Take-Out, Italian Style

Our meal tonight is take-out Italian style. After the segway tour, we are ready for dinner. Since the restaurants have not opened for the evening meal, we decide to stop by the Super Mercado for take-out. There we purchased Proscuitto di Parma, Salami, Porchetta, several cheeses, fruit, olives, olio, and aged balsamic vinegar. Behind us in the check-out line was a young man from Alabama who quickly picked up on our southern accent. He is an Auburn graduate living in Florence. After a stop at our neighborhood bakery, Il Forno, for bread we head to the apartment. Add a little vino and you have everything you need for a delicious meal.From the look of this table, it must have been good!

Touring Florence Via Segway

If you are looking for a unique way to see Florence, try a segway tour. After 15 minutes of training you are motoring around the city as Roberto tells you about the sites of Florence. For me, the segway was a challenge. As we moved through the streets, my concentration was on the segway, not the scenery. As for Kenny, he loved it.

One of our stops was at the Wild Boar Market. The story goes that if you place a coin in the boar's mouth and it falls through the grate on the first try, you will return to Florence within the year. If the the coin falls into the grate on your second attempt, you will return to Florence in one year. Looks like Kenny and I will be back in Florence soon because we both were successful on our first attempt!

Thanks Roberto for showing us your city!

Lunch at Il Tocco di Bacco

For lunch, we hit the streets in search of classic Tuscan dishes and we found some at Il Tocco di Bacco. The sign outside announced today's specials, Lasagne and Ribolitta. House wine was our first course - stored in a keg and served in ceramic pitchers. I had the Ribolitta, Italy's version of southern vegetable soup and cornbread. Ribolitta starts with minestrone made with white beans and seasonal vegetables and day old bread is added to the soup to create a very thick, hearty meal. I was disappointed in the Ribolitta. It was served lukewarm and lacked flavor. Kenny ordered the Filet with Chianti Sauce. The filet of beef was sliced about 3/4" thick, cooked to medium rare and smothered in a thick wine sauce that was a perfect compliment to the beef. This dish was a winner. The beef was tender and the sauce tasted as good as it smelled.

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery houses one of the best collections of art in the world and is a "must see" if you are in Florence. We followed the guidebook recommendations and made reservations before leaving home. With Rick Steve's book in hand, we took the elevator to the top floor and read our way through the rooms. Plan to spend at least 2 hours admiring the works of the world great masters.

Wine at Cardillac

After visiting David, we hitthe streets in search for wine. With map in hand, we head towards our apartment. Along the way, it begins to rain. This slightly alters our search to not only include wine, but a dry place for drinking. Just as the rain increases, we notice a neon "BAR" sign. This must be the place we are looking for! They even have the door open for us.

Our host at Cardillac is Ivan. His first question is "Have you voted?" We, of course, say "Yes" and ask in return for wine - white and Nan and me, red for the guys. Ivan is a handsome young Italian with great command of the English language. Our conversation quickly turns to politics and the upcoming presidential election. It seems as though we have not escaped from all of the hype of the election.

As is usually the case, one drink calls for a second. With little or no sleep for the last 36 hours, the alcohol hits hard and we stumble down Pepi to our Italian home. Before heading in for the night, we make a stop at Il Forno, our neighborhood bakery, for dinner -- pizza and bread. We take the food to the apartment and add another bottle of wine before turning in for the evening.

P.S. If this doesn't make sense, don't blame me! It is the wine's fault.

David

After checking into our apartment at Ciompi Palace, it's time to check out David at the Accademia. We followed the suggestions in every travel guide and made reservations in advance. There was no line and the gallery was not crowded. The first room you enter is a large gallery of paintings. The paintings are not considered by many to be great, but I loved them. Their enormity, detail and age make them a must see for me. I am constantly amazed that these massive paintings have survived for 500 years or more. As I look at the paintings my thoughts focus on the size of the wooden background on which they are painted and wonder where they were painted and how.

The next area we enter is a long hallway with Michelangelo's Prisoners. These unfinished sculptures show in detail how Michelangelo created his statues, working from front to back, pulling the characters from the stone. Starring at the figures, I can almost see the artist at work.

At the end of the hall is a domed area with David as the centerpiece. The scupture is massive. Even though I have seen pictures of the statue, I am blown away by the enormity and attention to detail. Michelangelo was commissioned in 1501 at the age of 26 to carve a large-scale work for the Duomo. Many consider this Michelangelo's greatest scupture, but for me, it is second to the Pieta at St. Peter's.

The label below the statue indicates that David has already slain the giant, but I tend to agree with the current curator that David is preparing for the battle with the stone in his powerful right hand. The right hand is huge and extremely detailed.

This was definitely a great way to start our stay in the beautiful town of Florence!

Driving to Florence

Driving in Italy is an experience. After renting the car at the airport, we head to Florence. Before we left home, I Googled all our destinations and printed off their wonderful color maps to guide our way. Our journey today is simple, drive from Fiumicino to the Auto Europe office in downtown Florence via the Autostrada. The Autostrada is mostly 2 lanes with the left lane for passing, or as many Italians call it, the "Mercedes lane" because it is used by expensive cars that drive very fast. As most of you can guess, Kenny loved the left lane.

After a quick stop at the Autogrill for cappuccinos and paninis, Edwin took over the wheel. It didn't take him long to get the feel of the Autostrada. The scenery for the ride was amazing. We had heard of the hill towns, but could not believe they were everywhere. From a distance, you could see an expanse of stone buildings on the tops of hills -- unbelievable! Along the roadsides were farm land, many freshly plowed waiting for the next crop. I expected to see a lot of cattle but saw sheep instead. Some of my favorite sites were small backyard gardens filled with rows of greens growing. I can't wait to get off the highway and explore these small neat gardens that provide food for those who lovingly tend them.

So with all this beautiful scenery, why am I posting a picture of a semi? Because it was the only good photo I got while riding on the Autostrada! And you have to admit a hotdog named "Wudy" is pretty funny.

With our Google map in hand, we exited the Autostrada outside of Certosa for our drive into Florence. With only two wrong turns on our part, we made it safely to our destination, thanks to Google!

Crossing the Pond

11:24 PM - Somewhere over the Atlantic
After months of planning, weeks of shopping and days of packing, we are on our way to Italy. It's 6 hours into our flight and I am watching a riveting program on how mattresses are made! Yes, that was one of Delta's choices for cabin entertainment and now I have cabin fever. It started with a depressing movie about growing old, followed by a movie in Italian and then on to The Simpson's before the latest entry of mattress making. One poignant moment came during The Simpson's when I happened to glance up at the screen and saw the "No Praying" sign on the screen as many of the passengers were asking God to calm the heavens for a smooth ride.

Now with 3+ hours to go, the boredom has begun. My iPod is dead. Before leaving home, I loaded some good movies, charged the iPod and purchased a battery booster in anticipation of a long ride. We were just getting to the good part in Shawshank Redemption when the battery died. That cute little booster I bought doesn't work and was a complete waste of money. So I pulled out the laptop to work on my first blog entry and that battery was dead. As a last resort, I pull out the notebook and pen and start writing to make sure I capture the pure anguish I was feeling.

Eggplant Antipasto

Last weekend, Pat and Sue hosted their annual fall party. This year's theme was Italian. Pat has recently retired and is spending all him time and money creating a beautiful Tuscan courtyard. Kenny and I were amazed at the transformation. The backyard is surrounded by a stucco wall complete with shuttered windows and a beautiful wood entry door. Along the back is a covered area with a tile roof. Plans include massive landscaping and a fountain.

As always, the food was delicious. I do believe Sue had been cooking for a week and my favorite was the Steak Marsala. For the occasion, I opted for a tradition antipasto. Since I had one last eggplant from the garden, I tried Eggplant Antipasto. Teamed with prosciutto, mortadella and crostini for a delicious appetizer. This is also delicious served warm over pasta.

Eggplant Antipasto

1 large or 2 small eggplants, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 8-ounce package sliced baby portabello mushrooms

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sliced green olives

1 teaspoon salt

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9x12 inch baking pan, mix the vegetables and olive oil. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Remove the cover for the last 1o minutes of baking. Chill and serve with crostini or crackers.

Simple Layer Cake

I will admit, I'm not a baker! Thanks to Granny and her cake plate, I have been challenged to bake. The problem seems to be finding the right recipe for the layers, a very important part to Granny's Chocolate Cake. My first task was to purchase new cake pans, 3 of them. The chocolate icing needs 3 layers. The recipe is based on Swans Down 1-2-3-4 cake recipe with an adjustment to the milk. This is my version.

Simple Layer Cake

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth. Baking: Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer pans, using about 2-1/3 cups batter in each pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks before icing.