A Florence day from the Uffizi to an Oltrarno trattoria

A 1733 pastry counter under the arcades of Piazza della Repubblica. Stand at the marble bar and order a cappuccino and a bomboloni (jam-filled doughnut). Don't sit at the outside tables — the prices triple.

Book the 09:00 early-entry ticket online weeks ahead. The Botticellis on the second floor — Primavera and The Birth of Venus — are the two reasons. Caravaggio's Medusa in the Renaissance corridor. Two hours to do it properly.

The only Florence bridge to survive the 1944 German bombings. Gold and silver shops line both sides — a continuous medieval tradition. Walk to the Oltrarno (south) side across the Arno.

The Florence panino institution. The queue runs along the street; moves fast. Order 'La Favolosa' — truffle paste, pecorino, prosciutto crudo, artichoke cream. Eat standing on the pavement with a glass of Chianti.

The Medici's gardens behind the Pitti Palace. Cypress alleys, the Grotto Grande with Bandinelli's Mannerist sculptures, the Neptune fountain. An hour and a half at a slow pace. The upper terrace looks back across the whole city.

A hillside terrace with the Duomo and the river in one frame. Climb the stairs from the Ponte alle Grazie. Sunset here is the picture everyone comes for; a bronze copy of David watches over it all.

A family trattoria since 1945. Bistecca alla fiorentina for two (1.2 kilos), pappardelle with wild boar ragù, a bottle of Chianti Classico. Book a week ahead — they keep a few walk-in slots but it's rarely enough.