day three is usually when jet lag hits
at least for me
after so many years of it being a pattern
it is probably now a learned response
or
i allow myself to succumb to it
because it is something you can say to people
and
they won't judge
which is how
we found ourselves
giving
rip van winkle
a run for his money
after a long sleep
a long walk seemed in order
we cruised the streets of florence
until it seemed a respectable time to look for lunch
i was craving roasted chicken and potatoes
we found it on the menu of a place that looked really nice
except they were playing sade
i can't stand sade
really
i can't
no specific reason
just can't tolerate her music
reminds me too much of jazz, i think
i like a hook
sade doesn't give you a hook
so i refused to go in
instead
i convinced myself that another place would be just as good
i was wrong
not even photo worthy
although
mike liked his
he got some sort of pasta
i ordered chicken with roasted potatoes
and was served
seriously, seriously, seriously
overcooked anorexic chicken thigh-slash-leg
and
french fries
i poked at it
i
ate the salad i had ordered
thinking
more room for gelato
which was good thinking
because it actually did leave
more room for gelato
but let me get ahead of myself here
don't despair
i had a bad meal in italy
no biggie
i made up for it at dinner
and then some
we ate at a fun place
when i say fun
i mean...bring your sense of fun
because if you bring your
"that would never go in america" attitude
you.
will.
hate.
this place
and
they will hate you
so don't go
but
if you still insist on going
don't tell them i told you to
because
i happen to like these people
and
i would like to think they like us
you must make a reservation at Il Latini
a restaurant that looks small
but it isn't
you make a reservation
then you queue up
like so
then the crowd starts building
and
everyone starts thinking that their reservation is the most important
they open the door
and
it becomes a bit of a fiasco
they start calling out numbers
not names
but numbers
due
cinque
due
tre
everyone starts pushing and throwing up their hands saying
we are due
we are cinque
but mostly
they start yelling
i have a reservation
rest assured
everyone has a reservation
and
everyone gets in
and all is forgotten
when
the food starts arriving
first the antipasto
then you make choices
soup or pasta
oh you want pasta?
do you want
ravioli
gnocchi
pappardelle
or
spaghetti
hubs chose ravioli
i had soup
but the people next to us had soup and pasta
they had no idea what was next
oh
did i mention that at this place
they open a bottle of wine
you pay for what you drink
drink the whole bottle 10 euros
drink only half
5 euros
drink less
pay less
i love this system
ooh la la
the main course
roasted meats
you want
chicken, rabbit, steak, lamb, pork, veal?
all of them
all of them
some of them
one of them
none of them
you decide
and of course
the side dishes
this is what our table looked like
you should know
we cleaned our plates
but declined dessert
which was a good idea
because they brought out
a plate loaded with cantucci
(biscotti)
and
glasses of vin santo
just as we thought it was all over
they brought us a glass of moscato
you know
as you do
if you don't know the drill
you think
ahhh
they get you drunk
so you aren't freaked out by the bill
because
come on
this kind of meal
doesn't come cheap
unless you are at il latini
because they have
reasonable
in spades