Arriving in Florence

Breakfast Leaving Rome

It was so sad to leave Rome, but arriving in Florence, I forgot how beautiful it is!  Howard and I were in Rome seven years ago for our 10th anniversary.  I remember the food, but not the beauty as much.

Speaking of beauty - our apartment in Florence is fabulous!!  Huge - three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen with washer/dryer and a living room.  The large marble steps to our second floor (third story in Europe) apartment are challenging (80 steps, we counted) but beautiful.  Almost all rooms have painted frescoes on the ceilings.  Can this be?



The train ride was relaxing (according to me, I was studying - I only read three pages...where did the time go?) 


We took two quick taxis to the apartment (a la Amazing Race) - much "safer" than those "crazies" in Rome was the consensus.   We then had a fantastic lunch.. okay Howard.. step in here....

























(Howard) Elizabeth had recommended a wine bar for lunch... yes a wine bar.  Aside from the very good Montepulciano we had, we had our best antipasto and crostini of the trip...  really, really good.  Stacie and I had  big salads (think the Italian version of Elaine from Seinfeld) and the kids had gnocchi with a meat ragu, chicken, and caprese salad (guess who).  Gelato again, some window shopping, and naps before dinner.












While the kids napped, we went to a little (10 seats?) wine bar where the wines by the glass were all paired with an appetizer.  Two glasses of Brunello and chicken liver crostini (I ate both, of course), lousy service (think indifferent college student), but fun.

After naps, we went to the restaurant next to the wine bar.  expecting the same service we went in with a chip on our shoulders but were more than surprised.  We had a bottle of ProRibolitta, scampi risotto, and buffala mozzarella to start (really?), steak and Cacio e pepe for Brian and Jessica, Baccala (sea bass) for Stacie, and more Cacio e pepe for Rachel finished out our best dinner up to that point.
secco to start, the food was great, and the service was equal to the food.  

After dinner, we found a little local bar/cafe playing 70's music and had an amaro, wine, and gelato until the kids couldn't take us singing Barry White and YMCA any more.

Oh my gosh - why are we still so tired??  Perhaps it is all the activity, maybe jet lag...

Tomorrow, the Accademia, Uffizi, the best food day of our trip (gelato x2 again but no mozzarella???), and a surprise encounter with a legendary Hall-of-Famer that still has Howard buzzing.