After walking over 23,000 steps yesterday, we were ready for more today. I stared with a Coke Light and pastry at one of the more upscale cafés. A Coke Light and pastry for me with a cappuccino and pastry for Cinzia ran €12. Yikes! But this probably paled in comparison to Hurricane Michael which hit the Gulf Coast 75 miles to our west, totally destroying Mexico Beach but leaving us with only a bit of rain. Yeah, those Weather Channel satellite photos of hurricanes look terrifying, but the really strong winds are only located a mile or so from the eye wall. Oblivious to what was going on back home, we dodged a bullet. Now, let’s have more Firenze!
We walked to Piazza Signoria once again to check out the impressive “lobby” of Palazzo Vecchio. The grotesque frescoes are lovely and look to have been recently restored – at least in some sections. Walking out of Palazzo Vecchio next to the copy of The David and into Piazza Signoria with the Loggia and the crowds never gets old. Cinzia and I have our own nickname for Piazzia Signoria. When we were here in 2011, Cinzia stepped in what we thought was a puddle of water in the piazza on afternoon. It turned out it was horse piss from one of the many horse-drawn carriages that tourists ride around town. From then on we referred to Piazza Signoria as “Horse Piss Plaza”. She wore the same shoes from 7 years ago today in the piazza, but was more careful where she stepped.
A short walk down the main street of Firenze brought us to Piazza del Duomo where we fought the crowds of tour groups to see the famous baptistery doors. The original has been replaced with these copies, but they are still just as impressive when you consider the detailed characters and the immense size of the doors.
A short walk down the main street of Firenze brought us to Piazza del Duomo where we fought the crowds of tour groups to see the famous baptistery doors. The original has been replaced with these copies, but they are still just as impressive when you consider the detailed characters and the immense size of the doors.
Our next stop was Mercato Centrale. I went here almost daily back in 2011. It’s a paradise for cooks and food lovers alike. Some of the old stalls have been replaced with new vendors, but many of the ones we remembered were still thriving, like our salumeria, fresh pasta shop, and baker with his last half loaf of Pugliese waiting for me to buy for a lunch of bruschetta. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be buying any ingredients this trip. The second floor has grown as well. Normally closed in 2011, it now houses dozens of eateries selling all sorts of goodies. We met Rachele at a Sicilian stand selling a variety of arancini. I asked her about the seppia arancini and we started talking. “Where are you from? Florida! (insert dreamy look).” We get this a lot. Apparently everyone in Italy dreams of moving to Florida. We told her that my relatives are in Umbria. She says, “Oh, so you like porchetta. My friend is from Perugia and runs the porchetta shop next to Piazza del Porcellino. You’ll have to go see him.” I bought one of her seppia arancini and we headed back down to the ground floor. One of the shops we remember that just sold Parmesan cheese and traditional balsamico has now expanded into a lunch eatery. The lasagna promised to be “unforgettable” and the truffle risotto looked good to Cinzia, so we grabbed a table and placed out orders. The risotto was topped with an amazing amount of freshly shaved black truffle. The arancini, with its oddly colored black rice, was fantastic and the lasagna was soon forgotten.
Back out on the streets we set off across the Arno River in search of Gelateria La Carraia. This is their flagship shop and is much larger than their number 2 property. As usual, there was a line out the door, but we waited. I went with the Crostata ai Frutti di Bosco & Mousse Ciocolato. Trust me; it tastes just as good if I were to write it in English. The chocolate mousse was thick and fluffy with bits of chocolate and chocolate biscuits, and the creamy wild berry gelato was studded with fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and currants. See, what did I tell you? Well worth the walk across the Point Vecchio with its crowds and gold shops. Plus, their price is still only €2 a cup, so the usually €5 for two gelati saved me €1. Unfortunately, right next to La Carraia is a leather shop. Cinzia found a beautiful handbag which we were able to pick up for €85 cash (ask her to see it). You gotta love a country that understands when you ask, “How much for cash?” Either way, somewhere in there I saved a euro, I think.
After putting more steps on Cinzia’s activity tracker, we rested a bit before heading out for dinner. Our friend from Torre Orsina, Giordano, suggested that we try Osteria de’ Pazzi (Tavern of the Crazy). He worked there a long time ago. We tried going there 7 years ago, but for some reason we never ate there. This time we arrived as they opened. When they asked if we had a reservation, we were told that they only had 1 table left. Perfect! Immediately after us we listened as they turned away couple after couple without reservations. Perfect timing! We asked if they remember Giordano, which of course they did. The owner, Paolo, was indeed crazy as he sung made-up songs as he delivered baskets of bread or plates of food to the tables. Cinzia won the prize for best ordering. She had the assortment of bruschetta to start, followed by ravioli with truffle sauce. Great meal. We even got a photo with Paolo before we left.
After putting more steps on Cinzia’s activity tracker, we rested a bit before heading out for dinner. Our friend from Torre Orsina, Giordano, suggested that we try Osteria de’ Pazzi (Tavern of the Crazy). He worked there a long time ago. We tried going there 7 years ago, but for some reason we never ate there. This time we arrived as they opened. When they asked if we had a reservation, we were told that they only had 1 table left. Perfect! Immediately after us we listened as they turned away couple after couple without reservations. Perfect timing! We asked if they remember Giordano, which of course they did. The owner, Paolo, was indeed crazy as he sung made-up songs as he delivered baskets of bread or plates of food to the tables. Cinzia won the prize for best ordering. She had the assortment of bruschetta to start, followed by ravioli with truffle sauce. Great meal. We even got a photo with Paolo before we left.
We went to see Il Porcellino after dinner. The piazza, which is normally overcrowded with merchants selling leather bags, belts, and scarves, was now deserted. Only Il Porcellino remained. He looked majestic in the evening light. I think that we got some nice photos of him. We also spotted the porchetta shop, still opened, and asked the worked if they knew Rachele and if they were from Perugia. He said that we were talking about the owner who was off work at this hour. It was a beautiful shop with a whole porchetta in the window.
This brings us to Sergio at Gelateria Perché No! If you remember our 2011 trip, Sergio was somewhat infatuated with Cinzia. She sported “silver wings” in her hair back then, and Sergio would smile and motion to her whenever we were in his shop. We had stopped by earlier in the day and asked about Sergio. We were told that he still works there and would be on duty that evening. Sure enough, there he was. Cinzia waited around the corner and I entered the shop. I said, “Sergio! Ricordo me?” From my broke Italian and height, a smile broke out on his face. Then he looked about as Cinzia entered the store. Yes, he remembered. We always joke that poor Sergio must go to work in the gelateria every day dreaming that the American women with silver hair will one day walk into his shop. And now here she was! He was elated. We had asked for malaga (rum raisin) 7 years ago, and he made it the next day. Again Cinzia asked for malaga. He looked crushed as he was once again out. His day off was tomorrow, but he promise to make a batch the following day. When Cinzia told him we’d be leaving early on Friday he looked heartbroken, but suggested a number of good flavors. The Banana Torte was good, he said. Cinzia had that and something else. Nothing looked good to me, so I went with fior di latte & pistacchio. These are the 2 basic flavors every gelateria makes. For the first time in my life I had to toss it in the trash, half eaten, it was that bad. Though I did this once outside in order to give Sergio an opportunity to catch up with his crush. He even gave us the gelato for free. He asked about our current trip and when we might return to Firenze. We told him 3 years and he said that he’s got a friend who can rent us a place. They exchanged emails and Facebook info, then took a parting photo (kisses too). He’s one of the people of Firenze we’ll always remember.
This brings us to Sergio at Gelateria Perché No! If you remember our 2011 trip, Sergio was somewhat infatuated with Cinzia. She sported “silver wings” in her hair back then, and Sergio would smile and motion to her whenever we were in his shop. We had stopped by earlier in the day and asked about Sergio. We were told that he still works there and would be on duty that evening. Sure enough, there he was. Cinzia waited around the corner and I entered the shop. I said, “Sergio! Ricordo me?” From my broke Italian and height, a smile broke out on his face. Then he looked about as Cinzia entered the store. Yes, he remembered. We always joke that poor Sergio must go to work in the gelateria every day dreaming that the American women with silver hair will one day walk into his shop. And now here she was! He was elated. We had asked for malaga (rum raisin) 7 years ago, and he made it the next day. Again Cinzia asked for malaga. He looked crushed as he was once again out. His day off was tomorrow, but he promise to make a batch the following day. When Cinzia told him we’d be leaving early on Friday he looked heartbroken, but suggested a number of good flavors. The Banana Torte was good, he said. Cinzia had that and something else. Nothing looked good to me, so I went with fior di latte & pistacchio. These are the 2 basic flavors every gelateria makes. For the first time in my life I had to toss it in the trash, half eaten, it was that bad. Though I did this once outside in order to give Sergio an opportunity to catch up with his crush. He even gave us the gelato for free. He asked about our current trip and when we might return to Firenze. We told him 3 years and he said that he’s got a friend who can rent us a place. They exchanged emails and Facebook info, then took a parting photo (kisses too). He’s one of the people of Firenze we’ll always remember.