Florence Revisited

View from Madeline's room in Verona

      I checked out of my room at the Don Bosco, but left my bags in my friend Madeline's room, since she was staying at the Don Bosco for an extra day. After I dropped off the bags, she and I went out in Verona and had the best pizza that I've had so far at a cute little place called Due Cose.

Madeline and Coca Cola.

Molto buono pizza margherita. 

Outside Hotel J and J.

      I returned to Florence on the Frecciargento (the silver arrow), and the Hotel J and J upgraded me to a suite. Not that I needed so much room as I am on my own, but I'll take it. It's enormous. I spread out all over the place and the bathroom was very large as well. I'm going out of Italy in style.

Big upgrade.

 
     I got in so late I went to dinner at the same little restaurant nearby that I'd had such a good meal in on my first night in Florence.

Cantina Barbagianni

Nice british lady with an Antipasti plate to die for. 

     I had a lovely meal, which included a plate of pecorino cheese and honey flavored with truffle. I took a picture of the neighboring table's food - yes, a true foodie am I - , because their antipasti plate was so stunning.

Man, dogs and gelato. 

      After dinner, I took a passeggiata.  I saw a man outside a gelateria with his three dogs, who were all very focused on the gelato.
      The next day I hit the streets to wander about once more.
   

Chiesa San Lorenzo.

       I went to S.Lorenzo and walked through the market.

Dog spotting. 

Bike parking.

         I went into the S.Lorenzo market and bought some food products.

Fruits and veggies, italian style.

Alessandro's back at Il Barone.

      I stopped at the same place Dan and I had visited when in Florence three years ago. We'd bought a knife with a horn handle there. The owners were a pair of italians named Paola and Alessandro. I'd taken a joking picture of Paola and her co worker Carolina with the knife over her head, threatening to bring it down on Dan. It was a funny picture and I'd sent it to Paola, but she never responded.
      It turns out that Paola remembered me. In fact, she had gotten the picture all those years ago, and what's more, they had it up on a tv screen that was at one end of their stall, where pictures of their clients was scrolling. Dan is famous in Florence!
      I bought some more products, and on Paola's suggestion, I went to a famous trattoria around the corner where Carolina also works. She told me there would be a huge line, because it is that famous, but that I should "fai l'italiana" (make like an italian), butt my way to the front of the line and ask for Carolina. So I did that (there was a huge line) and asked for Carolina. They sat me with a table of other people. Carolina even remembered me from the picture taking episode, too. What fun. I had a very sardine lunch experience - it was pretty tightly packed - but the food was good.

Sardine-like lunch at Trattoria da Mario.

        I thought about maybe not going out for dinner after that big pasta lunch, but I'm glad I did. I still had one night left in Florence and I thought, "My goodness, what else could I possibly fit into one night?" Turns out quite a lot, but I'll tell you about that in my next post....