Pizza & gelato tonight Florence, Rome...

Pizzeria Speta: 

per un anno...pieno di gusto! Aperti dai martedi al vernerdi a pranzo dalle 1,30 alle 14,30 dai martedi all domenica a cena dallae 19,00 ale 23,00. Chisui il lunedi. 

Address: Via della Cernaia, 9r. 50127 Firence. Tel 055 495286.

Local Italian pizza place. Someone with you needs to speak Italian, in other words,). Fantastic! Menu completely in Italian. I had a white pizza with artichoke, mushrooms, leek, parma cotta, buffalo mozzarella, regular mozzarella. Spicy hot green olive oil for dipping. And a bottle of acqua naturel (sp) bottled water with no bubbles. No, they do not give tap water to drink---a bottle of water was the only choice. Bottle was glass though.

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Had a fantastic time, the 8 or so of us talked the entire time, very loud, though everyone else at all the other tables were also talking the whole time loudly too. Using our hands,). 

Note to me: Slovakia and Russia, info from friend--and vice versa re Norway to Lily.

Tiny place, reserve table, walk in, tiny room where they make the pizza is off this entry way. Immediately go down the stairs, to floor with tables, to next floor below with tables, where we were sat. Place fills up fast. Good to get there about 7pm--we were a bit late at half past, but were able to get a table still as we had reserved for close to that time. You wait outside til your table is ready. Huge long wood farm house tables with wood benches, and wood (cow milking like) stools.

Italian beer in large bottles, various ones. About 3 Euros. Slightly more than the water or about the same. Wine available by the glass or carafe.

Family oriented, kids at some tables too:). They were "skål" ing the glass glasses, hard trying to get them to break! ,)gawd. their parents just ignoring and chatting loudly too! Kids clearly past bedtime. haha.

After eating, were told (verbally) what the bill for each of us was, split evenly, then we sorted it out. 10Euros each, then those of us who only got water, were given back 2 Euros. All this after about half an hour of Italian back and forth, to decide,). Very family ish haha. 

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After that, got cash from Bankomat, walked over to the B E S T gelato place in Florence imho. Gelateria de´Medici. Via dello Statuto, 3.5 rr, 055 475156.

Chiuso il lunedi. C.F. e P. IVA 04726300488

www.gelateriademedici.com

About 30 or so flavours to choose from of gelato, ice, and sorbet. I tried the fig and something, and the stratiatella sp, and the hazelnut, and another. I got a cone, with one flavor (usually 3 small scoops 3 different flavours is the norm) of hazelnut, as it was just so good. I do not even like hazelnut! I only tried it as it looked good and I did not know it was hazelnut as the label was not showing, and it didn´t have nuts or fruit or chocolate on top to show what flavour it was.

They also have endless types of fruit, hollowed out filled with sorbets and gelato, in the glass chillers. And spectacular gelato cakes of all shapes and decorations with fruit and chocolate. Stunning! Everything I sampled was delicious. I will be going back soon!:)

3 Euros. for what I eventually got.

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We hadn´t´decided til just this moment, whether to go ahead and use the tickets we got to Rome, or to drive tonight and get either refunds for the tickets or use another time (they´re not validated yet, so we can use them any time). They´re all going out for a little bit, and I´m staying in relaxing, etc. 

I got wonderful foods from the Conrad by the Duomo: Italian yogurt, black berries, fresh bread, sliced cheese and meats for sandwiches, fruit, etc for the ride to Rome. And as we´re getting back when the shops are closed, I got fresh fruit and veggies to make a lovely hot pasta, veggie soup with dumpling noodles, focaccia pizza on the wood burning stoves, salad, and dessert for Sunday. 

Monday museums closes, will finish Roma visit. Then back and forth to Vienna. Then finally go see the Ufizzi , etc. Am sorting out plane ticket extention to stay another week past the 2 I booked for. And must book my spring visit--high season, hot, so want a hotel with a/c,) then will use the kitchen at the house, too,) ha!

Planning Russia, and Slovakia trip now:) yay! 

Typing in kitchen on the huge wood farmhouse table, near the fridge, deciding what to make for lunch, snacks for ride to Roma.

G-nite. nearly midnight, must get to sleep, as up early as I want a hot shower before bed and in the morning, as it´s been so sticky humid here,). Not complaining, enjoying it lots. Tonight was a bit chilly too, just very humid!

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Bathroom, kitchen, Vienna, Rome, lunch

Pizza yesterday was amazing, then they gave us a gratis round of lemoncello. Delicious, though strong!


---The houses bathrooms are spectacular, quirky, gorgeous, tall ceilings, beautiful tile work. Marble, tile, intricate, bold. Smallest is dark blue tiles, pale marble, very Norwegian with the shower directly across the toilet and bidet, in a long galley style bathroom, with a washer at the far end, directly under a window which opens up to one of the courtyards below.

Largest bathroom has bold turquoise tile, pink marble, 20 plus foot ceiling, rainforest showerhead with a thin modern wand also with a multi rain shower type of spray. Full size washer, with a drying rack, lots of the typical large, tall, shuttered windows. Bidet, toilet, two turquoise glass sinks very modern. Tiles are on the diagonal, with edges of pink marble, edged in white marble at the thresholds to other rooms.

Main Family kitchen, is huge, yet cozy. Huge corner wood burning fireplace ovens. Large wood farmhouse table and chairs in the middle. Double gas oven and double gas top burners, with a gas turn on above--matches used to light the gas on one. The other gas is modern, fires up automatically. Windows, huge, large, open out onto the stacked orchre and mustard ochre red tiled rooftopped buildings and tall huge acorn trees (see previous post for the close up of acorns, which are green and look as if theyvé been dipped in dark chocolate).

Spent a hour reading traditional Italian recipes, partially in Italian, and will try making a few here, as I am using them for my this years Christmas dinners. With a few bottles of the local prosecco.


OOH sun is showing, rain has stopped, am off to have lunch near the Duomo, behind the Basilica, at Ciro and Sons then meet family. Walk around a few hours, meeting up with family and friends at another restaurant for supper and drinks.


Vienna and Rome for the long weekend. Venice if the waters have gone down enough.


Booking hotel for late spring visit family get together!  Family celebration and reunion, so looking forward that--house full, and will be nice in high season being a bit pampered in a cool (air conditioned) hotel,)

Sad a bit too, wish my Norwegian family were here too with us, not just us talking about them and what they´d like here etc.

Am a bit tired. Sad to be going even though I still have a while yet. Really pretty here. Vienna soon. Quick look around Rome on the way back.

Enjoying the view from the kitchen window, as I type on my laptop in the kitchen on the red and white cotton checkered table cloth. Kitchen a bit messy from my practicing recipes,)

Misc travel info Italy

Ok, am off to Vienna in a bit. Just wanted to blog this before we left. Wifi prob not avail on train...so will be a few days unless I can get internet.





MISC Travel tips, Italy



Venice, water is gone down a bit.

Rimini (train), and tiny village San Marino. Take bus in Rimini to San Marino.

Swedish shipping owner making wine in Sienna. Try to find it in Norwegian Vinmonopoliet to try. Or see if they will order it from Sweden´s list.

Take bus to Sienna. Train goes long 2 hour route around Sienna. Bus is about 50 minutes.


Tiny village outside ....a bit like Italy´s Monaco. What is the name of it, very pretty island tiny etc. Would like to visit.



Procida. Capri. Both easy ferry rides from Naples. Former, Procida, is very colorful fishing village, charming. Colorful, as in pale bright turquoises, pale bright red-oranges, yellow-orche, orange brown ochre, pale bright azures, peaches, creamy yellows, ice blue, etc.


Ponza (Pontine Islands off Rome). White chalky mountainous islands covered with thin layer of land, lots of tropical grasses, trees etc. Gorgeous blue, azure, turquoise waters. Cave pool grottos.



Panarea, inactive volcano islands off Sicily. Sunken ship nearby, great for scuba diving. Gorgeous waters, pretty tiny island.

Day trips Vienna and Rome

Vienna video. edit post when time. Night train option to Vienna. Fast train option to Rome. Add photos videos when time

Italian Horticulture: Euroflora

Italian Horticultural equivalent to the Chelsea flower show, Euroflora, is apparently held only every 5 years. The last being last year in 2011.


Since learning even more about gardening whilst living in UK, I´ve also always been interested in English, French and Italian horticultural design. I would L O V E to take some courses in Florence. Am looking into it. Then noticed photos from a recent Chelsea flower show design based upon Italian garden design, incorporating the 3 Italian elements of tall green, grey stone, and water garden, with English garden design influence. In my designs, I meld French, English and Italian, but like to learn more about Italian horticultural design, see more Italian gardens and water garden designs irl, etc.

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Florence Pizza Places

1) Ciro and Sons also does a fantastic pizza, with handmade pizza doughs which have proofed overnight, which, after topping are on, are cooked in extremely hot wood burning ovens. (see previous post also for photos of handmade pasta, minestrone, desserts, etc we had for tonight´s supper). Lovely place, near the Duomo, behind the Basilica di San Lorenzo. Very easy to find, beautiful interior, lots of atmosphere, romantic, family run restaurant. Two floors.



* For those who are celiac or need gluten- free, both Ciro and Sons, and Pizza Man (below) also, can with proper notice, make gluten free/celiac safe pizza, which I´m told tastes just as good as the usual pizzas. I don´t need that, so maybe that is worded oddly, but just thought I´d note it for those who do need it.


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2)
Pizza place I want to try for lunch one day (it´s a bit of a walk, on the other side of the farther end of the River, so imho easier to find it in the daylight), is Pizza Man Pizza. It´s a bit cartoony and kidish with bright colors, reminding me a bit of Chuck E Cheese pizza places I take the kids, but apparently Pizza Man is one of the best pizza in Florence. We´ll see.

Address is Via del Sansovina, 191, 50142 Firenze. Walk towards the last bridge, cross the river, keep walking til the main road, fairly easy to find just a bit of a walk from, say the main sentrum area. From there it´s maybe 20 minute walk, maybe half an hour if you dawdle looking at things along the way as I do. If you´re already at, say the Ponte Vecchio, it´s only a bit away, walking with the flow of the river, past the waterfall area, cross over, and another 5 minutes.

Google map link.

Early Supper near the Duomo/Basilica di San Lorenzo

Very warm today--after walking around in the warm humid rain all day, I wanted something ice cold with actual cubes of ice, like this pretty local cafe near the Duomo has. I was so thirtsty, I got both bottled water and a glass of ice, and a glass of fresh squeezed juice with ice cubes. My family knows the family who runs this place, and I got to practice my Italian again:). This is my second local place.

After cooling off inside at the cafe, we walked over past the Duomo, down thru the walkway galleria like area under the street level towards and into the SMN train station. After checking both online, booth and ticket machines for prices and availability, we went up to the Biglietteri (above) counter to get the sleeper train to Vienna, but not to Venice as it is still flooded with atleast 5 feet of water today still. Then we went back over to the ticket machines and got tickets to Rome. Rimini, Venice, Milan are still on my list, and might do that next week...I really want to go to Venice for a day, but not with the flooding!:( Well not five feet of water to walk through everywhere. So maybe in spring on my next visit.

 PHOTOs removed for now (TMI)

Then we walked over to my 3rd local place, Ciro and Sons, to have an early supper. Fantastic place! The photos do not do it justice at all. Everyone is so friendly, and I practiced my Italian more. The seating is mostly like below, but also with pretty  chairs covered in thick creamy fabric. Lots of lighting of Venetian glass...

Pretty plaster wall frescos, spectacular lighting, such as this below, and many smaller versions and many smaller more simple versions...

Champagne, water, candle lighting...later some Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine similar to champagne, this one was very light, delicious, flavourful).

A bowl of slightly spicy black olives....

Appetizer, slices of warm toasted crusty bread, with greens, and olive oil...

I got insalata misti as one of my main  courses. It was delicious!

I drizzled both the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, then the black spicy olives over it. 

Main course, hand made pasta, really pretty twisted shape that doesn´t quite come out on the photo, filled with pear and gorgonzola....again delicious, as I tried a bite. Drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and in some of the sauce. I will get this for lunch tomorrow!

I got minestrone soup, as my second main course for my first main course of the insalata misti. There was warm crusty bread on the side, which I torn into pieces, and put on top of the minestrone. Very good together!

I was still very thirsty. More water.

One dessert was this: a warm chocolate souffle which was a bit like a warm chocolate fondant, with chocolate gelato, chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and cocoa. I also tried a bite of this. It was very delicious, but very rich, so that for me one tiny bite was enough. I could not eat more of this, as it was too rich for even my taste,). Again, it was was extremely good.

For my dessert, I ordered homemade tiramisu, which was spiked quite well with booze. Delicious. Perfect end to a perfect meal.....Well, I had an espresso after this, but forgot to take photo. I will get this again next time too.

Delicious tiny chocolates with the bill. Espresso flavor.

Daytrips from Florence: Venice, Rome, Vienna, Rimini...

After not getting my text to not worry about us daytripping to anywhere....I was easily talked into sorting something out. Venice is flooded with 5-6 feet of water still today (checked online local Venice news and photos), so left that for the weekday. Rimini. And got tickets for Vienna, instead of Venice. And train tickets for Rome. Still hoping to see Venice this visit! Though not keen obv to wade thru 5-6 feet of water, even if it is warm,). Milan, as I think it is a pretty city (not for the shopping) is my second choice, to Venice.

Rained hard most of the day, so not too many outdoor photos. And you are not allowed to take photos inside of museums and such.

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Brunch today was warm toasted panani with pepperoni, buffalo mozzarella, thin sliced tomato. A glass of white wine...(above)...followed by another glass of white wine, a hot espresso latte, and a warm eggy croissant like pastry filled with warm melty chocolate and some kind of egg cream. Delicious. 10 Euros.

Went to SMN (Santa Maria Novella) the main train station to get tickets for daytrips...

Various photos of the outside of the Duomo today. It rained incredibly hard and lots today on and off--these shots were in between the down pours. Photos and videos are not allowed inside museums and such here. So I don´t have any other photos today, other than these and of supper....

Day 3: Florence daytrips to Vienna, Venice, Roma etc

44: Day Three: Today´s Florence Plan

Museo dellAccademia/Academia Museum

Palazzo Budini Gattai

Gli Innocenti

Basilica della Santissima Annunziata

Piazza Santa Maria Novella

Ponte Vecchio

Piazza della Signoria

Uffizi

Duomo

campanile di Giotto



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Been up since about 4am, couldn´t sleep. It´s 6am, and is now pouring down rain. I´ve opened the windows and shutters slightly to let in the rain sound, which I find soothing....and will now try to sleep again for a bit.

Bubble bath after a quick breakfast cappuccino, then walk over to an alimentari to get some breakfast fruits, and a pastry shop (patiseria? sp?) to sit down with a pastry, another cappuccino and finally an espresso.

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Then off for the day to do the above, hopefully will get some photos, if it stops raining enough! Kinda hard to take videos or photos when holding an umbrella!

Raining even harder now. Though it´s early, maybe it will stop. Note: you are not allowed to take photos or videos in most museums here.

43: move to trattatoria post when time

IL LATINA on Palchetti St.

42: Alimentari (green grocery, fruit and veg bodega)

One of the local alimentari I found to get fresh fruit, fresh veggies and such. Practice my Italian. In the back, is a small deli cafe like seating area, for lunch.

In Florence, in this type of market, you do not choose your own produce, or touch any of it. You tell the green grocer what you´d like and he/she then chooses it for you, wrapping up each type of item in pretty white paper, pricing it by hand after weighing it. Prices are usually on the front of the crates.

This visit, I got something for supper: cherries, banana, fresh figs (not dried which I also like),  radishes, purple cherry tomatoes...and a few other things. I got to practice my numbers and names of fruits, veggies, and ask directions.

Everything I got was very tasty! Wish I´d gotten a bit more now for supper though. Will get something there for breakfast, and then go to a pastry shop for something pastry as I´m craving that, and a cappuccino or two.

41: Italian acorns for Totoro,)

Italian acorns for Totoro! These long Italian acorns I found yesterday, look as if they´ve been dipped in dark chocolate! I think Totoro would approve,). Very pretty acorns, and very pretty oak trees.

40: Farmacia (Chemist, pharmacy, drug store)

Today I need to go over to the Farmacia, to get some contact solution.

39: Gelato links

Again, uploading is taking literally an hour, so stopped trying to upload either photos or videos from today.  

  

Here´s the link to the Gelato shop photos, as I try a few one by one. Today I got to 2. And added a few photos of each. Then the uploading started taking forever:(.

My Florence Gelaterias post.

My gelato flavour explanation post.

38: Info for daytrip to Venice, etc from Florence

Daytripping has been mentioned again today by my family here, as something we can do this weekend or next. Suggestions: Milano, Turin, Pisa, Lucca, Rome and a few other smaller areas. So...decided to atleast have a rethink. Several times, I had already researched and thought about daytrips, by flying in/out of a different city then taking the train to Florence. Eventually, had decided, that for me, visiting anywhere in Italy for a day would ultimately be a disappointment, in that I know for me, it would not feel like enough time to do or see anything. Focusing on Florence, as imho even having 3 weeks here is still a short time! It´s Florence, after all, and I am an artist. There is no way, as much as I spend seeing things from the moment I arrive til the moment I leave, that I will feel like I couldn´t have spent months or more here. Frankly, being here makes me wish that I had come here to live directly from leaving high school--yes, I do love it that much and more here in Florence. It´s such a walkable city, among other things, and that is why I could live here, under different circumstances.

If I change my mind to do a daytrip after all, then info is here. Daytrips from Florence, in order of my preference:

1) VENICE Daytrip

Take the CDM not SMN* overnite fast train (ICN- number?771 I think) Marco Polo (see Trenitalia website for time tables, etc), Florence to Venice.


CDM = Campo di Marte station
SMN = S. Maria Novella station (SMN is where the airport bus goes to, and has many long distance trains, just not this one---or does it now have the Venice train also? or do both stations? Or, do they leave from CDM, but arrive return trip into the SMN? I need to check on this, to make sure my info is up to date).

Anyway, the train info I got was, train leaves Florence at nearly 2am, arriving in Venice about 4 hours later, early in the morning, as the city is waking up. Saves having to get a hotel room, if you get the return train back leaving about 6pm, arriving in Florence about 9pm.  Total cost of trains, about 80E.

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Not really interested in seeing the other cities mentioned, compared to time in either Florence or Venice, my two top choices for Italy, unless of course I can borrow the tardis, then I will see all the cities!,)

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Regardless, I enjoyed my visit to SMN, upon my arrival there. It´s very beautiful station, and I like train stations and trains, simply for them being train stations and trains, since a baby when I would "borrow" my older brothers metal trains,).

Gorgeous, loud, noisy, great station. I thought the details were charming, such as the double looped tiny  and ornate metal/iron (?) fences about a foot high, surrounding tiny flower gardens on the ends of some platforms. The trains are lovely, modern and old-fashioned, really really charming station. I hope to spend some time to visit the others. SMN is the main station in Florence.

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Slightly off-topic, this post reminded me, that it´s odd how much I´ve always liked trains and train stations, but how I also have always had rare nightmares of endless traintracks, being surrounded by nothing but train tracks, since seeing old black and white photos when young of the US meat packing and similar train districts.

When younger, I used to ride old steam trains along some wooden bridges in the US. Very charming, slow, open windows, loud whistles. I wonder if they´re still there...