Florentine Flavors of Tuscany

I'm baaaack!

Panorama of Florence

Hello, everybody, I apologize that it has taken me this long to tell you about the last leg of my European magical mystery tour, but my classes back in Boston are a touch more demanding than last semester.  But, never fear, spring break has arrived!

After an incredible week in Paris, we caught an early flight to Florence, Italy, where we stayed for four days.*  When planning the post-semester trip, Florence was on the top of my list because all I've ever heard about it - both from my parents and in school - is that it has great food, amazing architecture, rich culture, and it was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.  And, who can resist history like that?

Streets of Florence

And, speaking of rich culture, you'll love this!  As our taxi squeezed through the streets of Florence and turned onto the street of our hotel, the driver stopped to let an old lady pass in front of him.  Instead of continuing on her way, she squared her shoulders at the cab, picked up her long black cane, and shook it at us as if to say "how dare you drive on this street - this street that I have walked before there were cars in Florence!"

After settling in, we made for the streets and Florence was exactly what I expected.  The narrow streets were full of countless vendors selling Florence's world famous Italian leather products.  There were belts, bags, satchels, hats, gloves, jackets ... if it can be made from leather, it was there.  My mission was to find a leather jacket, and, boy, did I find one!  Ben and I must have stopped in at every vendor to compare styles and prices - Ben, after all, is an excellent haggler ... in fact, watching him work his charm is a bit like watching a sporting event!  Ultimately, the beautiful jacket I purchased turned out to be the first one I tried on.  Go figure.

Statues outside Medici home

Statues outside Medici home

Florence sits in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains, and the tallest buildings are the churches and the centers of government during the Renaissance.  Ever heard of the Medici family?  Ever read The Prince by Machiavelli?  For those of you who have not read (or don't remember reading) The Prince, here is a quick review: Machiavelli was a trusted advisor of the family (a very famous painting of him hangs in the Medici residence today) and his book is all about how a ruler should govern.  A ruler should seek to be loved if he can, but it is ultimately better to be feared / revered than loved.  The other famous piece of advice that Machiavelli provides is that the ends justify the means (with rare exceptions).  The Medicis were the "royalty" of Italy.  Their grand residence in Florence houses the family's living spaces, large halls for government proceedings, and quite a number of priceless pieces of art; the walls are covered with beautiful mosaics and frescoes.  The upper floors of the building have a few cells for high profile prisoners and is capped by an impressive watch tower.  Ben and I braved the 200+ steps to the top and captured some great pictures!

Palazzo Vecchio, Medici home

Duomo bell tower

Florence is also home to a large community of artists.  However, according to some of the locals, there aren't as many artists as there used to be.  Perhaps it has become too touristy.  Nevertheless, we saw some amazing pieces.  Of course, my favorites were statues from the Renaissance and the fantastic architecture of the Duomo church.  We didn't go inside the Duomo, but definitely circumnavigated it a few times.  Because of its size, it served as a useful landmark - it's very easy to lose your orientation in the twisting streets / alleys of Florence.  The Amo river was the other landmark.

Duomo Cathedral

Amo River

BUT, if you do lose your way, at least you won't starve!  In fact, I have it on good authority that no such word exists in Italian .... ;)

There are gelato and pizza joints everywhere!  If I was sick of croissants after a week in Paris, it was nothing in comparison to how I felt about carbs in general after a week in Italy.  Everything tasted so fresh and so delicious, it was hard to stop.

one of the many frescoes at Palazzo Vecchio

For those of you who do not know, one of my life missions is to locate the world's best dish of eggplant parmigiana.  It's been tough, and while the one at Maggiano's is pretty stellar, the best eggplant parm I've had so far was at this tiny place in Laguna Beach, California.  Don't ask me the name of the restaurant because I won't remember; my mind does not work that way.  But, if we were in Laguna Beach, I'd be able to take you to it.  In any case, Laguna Beach eggplant parm met its match at this awesome place in Florence called Zá-Zá. It  had such a home-y feel and everything they served was simply delicious!

Look out for one more Florence post, and then on to Rome ... to do like the Romans!


* We decided to stay in Florence over Christmas because our next stop, Rome, would have been a nightmare to negotiate during such an important Christian holiday.