Sue Johnston's Florence - Telegraph What's the first thing you do? I walk down to the Arno, wander along the river, and look at the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest surviving bridge in the city (many others were blown up by the retreating Nazis). In short, I soak up the atmosphere, listen to everyone talking Italian, and then find a café to have a coffee. Where is the best place to stay? I wanted to stay somewhere central with a pool so the Grand Hotel Minerva (0039 055 27230; grandhotelminerva.com; doubles from €234/£195), which has a pool on the roof, suited me perfectly. Where would you meet friends for a drink? You can't fail to find a good café-bar because Florence teems with them, but one I liked especially was Boccadama (243640; boccadama.com; Piazza Santa Croce), where you can get wine by the glass and lots of nice nibbles. Which is the best place for lunch? The pizzas at most restaurants are great - no one makes them quite like the Italians. And they're an inexpensive option for lunch, even in the city centre. Florence gets very warm in the summer so you may want to have lunch outside. In which case, I would recommend Quattro Leoni (218 562; 4leoni.com; Via de' Vellutini 1r). And for dinner? Try Antico Fattore (288975; anticofattore.it; Via Lambertesca 1/3r). I like to order somedelicious cinghiale (wild boar) when I have dinner in Florence, and it's usually somewhere on the menu at most restaurants. Where would you send a first-time visitor? You obviously have to see Michelangelo's famous marble statue of David in the Galleria dell'Accademia. In fact, I think it would be a crime to visit the city without seeing this colossal nude. The other things you have to do are walk across the centuries-old Ponte Vecchio - and buy a Florentine ice cream, perhaps at Grom (Via delle Oche; grom.it). What should I avoid? The queues can be horrendous if you visit galleries too late in the day, especially in high season. To avoid standing around for ages, go first thing in the morning, pre-book tickets, or aim to visit Florence out of season. What should I bring home? I've always wanted to bring back a lifesize copy of the David because I love it so much - but obviously that just wouldn't be practical. So failing that, bring back some pecorino, a sheep's cheese, which is out of this world. 'Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother' by Sue Johnston, is published in paperback by Ebury (£7.99) Florence essentials By Tim Jepson Getting there Most visitors to Florence fly to Pisa and make a reasonably easy train (or bus) transfer of 57 minutes. Trains run roughly hourly from the airport via Pisa Centrale, €7.10. Further information at trenitalia.com. It is also possible to fly to Florence's own small airport, Peretola (aeroporto.firenze.it) with Meridiana (0871 423 3711; meridiana.it; code share with BA) or Air Italy (0905 134 2424, calls cost £2 per minute; airitaly.it). Ataf-Sita's "Vola in bus" service (ataf.net) offers shuttles to the main railway station west of the cathedral every 30 minutes. Central market Less well-known than the city's galleries is the Mercato Centrale, Europe's largest covered market. It's not quite what it was, but for oil, hams, cheese and other treats to take home, it's a great one-stop food shopping destination. Ice-cream wars In Grom (see main text) Sue Johnston identifies a recent Italian phenomenon. This small, back-to-basics chain, with seasonal flavours and organic ingredients, has been so successful that it now has outlets as far afield as Paris, Tokyo and New York. But there will be those who disdain the "new old" and head for the "old old," and the ice cream at Vivoli (Via Isole delle Stinche 7; vivoli.it), in business since 1930. Try both - it's not exactly a hardship. A safe bet If you're after a comfortable, quiet and reliable hotel, the Casci (0039 055 211 686; hotelcasci.com) is a good bet. It's "only" a two-star, but it's better than many three- and four-star hotels here, and it's a minute's walk from the Duomo and in the Lombardi family, has charming and helpful owners. One-stop shop Florence is considerably better for shopping than Rome, with superb antiques, artisanware, ceramics, paper, leather and designer clothes and accessories. If time is short, make for the central (but easily missed) Coin (Via dei Calzaiuoli 56r), a classy, but fairly priced department store.