happen. Mellowed by the hum of chanting flowing out from the cathedrals speakers, I could barely see the medieval parade that was waiting, as patiently as me, for the hair raising explosion of pyromania that was about to let loose from the center of the square. A cart, which was earlier led to the square by white oxen, was by this point festooned with various fireworks and Catherine wheels ready to spit colorful sparks. (I'm pleased to say the animals were led away before anything was set alight.) We all watched in anticipation, as the crowds started to swell nearer the hour, until a small model dove launched by the priest himself, shot along a wire from inside the cathedral and set the whole, extremely loud, thing off. For the most part I saw a field of arms, mobile phones and cameras, although I was one of those arms -- all of us trying to capture something of the moment.

And it was a moment, for me anyway, although Florence itself is probably the highlight of my trip, once the bang and crackles have subsided. The city is beautiful in a subtle, slightly imperfect way -- even the graffiti and bill posters seemed to add something rather than take away. I felt whilst traversing the streets that I could step into a doorway to find a quiet square or chapel to escape into, or take a winding road upwards, that would lead me away from the noise and all those feet. One such street lead us all the way to Boboli Gardens, where the views over Florence wiped the memory of the steep, puffy climb, so much so I returned a few times during my stay.

Honestly though, the main pull of any trip to Italy for me is the food and coffee. As a vegetarian it isn't always easy to find a wide choice of meals abroad but here we were onto a winner from the start. The best meal we had was at a small, unassuming, backstreet taverna called Divina Commedia (Via De Cimatori 7/r; tel. 055/215-369), where we dined on pizza and spaghetti. It was all tasty and reasonably priced and the friendliness of our waitress, as well as the intimate feel of the place, was a step above the touristy joints only meters away.

Another memorable stop off, and very nearly missed due to the lack of signage, was Brac (Via dei Vagellai 18r; tel. 055/094-4877; www.libreriabrac.net), a chic bar cum vegetarian cafe and restaurant, where you can chill-out in a light atrium on comfy chairs, or dine in the backroom surrounded by shelves filled with comic and art books. The food and the atmosphere was ace, and if we return to Florence, this will be the place we will head to when we've had our fill of pasta and gelato. Talking of the latter, we did attempt to eat a scoop (or three) daily in order to try out the full range Florence had to offer. We particularly liked Grom (Via del Campanile angolo via delle Oche; tel. 055.216158; www.grom.it).

A worthwhile tip for anyone visiting Florence is to take advantage of the late afternoon, early evening tapas that most bars lay out for customers, the original intent is to lure people in on the way home from work for a drink or two Â? the food can be excellent and varied, and could easily pass as a meal in itself.

On the way to the station, homeward bound, I stopped by Antica Farmacia Santa Maria Novella for some deliciously scented gifts of patchouli soap and neatly boxed wax wardrobe refreshers, embedded with rose petals. This shop and museum is an experience in itself, a step back to the days of the Dominican friars who founded the pharmacy in the early 13th century, with remedies and bottled herbs stacked on antique shelves. Find it on Via della Scale 16N; www.smnovella.it.