Firenze: Family In Florence

Guardastelle

Boboli Gardens

Fiesole

This past week was a special one; I was able to spent quality time with my family. On Tuesday afternoon I greeted my Mom and Dad at the train station with great anticipation and excitement. When I saw them step off the train a huge smile appeared on my face and I could not contain my excitement. Soon after I walked them to their hotel I hurried off to my last class of the day. After class I caught up with them and we took a walk down towards the San Lorenzo market and Piazza Duomo. It was great to see the astonished looks on both their faces as we rounded the corner and the Duomo came into sight. Later that night we walked to a restaurant called 13 Gobbi, which is located on the other side of the train station off the beaten path from the tourist spots. We enjoyed some of their famous rigatoni pasta with a creamy tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, veal osso bucco, and delectable eggplant parmesan. After dinner it was hard to resist grabbing a small cone of gelato to enjoy while listening to a street vendor perform melodic music in Piazza della Repubblica.

Fiesole

The next morning we rose early and wandered down to the Central Mercato. I was extremely excited to show my dad this lively market of fresh meats, fish, cheeses, breads, fruits, and vegetables. He was immediately mesmerized by the unique selection of meats including pig heads, cow

stomach, intestines, rabbit, and unrecognizable fish. Besides these odd yet intriguing products, both of them enjoyed sampling the biscotti, parma ham, sausage pieces, pecorino cheese, and soaking up all the intoxicating smells coming from the panini and pasta stands. After witnessing this market filled with an abundance of fresh produce, I know the local Shaws or Roche Brothers back home will not even begin to compare to the variety of fresh produce here in Florence! After making lunch purchases of prosciutto, sausage, foccacia bread, and a tomato pesto we headed over towards Piazza Repubblica. I had to hurry off to my History of Renaissance Italy class at noon, but I pointed my parents in the direction of the river so they could enjoy their lunch while sitting along the bridge. Later, they told me they enjoyed the serenity of the Arno River flowing below while casually snacking on some Italian style aperitifs. After strolling around the Duomo we headed towards San Marco Square to catch a shuttle bus to the town of Fiesole. This sunny day provided for a pleasant afternoon with the added bonus of the spectacular view over Florence. After a few hours sitting at a terrace overlook displaying a panoramic view of the city below we took a bus back to the hotel and rested before heading off to dinner at a local favorite called Trattoria 4 Leoni. Here I was left to translate the menu because this particular restaurant only provides menus in Italian! In the end my Dad wanted to try the infamous Trippa (type of edible insides from the stomachs of various farm animals), and my Mom and I chose to try the spinach gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce, and pear and pecorino ravioli. Although my Mom and I did not exactly love the texture of the Trippa my Dad practically licked his plate clean!

The next morning we rested so I could work on a few of the three papers I have due next week….Later on we walked across the Ponte Vecchio to explore the galleries in the Pitti Palace. Inside the Pitti Palace we first ventured into the Boboli Gardens, which are no doubt one of the more beautiful and wonderful gardens in Itlay. The garden area is behind the main palace complex and stretches for maybe two miles in circular paths. It has numerous statuary interspersed and a lot of pools, side gardens, and hidden walk paths. Soon after, I had to leave them once again to rush off to my Italian class. While I was in class, they explored many of the museums within the palace itself like the Museum of Modern Art, the Costume Gallery, and the Porcelain Museum.

Prosciutto and Melon

The next day we signed up to take part in a full day tour that was recommended to us by the women who came the week before! Early morning we met the group and headed off towards the town of San Gimignano known for its towers, the spice of saffron, and Vernaccia wine. We took part in an exhibit tour of a newly designed architectural display of the entire city in miniature form. This is a new museum that we were given special admission in to and we enjoyed very much. Popping in and out of the quaint shops selling ceramics, wines, and souvenirs we made our way to the tallest tower and climbed to the top in order to see a birds eye view of the entire town. Just before departure we hurried over to the Church of St. Agostino to see the painted frescoes, and medieval looking pews and nave of the church. After the quick visit to San Gimignano we took a ten-minute bus ride over to the Guardastelle vineyard villa. The landscape surrounding the villa was bursting with green hills, and the grape vines studding the grounds made for a picturesque winery experience. After listening to a brief history of the place, learning more about the Chianti wine, and Vernaccia wine native to San Gimignano – we headed in to enjoy a delicious gourmet Tuscan lunch consisting of bruschetta, meats, cheeses, olive oil, and a pasta dish. After a fabulous lunch and wine tasting we headed off towards the medieval walled town Monteriggione. The walls and the buildings that make up the town within are the best-preserved example of their kind in all of Italy. The town appears to float above the valley due to the hillside walls and towers reaching towards the sky. We then headed off towards Siena. Although I was just there last weekend, it was great to revisit the historic Tuscan city one more time. Walking back to Piazza del Campo and towards the Siena Cathedral allowed me to see certain aspects of the city that I had missed in my prior visit. Specifically, we paid the entrance fee in order to see the interior of the cathedral. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. In the interior the pictorial effect of black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns strikes the eye. The vaulted roof is decorated with richly elaborated designs, while the stained-glass serve as examples of the earliest remaining Italian stained glass.

Guardastelle

When we finally made it back to Florence we rested at the hotel while sipping on some of the Chianti we just recently purchased from the winery. Later on we went for dinner at a well-known restaurant called Aqua al Due. At this restaurant we sat elbow-to-elbow at tightly packed tables in order to sample this innovative restaurant’s delicious food. The assaggio di primi, which offers you a sampling of five flavorful pastas or risotto was a tantalizing preview to the main course. It was important to save room for their famous blueberry and balsamic steaks. I knew I chose a good restaurant when both my parents didn’t speak because they were busy savoring their meals.

Saturday marked the day Austin made the trip over to Florence via flights from Boston to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Florence. There was much anxiety and worry over him actually making it here – but he did it! Two planes, and a shuttle ride later I had my whole family with me in Florence and I could not wait to show them one of the most picturesque spots in all of Florence. Just like I brought my grandmothers, I brought my family across the river and up to the top of the famous Piazzale Michelangelo Square for a magnificent panoramic view of Florence with numerous observation points overlooking the city. By this time Austin was starting to feel the jet lag, so we headed back towards the hotel. After enjoying some wine on the rooftop terrace we headed across the river to grab some of the best pizza in Florence – Gusta Pizza. I knew they would all enjoy it, especially Austin who finished his before I could blink!

On Sunday we all set out to explore all the major areas of Florence. I led them around to each of the major piazzas and read a little history about each one; in effect I was their tour guide for the day. We went through San Lorenzo Market, Piazza Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Signoria, Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza San Marco. It was a beautiful day and I know they all enjoyed learning a little more of the history of Florence – even Austin. In order to enjoy the warm sunshine we sat up on the terrace chatting and resting for the remainder of the day. Before our dinner reservations we hurried down to the river to snap some sunset pictures and sit along the bridge as the sun dipped below the city skyline. What started off to be a somewhat unpleasant night, with unfortunate luck being seated directly next to the door of the restaurant, it ended up being a great night of tasty food, an abundance of wine, and wonderful company. To my Dad’s surprise, the dinner ended with the entire restaurant singing “Happy Birthday” to him. Although his actual birthday is not until April 23, I will not be there to celebrate, so we decided to have a pre-celebration here in Florence. It was great to see his big smile and shocked face.

Siena Cathedral

Monday marked my family’s last and final day here in Florence with me. Unfortunately I had two classes today from 12-5:30 so my time spent with them was limited. However, we made the most of it in the morning by standing in line to climb the Duomo itself! The church of Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral or duomo, of Florence is a vast Gothic structure. The best way to see the dome is to climb its 463 steps: the route took us by the interior of the dome where we were able to admire close-up Giorgio Vasari’s frescoes. After the long walk up to the top, the views of the city below were well worth the exerted effort. As my Dad said, “that was well worth the 8 euro entrance fee.” Just before I had to leave them to head off to class we popped into the Central Mercato to grab some materials for their picnic lunch: olives, meats, cheeses, and focaccia bread. As I went to class, my family walked to the train station to grab a train to explore Pisa for the afternoon. When dinnertime finally came around we reluctantly headed off towards our last dinner together. Our farewell dinner was at the Golden View Restaurant overlooking the Ponte Vecchio and Arno River. The four of us were greeted warmly and seated at a table near the window overlooking the river. The food and wine were wonderful and to accompany our meal a three-person jazz combo played in the background.

On Tuesday morning my Dad and I headed down to the Ponte Vecchio prior to their 11:40 train departure. He had seen a particular black and silver bracelet piece in one of the windows along the Ponte Vecchio. Although he was pessimistic in thinking he would find it again, we eventually came across it as we were just about to turn back! I was happy that he could purchase something for himself because he is usually the one who foregoes his individual ‘wants and needs’ in order to buy items for others. When we made it back to the hotel they finished up packing and we made our way to the train station. Although I will see them in just about three weeks, it was hard to see them off. I am so fortunate to have such a loving family and having them experience a part of the world I have been living is one of the greatest gifts anyone could ask for. I love you guys, enjoy Rome and have a safe flight home – see you May 14!