florence--day three {travelogue}

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

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

Firenze--day one {travelogue}

i should really keep a food journal

not in the way that you think

i don't want it to scold myself

but to

extol the pleasures of each and every bite

lovely lines filled with prose

explanations of the blissful moment

that fork meets mouth

i would show it to my internist

as i step on the scale

so he might be so wrapped in envy

he'd forget to scold

fat chance

literally

today was our first full day in italy

we rented an apartment

both for economy and luxury

i like to fill a fridge

beverages

fresh fruit

yogurt

and other simple provisions

so each meal isn't eaten out

and

we can enjoy lazy mornings reading the local paper

or catching up on email

those gorgeous hotel breakfasts served in europe are mostly lost on me

i like to ease into my day

and an apartment in the heart of the city 

affords me that luxury

and

as luck would have it

for longer stays the cost savings can be quite extraordinary

we dropped in to the local market last evening and stocked the fridge

this morning, i popped down to our local bakery and fruit stand to pick up a couple of things for breakfast

i made a pot of coffee

set up breakfast on the veranda

and enjoyed our

beautiful view of the duomo

these incredible fragoline

(wild strawberries from sicily)

are tiny and pure white on the inside

and are sweet as they are small

with pure strawberry flavor

we are drying a few on the counter

so we can bring them back home to plant

hopefully they will germinate

post breakfast we walked, and walked, and walked some more

this town is crowded

people everywhere

i was in school here in the 1980s and for the last decade or so

i've tried to make it back every year

each time

there are larger crowds

the secret is definitely out

but

i do still feel the charm of a city i loved in my youth

speaking of the secret being out

we had lunch at one of my favorite spots

it used to be a sleepy little place

in a lesser known square on the oltroarno

partly by my own fault (telling anyone who would listen)

partly because of it hitting the guidebook circuit

it has become very, very popular

surprisingly

the prices remain low

and 

the quality high

osteria santo spirito

is a true gem

with simple yet delicious food

i always get the gnocchi tartufo

(small portion--still enough to share)

with a small salad

gnocchi

salad

the restaurant shared with me the ingredients for the gnocchi..but not the recipe.  i have successfully duplicated the sauce  both with pasta and potatoes. i may be persuaded to share!

mike went with the rabbit cacciatore

which was equally delicious

on our way back to the apartment

we stopped in at the gallileo museum

it is a relatively small space

filled with the most amazing instruments

used in applied sciences

like this early thermometer

which beautifully marries

form and function

it also houses

gallileo's mummified finger

if you are looking for a draw for your teenage son

or 

fully grown husband

the day progressed with more walking

an afternoon relax

and

this

ginormous steak

bistecca fiorentina

it is over 2lbs of dry aged beef

fired grilled

3 inches thick

medium rare on the exterior

and 

blood rare inside

juicy and tender

a must try

while just about everyone serves a version of this steak in florence

not everyone does it well

if you find a bargain

it may just taste like a bargain

it is a treat

so treat yourself

skimp tomorrow

we enjoyed ours at

buca mario

an old establishment

with cloth napkins

and attentive service

they are lovely

and the food is delicious

pair with a nice barolo

and

dig in

*be nice while you are there, and they may give you a restaurant apron...just like the one they gave me!

tomorrow we are off on a day trip to pisa and lucca

historic sights and olive oil

what more is there in life?

besides

meals

lots more meals

and i will share them all with you

but if you run into my doctor

just mention you heard i was doing a lot of walking

oh

and drinking lots of water

that's a good distraction

civediamo!

through this window {travelogue}

this is a window

in 

florence italy

7 via de conti

to be exact

twenty five years ago

give or take a few months

i sat on the other side

looking out

watching merchants, tourists, students, neighbors

wander to and from

the san lorenzo market

occasionally

my friends would shout 

from the street below

an invite to the jolly cafe

pink floyd videos playing all day across the back wall

grande heinekens and great hot dogs

cheap

really cheap

tacked along the walls within that room 

behind the window

were

posters

photos

letters from home

beds shoved against 

3 of the 4 walls

and

3 strangers from california

became

memory makers

memories that swarm

and ooze like honey

into the creases of our lives

of days

that changed us

made us bold

gave us a bit more context

allowed us to shed our comfort

i visit this window each time i come to florence

and this year

the 25th anniversary

the shutters are flung wide

exposing

an

empty building

i asked the shop keep

across the way

about my surrogate home

he simply said

non c'e piu

it is no more

*i am currently traveling about italy...gathering more memories