The Morning After....
Well the two Cinderellas woke up this morning wishing we might have a few more hours sleep. I was hoping to grab a slice of wi-fi and send my post before the hordes of students that are staying in the non-convent part of the hotel eat up my band width with their breakfast.
This morning was the first time we have turned on the TV since our arrival. We were hoping to get some more news about the massacre in Orlando, but CNN International was just regurgitating the few facts that we had already read on line.
Since our Mercedes had turned into a pumpkin we hoofed it down to class where we had to describe our weekend activities for our fellow pupils and instructors. We have a simple classroom except for the painted ceiling and the pigeon that paces up and down in front of our window with a sprig of pink blossoms in his beak.
Our practical lesson today is the description of things commonly found the the house. To that end we walk once more past the Piazza della Repubblica to the Museo Palazzo Davanzati. We do this carefully. Red lights and crosswalks are mere suggestions in Florence.
The palazzo is an example of a fourteenth century medieval tower home financed by wool trade profits. It is constructed of sandstone, with three large portals and three stories of mullioned windows, complete with some modern conveniences such as the water shaft that funnels water down to the lower level and a fully functioning well. The interior courtyard has arches, vaults and capitals in the 14th century style.
A stout docent follows us around watching us like hawks. When a guy in our contingent sat on a wooden chair we thought we might have to call in the medics. Giuseppe, of course, is softening her up the rest of the visit with Cara this and Cara that. It appears to be working; she smiles radiantly at him all afternoon.
View from the top floor kitchen
The place is filled with many treasures, jars from 200 AD, paintings and tapestries.
Boys will be boys.....
It also houses the largest collection of laces in the world, meticulous hand work so delicately crafted.
The kitchen is on the top floor to protect the rest of the structure in case of fire. There is a huge fireplace with a long metal spit. This is an early rotisserie; weighted pulleys turned the spit. We also see a butter churn, flour sifter and various other household items that changed little until the modern era.
We finish up and head to the post office, now open for business, to purchase stamps for our postcards and break some large Euro bills. There is an express line for this so we queue up. Ahead of us, and next in line, is a man holding a single envelope. We have no idea what the couple at the counter are doing because the staff member leaves and comes back several times over a ten minute period. Our neighbor in line is becoming more and more agitated, running his fingers through his hair, checking his watch and pacing back and forth. Finally, he makes it to the window. Too much espresso?
We had no difficulties and enjoyed the beautiful interior of this former palazzo. We are working on our shopping list today with each of us checking off a few items. After a lunch of soup we head back home to rest before our lecture this evening on Contemporary Life in Italy.
This turns out to be a very informative session that I will post about separately. Leo, our university professor du jour had many thought provoking observations and fielded a question and answer session afterward.
Naturally, the day could not end without another meal. It is a fifteen minute walk to Pizzeria Fuocomatto and we have a lovely night for it. Not even a hint of rain today. This is a lively place, obviously not just devoted to pizza. There is a butcher's case in the entry filled with dark slabs of bistecca.
This is Chianina beef from the Italian breed of cattle raised mainly for beef. It is one of the largest and oldest cattle breeds in the world. There is no bistecca alla fiorentina from a lesser breed.
But we are here for pizza. At least we had no Simona-isms about how light the meal would be. Of course, there is the usual Prosecco, white and red wine. First is a huge insalata mista I am not sure that even Paolo could finish such a serving chock full of Marzano tomatoes, nuts and pecorino. Now the parade of pizza: Margherita, Napoletano and Quatro Formaggio. Unfortuntely there was little room for dessert, which was your choice off the menu choice.
Tonight is a big soccer match between Italy and Belgium. As we make our way back to the hotel we poke our head into a bar or two and are amazed at how quiet and serious the viewers are. Maybe they are all tourists.
Well the two Cinderellas woke up this morning wishing we might have a few more hours sleep. I was hoping to grab a slice of wi-fi and send my post before the hordes of students that are staying in the non-convent part of the hotel eat up my band width with their breakfast.
This morning was the first time we have turned on the TV since our arrival. We were hoping to get some more news about the massacre in Orlando, but CNN International was just regurgitating the few facts that we had already read on line.
Since our Mercedes had turned into a pumpkin we hoofed it down to class where we had to describe our weekend activities for our fellow pupils and instructors. We have a simple classroom except for the painted ceiling and the pigeon that paces up and down in front of our window with a sprig of pink blossoms in his beak.
Our practical lesson today is the description of things commonly found the the house. To that end we walk once more past the Piazza della Repubblica to the Museo Palazzo Davanzati. We do this carefully. Red lights and crosswalks are mere suggestions in Florence.
The palazzo is an example of a fourteenth century medieval tower home financed by wool trade profits. It is constructed of sandstone, with three large portals and three stories of mullioned windows, complete with some modern conveniences such as the water shaft that funnels water down to the lower level and a fully functioning well. The interior courtyard has arches, vaults and capitals in the 14th century style.
A stout docent follows us around watching us like hawks. When a guy in our contingent sat on a wooden chair we thought we might have to call in the medics. Giuseppe, of course, is softening her up the rest of the visit with Cara this and Cara that. It appears to be working; she smiles radiantly at him all afternoon.
The place is filled with many treasures, jars from 200 AD, paintings and tapestries.
It also houses the largest collection of laces in the world, meticulous hand work so delicately crafted.
The kitchen is on the top floor to protect the rest of the structure in case of fire. There is a huge fireplace with a long metal spit. This is an early rotisserie; weighted pulleys turned the spit. We also see a butter churn, flour sifter and various other household items that changed little until the modern era.
We finish up and head to the post office, now open for business, to purchase stamps for our postcards and break some large Euro bills. There is an express line for this so we queue up. Ahead of us, and next in line, is a man holding a single envelope. We have no idea what the couple at the counter are doing because the staff member leaves and comes back several times over a ten minute period. Our neighbor in line is becoming more and more agitated, running his fingers through his hair, checking his watch and pacing back and forth. Finally, he makes it to the window. Too much espresso?
We had no difficulties and enjoyed the beautiful interior of this former palazzo. We are working on our shopping list today with each of us checking off a few items. After a lunch of soup we head back home to rest before our lecture this evening on Contemporary Life in Italy.
This turns out to be a very informative session that I will post about separately. Leo, our university professor du jour had many thought provoking observations and fielded a question and answer session afterward.
Naturally, the day could not end without another meal. It is a fifteen minute walk to Pizzeria Fuocomatto and we have a lovely night for it. Not even a hint of rain today. This is a lively place, obviously not just devoted to pizza. There is a butcher's case in the entry filled with dark slabs of bistecca.
This is Chianina beef from the Italian breed of cattle raised mainly for beef. It is one of the largest and oldest cattle breeds in the world. There is no bistecca alla fiorentina from a lesser breed.
But we are here for pizza. At least we had no Simona-isms about how light the meal would be. Of course, there is the usual Prosecco, white and red wine. First is a huge insalata mista I am not sure that even Paolo could finish such a serving chock full of Marzano tomatoes, nuts and pecorino. Now the parade of pizza: Margherita, Napoletano and Quatro Formaggio. Unfortuntely there was little room for dessert, which was your choice off the menu choice.
Tonight is a big soccer match between Italy and Belgium. As we make our way back to the hotel we poke our head into a bar or two and are amazed at how quiet and serious the viewers are. Maybe they are all tourists.
Dude What a Trip!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading all of your posts!
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