Florence , General info:
10/10

Florence is an open-air exhibition of art and culture. It is famous worldwide, the heart of the Renaissance period and the home of the fine arts and literature. Florence has powerful symbols of Italian and European culture in every nook and cranny, to the extent that it is hard to identify this city with just one symbol. It may be the sculpture of David by Michelangelo, or perhaps the romantic Ponte Vecchio, or Giotto’s bell tower, but Florence could also be represented by famous people such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Dante Alighieri, to name but a few.

Florence , Don't miss:
10/10

Uffizi Gallery, Galleria dell'Accademia, Duomo, Signoria Square, Old Bridge, Palazzo Pitti, Fiesole

Florence , Food:
10/10

Bistecca alla fiorentina, Trippa alla fiorentina, Lampredotto, Panino col lesso, Bruschetta con olio di oliva

Florence , Hotels:
9/10

Hotel Lombardi, via fiume8 Firenze, just 1 block form Trein Station SMN.

Lovely Staff, budget hotel

Stafford, Staffordshire , Cheap stuff:
1/10

The local market survives - just, given the competition it faces (see above). In the markey one may buy artfully camouflaged poor-quality fruit and veg (that's produce), dodgy electrical goods, replacement hoses for old washing machines and, an exciting addition to the local retail experience, Polish foodstuffs.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Different stuff:
5/10

Stafford has in recent years become home to a large number of mostly young people from eastern Europe. They are quiet, polite, hardworking, healthy and attractive, and perform sterling service in local shops and farms. This failure to blend in with the locals has caused some comment. Mostly appreciative.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Don't miss:
6/10

Um. The open-air Shakespeare at the castle at the end of June is fun. Unless it rains. The park alongside the river has been replanted and developed and is rather pretty in the summer. Unless it's flooded.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Food:
2/10

Don't ask. There are no decent restaurants in Stafford. Although the cafe in Marks is OK.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Hotels:
3/10

The Swan, an old coaching inn, on the main street. There are others, but none that I'd consider. There's a more upmarket one in the village of Acton Trussel, a few miles out of town.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Safety:
7/10

If you're in any way vulnerable (ie. aged, young, drunk or drugged, lost), best to avoid walking around the small areas of suburban low-income housing on the outskirts of town. Gangs of amateurishly unpleasant children and youths might well give you a hard time, in between smashing the glass in bus shelters and gobbing on the few remaining public telephones. Also, the town centre after 8pm on a weekend evening is the rightful domain of the drunken British young adult. There are drunken assaults, there is vomit, there are loud and ugly voices. It's not pleasant. Other then that, no probs.