Day 7 and 8 : Florence

Well, it was time to head back to Florence to drop off the rent-a-car (which we highly recommend to anyone travelling Tuscany) and to spend our final two days of our trip. We stayed at an amazing two story efficiency called La Contessina which was a perfect way to end our vacation. We all headed to the Pitti Palace, a humungous palace located on the southside of the city. The girls got a case of the giggles while touring the massive building so we knew it was time to head over to Rose's, our favorite wine bar. The girls struck up a conversation with David, our bartender who offered up Italian lessons and George W. jokes. He recommended an amazing osteria and even called in a reservation for us. On the way over, we popped into another one of our favorite wine bars called Frescobaldi for wine flights. While sitting outside, Leon (the dude that we saw in Siena three days earlier) out of nowhere walks right by us. We exchange stories and laugh about running into each other again. We then head over to Da Benci for dinner and we hit the food jackpot. We were able to sit outside amongst the locals while our server (Sandro) delivered us amazing food like pumpkin ravioli, Bistecca Florentine, pura di patate (which is really mashed potatoes), crostini formaggi and tuscan soup. It was the best nighlife and people watching by far. After our scrumptous meal, we headed over to a place called Mojo for cosmos and mojitos. We somehow found our way back to our room, late into the evening. Our final day in Florence culminated in new shoes for me, a leisurely stroll throught the central market, a visit to the Santa Croce cathedral, a final visit to Rose's and a late night meal at Zsa Zsa where we were seated in the cellar with the other tourists (grrrrr). We giggled non-stop in our room that evening over the last of the box of wine and the movie Orange County in italian. Nothing funnier than hearing jack Black dubbed in italian. The next morning, I took a 6am stroll by myself around Florence for my last cappuccino at the Gran Caffee San Marco and to see my last glimpse of the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. The rest of our trip back to the states was uneventful except our dash through the Charles DeGalle airport in Paris to barely get to our connecting flight back home.

Day 6 : Lucca

So imagine three Americans in a Ford Fiesta trying to decipher maps and Italian road symbols while driving through Tuscany. Apparantly, Italians love roundabouts, but don't understand the concept of proper arrows on signs. A few times we went the wrong way, but figured out our faux pas in due time. We got hungry (again) and randomly chose a place called La Casa Rosa for lunch. The girls each ordered foccacia and were greeted with a look of wonder by our waitress who replied "Due?". When the food came out, we realized what the look meant. The foccacia was easily bigger than my skull but we all tore into it anyway. Apparently, the ristorante had loads of cute Italian men on their lunch break which kept the girls very happy. We headed for Lucca and were mesmerized by its beauty and people. We stayed at the Hotel Diana which had a friendly and efficient staff and were able to park our car nearby. Once we started to walk the streets, we realized we were in a shoppers' paradise. The city was deemed "The Land of Accessories" by the girls due to the countless shoe, jewelry and eyeglass stores. We did witness a tense moment at a shoe store where a couple of tourists battled over a pair of boots. Linda and I broke away from shopping by drinking wine and beer at an outside cafe and people watched (which was a theme of the trip). Later that night we met our friends from Scotland (see the previous posts) for a whimsical evening of thick accents and laughter. We definitely were sorry to leave Lucca after only one day and would have tacked on an extra one to do more exploring.

Day 5 : San Gimignano

Whew! Since I've been back in the states, I haven't found the time to describe the back end of the trip to Italy. It's about time...


So...where was I? We left Siena (after one more visit to Nannini for cappuccinos) on day 5 and took off for San Gimignano, a small town high in the Tuscan hills. The views continued to be breathtaking along the way. By the time we arrived at the town, we realized it was quite touristy and busy. Instead of trying to park and find our B&B, we decided to drop me off at the main entrance so I could find the owners who also operated a local tobacconist shop in city. This was the first time that I was by myself (with little knowledge of Italian) trying to ask for directions. It was quite amusing conversing with the owners who then drove me to the main entrance of the city to help the girls park. We pulled in front of their car and tried to wave them to follow us, but they couldn't see me in the car and thought we were some tourists looking for them to move from their parking spot. The look on the girls' faces were priceless when the big, bald American (me) leaned out of the window of the car with my Cheshire cat smile to motion them to follow. They were quite surprised. Vanna (the B&B owner) showed us a secret parking space and then drove us to our room, which had a picturesque view of our surroundings. It was breathless. We were starving and decided to visit a ristorante called Chiribiri on the recommendation of Vanna. We had to put our name on the wait list and later realized that it is customary to actually wait outside for your name to be called instead of coming back at the specific time requested. This amazing feast (which cost 62 euros) consitented of risotto with aromatic herbs, pork Steak with oil, vegetable souffle, lasagne, carpaccio with gorganzola, pasta with pesto sauce, house wine and espresso (with Sambucca for Linda). We rolled out of this amazing place and proceeded to walk the few streets of the city. It was very crowded, but we managed a pleasant visit. Alli and I climbed the main tower of the town to witness the amazing views and we all had some of the best gelato on the trip later that evening. The next morning, our breakfast was less than desirable at the B&B, which culminated with this quote from Linda:
"I like skin on people, not on my coffee". We then took off for Lucca.

This Way to Italy Pictures

Rob and a Siena Door.jpg
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

While I'm trying to finish collecting my thoughts on the trip to Italy, click on the photo to see a preview...

Great Scots!

The Infamous Scots
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

As I continue to compile photos from Italy, today I'm highlighting a group of crazy Scots that we met during our trip. It all started by randomly picking a restaurant called Da Leo in Lucca and being seated at a table towards the back of the place. During our meal, one of the people at the adjoining table leaned over and peered at Linda's meal and replied "What the hell is that?", in a thick Scottish accent (it was gnocchi by the way). Both tables proceeded to chat and laugh throughout our meals. Our new friends finished their meals before us and graciously exited to proceed to a bar for a nightcap (really?). When we left the restaurant, we ran into them again at an outside trattoria. We continued our conversations well into the evening while the girls were introduced to Negronis. We chuckled until the local police pulled alongside our outside table and venomously peered at the owner (which means "Why are you still open past midnight?"). Yesterday, one of our long distance friends posted a comment. Here's what he said...

From Emilio Fazzi (One of the scots you met in Lucca)

After our meeting I was expecting some kind of scientific perspective on short term effect of the Negroni on a normally logical european brain.

Instead I find that the vebosity that characterised your reporting of the earlier days of your holiday suddenly deserted you when it came to reporting our meeting.

I can only surmise that Negronis we shared must have had an absolutely devastating effect on your obviously weaker American brain.

Your are bigger than me but I can say these things because I am protected by at least 2000 miles of sea.

Anyhow it good to see you blog, and it was great fun to meet you guys in Lucca.

Best wishes
Emilio

Here is my reply...

Hey Emilio!

It was great meeting you gents in Lucca. Don't forget, the next round of drinks are on me. We are happy that the europeans cornered the market on smelly, bitter drinks like the Negroni. I guess you need some digusting booze to help remove the bits of haggis from your teeth.

Stay in touch, but don't get too close!

Your really large American friend,

Rob

...but I digress

This post has nothing to do with Italy, but everything to do with the birthday parties for Guido and Australian Rob. Enjoy the photos...

Arrival

"Welcome Back to the States"...That's how I was greeted by the agent when going through immigration at the Atlanta airport yesterday. I was also greeted with "Before I can let you back into the coutry, I need you to sign this (passport)", which is something you don't hear everyday. Apparently the people in France didn't need a signature, but in the USA, we dot our "I"s and cross our "T"s. I'm in Gville and have the day off. While doing laundry this morning, I will be posting a bunch of Italia memories so we can all catch up. Also, my goal is to have a bunch of photos up too, so check back later, alligators.

Departure

We are in the Florence airport waiting for our plane. We have so many stories to tell.

A Quick Hello from Lucca

Just want everyone to know that we are alive and well within the beautiful city walls of Lucca. The last couple of days have been a whirlwind, filled with food, shopping, people (even from Scotland), laughter, tears, views, hugs and memories that will last a lifetime. We are slowly waking up from a late night of negroni and bier and about to head to Florence. It's been difficult to find internet points over the last few days, but will make some blog updates later. We miss our friends and family and can't wait to share our pictures, stories and other stuff tucked away in our luggage.

Day 4: Siena

We slept in (again), which is a theme for us. We are in no hurry which means that we are embracing the feeling of vacation. We went to the best cafe in town called Nannini for espresso and pastries. Just so you know, there is no such thing as cereal in europe (at least I can't find it). Once again, we were floored by the cafe's activity and the incredible cappuccinos. The pastries were scrumptous and we've been back multiple times. We traversed the city looking at the ceramic, wine and clothing shops. We took a tour of the Duomo (we needed to actually do some sightseeing) and were moved by the gothic marble carvings throughout the church. We ended up eating lunch at a restaurant that was located quite literally on a inclined street. We ate on a hill. It was scarey and yummy at the same time. After lunch the girls and I split up and went our seperate ways. They shopped and I explored. I got lost in a different part of the city and walked until I needed a nap. We met up for a dinner of pizza and pasta on the Campo and actually went to bed early. I can't possibly described everything that we witnessed, but we've been taking photos that will eventually get posted when we get back. Now we're off for a B&B in San Gimignano.

Caio!

Day 3 continued

We finally got to Siena and then the real fun began. Trying to read road signs and circumventingthe streets we finally found some parking. The three of us (with luggage) felt like tourists while transporting our luggage through the streets. Our hotel was tucked away in an ally and the room reminded us of a dorm. We immediately asked the desk clerk about a dinner spot. Went went to a place called Da Divo that seems it was cut into an Etruscan cellar. Lined with bricks and atmosphere, we ate an amazing Sienese dinner. Included was a full blown decanting of our wine tableside. I had quail and rabbit for the first time in my life. When then walked into the night to find the Campo which is the epicenter of Siena. There just happened to be a european rock star playing to a huge crowd that night. What an incredible sight! We ended up in our hotel and people watched out our window drinking from our box of wine. All of a sudden, we heard singing and drums. It was a small parade of people from one district that was celebrating. We ended up witnessing several of these parades. We went to sleep late with the roar of the street below us. This city cannot be described with words. There is passion from the shopkeepers and we are surrounded by century old buildings. We felt so secluded from the outside word.

Day 3: Greve and Siena

I'm blogging from Siena in an internet kiosk that
closes in 10 minutes so i'm making this fast...
for starters, it's weird that i'm here and the gators
are about to kick off...but i'm not missing it...but
truly miss one special person in gainesville...
yesterday was truly wonderful, funny, amazing,
enlightening...everything that i could have dreamed of
about a european trip...
we left florence, but not without incident. we took a
taxi to hertz to rent a car. on the way to the
garage, Alli slipped on the incline that weaved its
way into the garage area where our car was located.
she skinned her knee (it could have been worse), but
was tended to by an old garage attendant who applied
some secret potion (that looked like gasoline) to her
knee while Linda and I watched. I think she made his
day. the best moment was watching the man's reaction
when Alli said she was driving (if she can't walk down
a ramp, you want her to drive a car in italy?) we
then left florence in our ford fiesta (with me in the
back seat...HOW FUN!). we headed to the sleepy town of
Greve for the wine festival. it was so small and
quaint. with alli's knee oozing we had an amazing
lunch of panninis (i had a tomato soup that was like
no other) with chianti from greve. the girls then
spent an hour at an embroidery shop while i walked
about. i found a shop that had tanks of chianti where
the shop owner would pour fresh wine into take home
boxes or bottles. i bought a 3 liter box of Chianti
Verranzano for about $10 (more on that later). we then
walked into a jewelry store that had something for
everyone and spent some euros. we even ran into a
couple from the uk that voiced their opinions about
george w. we were all in agreement. the festival was
delayed (due to rain) so we took off for siena. the
winding roads through tuscanny almost made linda sick
and we almost got hit by a bus (which was in our
lane!). unfortunately, the radio sucks just as bad in
europe because we could still hear bon jovi an
aerosmith!!!! gotta go, but will talk about siena
next....

Gran Caffeè San Marco

We are about to check out of our hotel and rent-a-car (gulp) so we can drive to Greve. Once again, we walked over to the Gran Cafeè San Marco for espresso. Now that I've seen this cafè twice, I now understand what Starbucks is trying to achieve, but falls way short of reaching. The poetry of the baristas are mesmorizing while the patrons understand their roles of consuming their drinks. Americans impatiently wait for their cappuccinos while they speed off to work while Italians belly-up-to-the-bar for espresso in a porcelain cup. When they are done, they are off to work or school. The fresh pastries are exquisite and lined up side-by-side in the pastry case. It is a whirlwind of activity and part of the culture. The most important thing is that the espresso and milk foam are perfect everytime. Whew. Gotta go check out.

Caio

Firenze: Day 2

Stupido! That was the waiter's response at dinner when I asked him to take a picture with the girls...but I'm ahead of myself...We slept in today. Not on purpose, but it was needed to catch up to our surroundings. We ventured into the city to eat, shop and explore. We started by parading over to the San Lorenzo area to do what the locals do best...eat and people watch. We picked a random trattoria and all picked something different off the menu - omelette, pizza and prosciutto with melon. It was quite a feast. We then wandered over to the main market and capped off the mid afternoon with a visit to the piazza del Mercato Centrale. We drank an excellent cappuccino at one of the bars and then traversed the city for our 3:15pm reservation at the Accademia gallery. Reserving a spot to get into the museum was the smartest thing to do because the line was 2 hours long. Once inside, there are a series of rooms with different art and sculptures. The main attraction was Michelango's sculpture of "David". It made Linda cry. It made all of us stare at it for an half an hour. Words cannot describe what we witnessed, but were all in agreement that it is one of the most beautiful things that we have ever seen. It was so life-like that I was ready for it to take a breath after all the attention it was getting. We left in search of wine and food and shopped along the way to the same wine bar that we went to yesterday called Rose's. After that we went to I Fratellini, a hole-in-the-wall vinaii that serves customers in the street. We chatted with the server who recommended a place for dinner. He even called ahead for a reservation. We ate at a local traditional Tuscan restaurant which served us spaghetti with bolognese sauce, scallopine and lemoncella. The server was poking fun at me all evening which led to the phrase "stupido" when waiting for our bill. The thing that stikes me about this town is not the food, architecture and customs...it is the people. They are warm, friendly and full of life. We can't wait for our next adventure tomorrow where we tackle Siena and Greve.

Lip Service

We just woke up. It's 10am our time. I tried to post late last night, but the hotel does not allow internet usage past midnight. We should have been back by then, but...well read on...Here is a recap of day one...The first thing that we had to do was grab espresso and a light snack. On the recommendation of Katiana from the hotel, we stopped off at her favorite cafe for cappuccino and panninis. The crazy thing is, if you stand at the bar, your drinks are 1.5 euros. Sit down = 4 euros. We stood while we watched our barista expertly pull shots and steam milk on a La Marzzocco machine. It was poetry in motion. The cappuccinos were exquisite and the sandwiches hit the spot. It was cool watching patrons grab a doppio and venture off into the streets. We forged on...The clothes, shoes and leather goods are amazing. We couldn't just walk straight ahead without window shopping or stopping at a cart with leather goods to check out the homemade wares. The architecture is like nothing that we've seen in the states. The Duomo is massive and a mecca for tourists and locals alike. One could get lost (a future theme) among the street carts, shops and art if you don't know where you are going. We have one knapsack with tour books, so we are prepared for anything (or so it may seem). We head over to the Uffizi gallery (home of the Venus Di Milo), but it is not enough time to tour. We will make reservations for next week. We head over to the Ponte Vecchio, which is a beautiful bridge over the river Fiume Arno which connects Oltarno to the main part of the city. The most gorgeous jewelry shops line the bridge as you cross. We realized that we haven't had any wine yet, and head over to a cafe. It's looks empty so we randomly pick a small bar down a winding ally. A few glasses of Chianti later, we are giggling with delight. The bartender brings bruschetta, olives and other bar bites to our table. We can't get up. We leave and decide to walk across the city along the Via Porto Rossa. All the shops are closed, but cannot keep our eyes away from the windows. The stationary shops and shoes are tantalizing. We end up at the Frescobaldi Wine Bar and sit outside. We people watch, eat prosciutto, crostini, percorino and each enjoy a wine flight of chianti and white wines. Truly amazing. The food is so fresh and the wine is indescribable. Our conversations get even more personal so we decide on the phrase, "What goes on in Florence, stays in Florence" in between our laughter. We need one more glass of wine, so we head over to Gustavino. It is a small family shop lined with wine bottles and tables. We sit at big table in the back and split an amazing bottle called "Le Masse Di Greve - Chianti Classico Reseva 1996". Greve is the city that we will be visiting on Friday for the wine festival. We are in big trouble :) We now need gelato, so we go to the best called Vivoli. The shop is bustling with people and it's past 11pm! I had a riso (made with rice) flavor while the girls partake in the chocolate. It is like nothing that we have ever had before in our lifetimes. We're beat so it's time to head off to the hotel (or so we think). Apparently, three well educated people with four tour books can find there way back. No. No. No. We end up somewhere and slowly retrace our steps on a map. We find our hotel 30 minutes later, but we are so happy, we don't care (except that Linda really had to pee). Whew. We slept like rocks and now for day 2...

Firenze: Day 1

Good morning America! Good afternoon Florence! We are checked into our hotel in the San Lorenzo district of Firenze. The lovely hotel clerk named Katiana greeted us with a smile and ENGLISH! The cab ride here was quite harrowing, but the absolute highlight of the day was listening to our cabbie give another cabbie directions (that goes to show you that even the locals don't know where everything is!). The other interesting thing is that when we got off the plane and made our way through the airport, we didn't have to check through customs. We just walked out. It was quite amusing. Our itinerary is to grab a doppio espresso, take a breather and head to the Uffizi Gallery.

Ciao

Hello from Paris! We are safe and sound after our 8 hour flight from Atlanta. The 6 hour time difference is wrecking havoc on our sleep patterns, but that is the price to pay for european travel. This airport has only two internet kiosks in this terminal and there is a nice line behind me while I type this (too much pressure!). We will be arriving in Florence by 2pm our time and hopefully grab a lovely dinner in the city. Au revoir!

 

One more thing...

Before I leave G'ville, I need to leave the link to my best friend's blog. His most recent post captures a day of tailgating and gameday action from Saturday. After reading it, you know why I choose to live here. Enjoy!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well my bags are packed, I'm ready to go....Today is the big day. Off to Italia to indulge in gelato, leather goods and cheese. Oh yeah, I'll check out a museum or twenty. Already had a stroke of good fortune...Linda and I were able to get a flight out of G'ville airport which is 10 mins from home and another 3 mins to get through security. We were originally scheduled to fly out of Tampa which is a 2 hour drive from here. We connect in Atlanta and leave the states around 5:30pm. We arrive in Paris around 2am before the final leg into Florence (which is 6 hours ahead of Gainesville). My goal is to remotely post throughout the trip to keep everyone abreast of our whereabouts. This vacation is well deserved for me and I look forward to some vivid memories during my first trip to europe. The crazy thing is that I been waiting for this day to get out of Hoggetowne for quite some time, but some wonderful events have occurred over the last few weeks that will make me want to come back a little bit sooner. I'll miss you Lucky...and keep a good eye on Stimpy for me.

The Gainesville Stew

Finally. The first home game of the season. I'm up early making Brunswick Stew for the tailgate. It's the crack of dawn and my place smells of chicken, pork, onions and beef. My floor is covered in coolers, chairs, a propane tank and three cases of beer. Speaking of beer, due to the hurricanes, there was a backlog of beer that couldn't get to the Gulf Coast. It was dropped off in Gainesville with $5 off coupons. When was the last time a case was $6? Ye Old College students got whiff of this promotion and made a rampage around the city looking for these special deals. I got the last few at the new Publix around the corner. I don't even drink the swill, but who could pass it up? The game is still nine hours away. If you've never experienced a home game in Gainesville, it's a local ritual that happens six times a year. The population is around 200,000, but today 90,000 screaming fans will pack the beloved Swamp. We have a new team, coach and traditions starting today. My goal is to get to my spot earlier than usual (right near the law school), reserve spaces, cook mass quantities of food in my large stainless steel pot and soak in the festive day. A smattering of friends will trickle to the tailgate throughout the day with stories to tell about their trek across the city or give score predicitions. One of the members of our group never goes to the game, but instead opts to sit outside watching the gator theatrics on his satellite tv, under his tarp while his portable blenders whip up another scrumptous concoction. I still don't have tickets yet, but have never had a problem getting inside. Enough for now...my pot is boiling....

Katrina's Impact on SBUX

At this moment, there are over 30 stores that have been affected by Katrina. Starbucks first response was to account for every partner. They are currently sending coffee and additional resources to the area. My company is encouraging partners around the world to contribute to our "Cup Fund", which is designed to house money strictly to be used to help other partners in dire need. I was having technical issues at my store yesterday, but was unable to get help from our support center in Seattle due to the high volume of calls trying to help our partners in the Gulf Coast area. We even had a family in our cafe on Wednesday who lost their home in New Orleans, so one of my partners donated some of our leftover pastries to help them out. I'll keep you updated with any further news.

The Blue Dog

Doing a little bit of reminiscing of the French Quarter. One of my favorite New Orleans artists is named George Rodrique. He creates bold and powerful paintings. Some revolve around his favorite subject...his dog. His most recent works included his fascination with hurricanes. Here are a couple of my favorites.