One Week Left

Sunset on the Grand Canal

Gondola Ride through the canals of Venice

Only one week left out here!  Can’t believe it went by so quickly.  Up until now the weather has been amazing.  We’ve been lucky not to experience the extreme flooding of acqua alta, and the days have still been beautiful.  That was of course until yesterday.  We got our first taste of Venetian winter weather yesterday when the city turned into a scene out of a Steven King horror movie.  

Doge Palace

This intense mist and bitter cold rolled in, overtaking the whole city.  The once incredible views of Venice are gone.  We can barely see five feet in front of our faces.  Vaporetto rides are slightly disconcerting now.  I’m sure the Italian water bus drivers have mastered the art of maneuvering though the waters without seeing anything, but with every ride there is a constant feeling like we’re about to recreate the final scene from Titanic.  Sadie can’t help herself from screaming, “ICEBERG, DEAD AHEAD” every time we get on a vaporetto.

On the Spanish Steps in Rome

Two weeks ago we took our last trip.  It was back to Rome with more of Sadie’s friends.  Yes, that’s right, more of Sadie’s friends!  Her friends and family have put on quite a display of support over the last few months.  Here’s the list of people who have come out to visit Sadie during her time out here...her parents, cousins Brian and Rebecca, NYC friends (Magaly, Aaron, Sabrina, Alexis, Adam, Sherry, Frankie, Sarah Fe, Damian, Roy).  Along with that, her sister, Kasia and childhood friend, Vandana, will be coming out next week to share in our last weekend in Venice.  It’s been incredible having so many people share in our experiences!

Magaly and Sadie in Piazza Navona

We’ve taken quite a few trips to Rome over the past few months and aside from seeing the obligatory sights with our guests each time, we’ve constantly found new things to see and do.  One of the things we always make time for is seeing portions of my family in Rome.  Sadie has been bombarded with wave after wave of my extended family, which I’m sure has been overwhelming for her at times.  She’s finally able to put all the names with the faces, which isn’t the easiest task in the world.  It is on par with trying to memorize the “D” section of the Italian phone book.  

Campo di Fiori Farmers Market

There were two new Rome experiences that we hit up this time around.  The first was the Capuchin Crypt on Via Veneto.  The Capuchin Monks were quite the artists.  They took all the bones from their fellow monks after their deaths and they created elaborate designs all over the walls, ceilings, and floors of this crypt.  It is amazing and incredibly creepy at the same time.  Every bone in the human body was used in some unique design.  There had to be over a thousand monks spread throughout the rooms.  Creepy indeed.  Sadie, as I expected, had a hard time appreciating the artistic aspect of what we were seeing and could only focus only on the creepiness of it all.  She powered through the exhibit, but I could tell she was not really enjoying the whole thing.  As we exited, we had another incident similar to the Como bus ride from a few months back.  Fortunately, she was able to compose herself after a few minutes and yet another crisis was averted.  

Campo di Fiori

St. Peters Square

Best Pizza Shop in Rome

Cacio e pepe at Restaurant X

We had Anthony Bourdain to thank for our latest restaurant experience.  We were in search of a Rome speciality, cacio e pepe.  Nothing fancy...just pasta with percorino cheese and black pepper.  But when done right, it’s phenomenal.  He had labeled one of his favorite Rome spots that served the dish, “Restaurant X,” on his TV show because he didn’t want all his viewers to find out where it was located.  Fortunately, a quick Google search of “Restaurant X Bourdain” led us right to it.  The meal absolutely lived up to our expectations.  The pasta was served in a molded bowl of parmigiano cheese that was otherworldly.  Oddly enough, the waiter who had served Bourdain in the show was our server as well.  We mentioned the show to him, and at first he acted like a reluctant movie star who was spotted by his fans in public.  “No, no, no.  Eye-a don’ta know wat you talk about.  Eye-a don’ta know questo Antoni Bor-dane.”  Sure you don’t buddy.  Two minutes later, he was back singing the theme song from the show, talking about the experience and how it’s lead to some other restaurant opportunities that he was in the process of mulling over. He loved that we had recognized him, which worked out well for us because he ended up giving us some extra glasses of grappa on the house at the end of the night.

Cacio e pepe, our homemade version

The meal was so good that as soon as Sadie and I returned to Venice we recreated the meal at home.  It was a valiant first attempt.  Not quite like what we had in Rome, but passable for pasta making beginners such as ourselves.

The Bet:

I didn’t really want to put this on the blog, but a week has gone by and the wounds have healed a bit.  Last weekend, my Stanford Cardinal football team faced the Oregon Ducks.  Stanford was ranked 4 at the time.  Oregon, 7.  Stanford undefeated, a very real shot at a National Championship birth on the line.  Oregon had lost it’s first game of the season to the current number one team in the country, LSU, but had since run the table and was looking stronger with each week.  It was a battle of epic proportions (at least to those of us with Pac 12 affiliations).  

Sadie is not an official Duck herself, but it’s impossible to deny her connection to the school.  Just about every person in Sadie’s family is an Oregon alum.  Parents, grandparents, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles...on and on.  Sadie’s home state pride is hard to match, so when this game rolled around we knew we had to come up with some kind of wager. 

After much discussion it came to this.  If Oregon won, I would have to jump in a nasty, filthy, freezing Venice canal.  If Stanford came out on top, Sadie would have to eat a delicious piece of top quality prosciutto.  Being a vegetarian, this was a horrific thought for Sadie.  It must be noted, that the bet was Sadie’s idea.  I had no intention of making her eat meat, but to my amazement she came up with these terms, so it was agreed upon.

The night of the game (it started at 2:00am Venice time) I woke up to check the score of the game.  I checked right about the time that Oregon began kicking Stanford’s butt.  It got ugly quickly, so I decided to go back to sleep and forget about the way Stanford had teased all of us Cardinal fans into thinking they were a legitimate National Championship contender this year.  

Or at least I tried to go to sleep.  Sadie isn't a big sports fan.  Football probably being her least favorite of them all, but this didn’t matter one bit for the game.  The Ducks spanking Stanford turned her into a super fan who refused to let me sleep.  She watched every play on the computer letting me know each and every time Oregon scored their 53 points.  It was torturous.  I’m sure she was happy Oregon won, but I think she was more excited about not having to eat prosciutto.  

I kept my end of the bargain as best I could.  After reading up of canal jumping we found out that swimming in a canal is illegal, as well as disgusting.  With my previous run in with the police forces of Lido, I thought it was best that I don’t do anything to bring unnecessary attention to myself during my last few weeks in Venice, so a compromise was made.  I, instead, jumped into the freezing cold ocean on Lido.  It isn’t quite a canal, but it satisfied the bet for Sadie, so I was in the clear.

Video of my arctic plunge...

Wine Country

Piemonte

When you think of Italian wine country, most of you probably picture the rolling hills of Tuscany, home of Chianti and Super Tuscans.  Fortunately, there is much more to it than just Tuscany.  Italians have been blessed with a whole country that is not only capable, but in many cases ideal for growing wine.  North of Tuscany lies Piemonte.  The region which is home to the king of Italian wines (Barolo and Barbaresco) and the elusive white truffle.  Yes, both are delicious but per serving, they are almost equal in cost to our monthly rent in NYC, so we tried not to indulge too much.

I can't help myself.

This was the first trip where we rented a car.  We had some friends in from NYC and so renting seemed like the best way to see a lot of different areas in the few days we had to explore the towns around

 Barolo.  It’s fairly common knowledge, but I’ll refresh for those of you unaware.  Italians are crazy drivers.  They are NOT bad drivers...just a little insane.  They all seem to be auditioning for a seat in Ferrari’s Formula 1 car every time they get on the highway.  Neither Sadie nor I was driving, but our friend, who has seen his fair share of overly aggressive cab drivers in NYC over the years, was amazed at the lightning speed of the average Italian driver.  Our cruising speed was a respectable amount over the speed limit.  Nothing crazy, but we have a four hour drive ahead of ourselves, so we kept a brisk pace.  At least that is what we thought until just about every car behind us was bumper to bumper with us flashing their lights franticly trying to pass.  Didn’t matter who it was either.  Dads driving their families in minivans.  Grandma in her fifty year old cinquecento.  The thing most curious about the whole situation is that Italians generally like to take things slow.  Their whole society revolves around four hour meals, midday naps, and going on semi weekly work strikes so they can have a day off.  I don’t know...maybe they are all rushing home to eat or take a nap.  Yeah, that would make the most sense.

Talking with Paolo and Chiara

Our view at Cascina Sant'Eufemia

When we finally arrived at our location it was better than what we had seen in the pics online!  When does that ever happen??NEEEEVVVVEEERRRRRR!!  One of the hostels we had stayed in during a previous trip promised a pool table as part of their guest entertainment.  Not that I was planning on playing a lot of pool, but I liked the option.  When we got to the hostel, we found the pool table and it was the size of a board game.  The pool cues looked like chop sticks and the balls were a set of marbles.  Much different than the pics suggested.

Fall was just taking hold of the hills.  The reds, browns, and yellows covering the endless amount of vineyards was beautiful.  We had found an article on CNN which listed the top hidden secret hotels/B&B in Piemonte.  We decided on one, Cascina Sant'Eufemia, that sat in the hills smack in the middle of Barolo, Barbaesco, Asti, and Alba.  From the moment we arrived the owners, Chiara and Paolo, treated us like family.  After some of the less than stellar accommodations we’ve subjected ourselves to over the past few months, it was so nice to be able to stay at their home/B&B.  

We went to Piemente mainly for three reasons.  White truffles, wine, and to experience the epicenter of the slow food movement (which started in a town called Bra just minutes from where we were staying).  It was the middle of the white truffle festival in Alba, but upon our arrival we were informed of the horrible year it had been for truffles and so they were much more expensive than their already ridiculous prices.  Yes, we were 0-1, but that would be the only missing part of an amazing weekend.  

Head of Council for the Truffle and Wine Guild

On to the food portion of the trip.  Every meal we ate in Piemonte was worthy of it’s own blog entry, but one in particular deserves it’s place on our page.  The day we arrived we asked Chiara and Paolo for some dinner recommendations and of course they were more than happy to oblige.  The first one they mentioned was Osteria da Gemma.  They told us that because it was the middle of the truffle festival, that it might be fully booked, but that it was worth as shot.  Amazingly, it was the only day they had an opening all week and so we made a reservation and headed out to see what this slow food movement was all about.  We asked Chiara and Paolo if it was good and all they said was, “You eat well at Gemma.”  That is Italian code for, prepare yourself for amounts of food no human being could ever possibly eat in one sitting.  Giddy-up!!  We headed to Gemma ready for our feast...

As soon as we arrived we had an issue, that was quickly resolved in a way that we didn’t think was still possible in today’s society.  Gemma is cash only.  We only had credit.  The town of Roddino, where Gemma is situated, is tiny and doesn’t have a bank or ATM.  We were momentarily devastated.  At that point there was no way we could make another reservation anywhere else so we were in a tight spot.  We mentioned our predicament to our waiter and we got our first real glimpse into what makes this part of the world unique.  He asked where we were staying and when we mentioned Sant'Eufemia, he says, “Ah, of course! We know them well.  You eat here tonight and whenever you have the money, you can come back and pay us.  Tomorrow.  The day after.  Whenever...”  WHAT WHAT WHAT??!!?? Did he really just give us the ok to dine and dash?    We all just smiled, thanked him, and understood that we were in for a rare treat.

Barolo Museum

The meal was fixed menu and price.  A beautifully simplified way of taking the guess work out of ordering.   As soon as we sat, they brought out a cutting board with a knife and two types of soppressata.  Soppressata is the more delicious cousin of the salami you think of in the States.  This was the pre-appetizer and I was already in heaven.  Sadie however, was less than thrilled at the all meat start to the meal.  

From there, the dishes started coming out rapid fire each in a platter that could have easily fed ten people.  Four appetizers, beef tartare (one of the best dishes I’ve ever had, anywhere), two different types of pasta with boar sauce, specially made butter and sage pasta for the vegetarian eaters at the table, veal in a barolo reduction, roasted rabbit....on and on and on.  All washed down with the house Dolcetto, which was, as you might expect, fantastic.  Just as I slipped into my expected food coma, the deserts were brought over.  To this point, Sadie had been enjoying the meal, but with so much meat throughout she hadn’t quite reached my level of bliss.  Sadie has a pretty significant sweet tooth, so when the four gigantic desserts were placed at each corner of our table, she finally had her magical moment of the meal.  Coffee and chocolate flan, whipped cream and pineapple cake, apple strudel, and an insanely delicious cream hazelnut and cookie concoction.  So. Much. Food.  

The meal surpassed anything we could have imagined.  As strange as it might seem we’d like to thank McDonald’s, as well as Gemma, for the amazing meal.  A group of Italians were so outraged with the opening of the first Mac in Italy back in 1986 that they went on a mission go combat the fast food movement around the world with their own slow food movement, which has become worldwide hit in recent years.  So, thank you McDonald’s for pissing off Italians so much that you helped keep places like Gemma open and relevant.  

As we waddled out, we promised to return at some point to pay the bill...

Castle in Barolo

The people of Piomonte know their wine.  It’s in their blood the way fake tans and fist pumping is in the blood of the neanderthals on Jersey Shore.  It is the lifeblood of their existence and they are happy to show you what they are have to offer.  We toured the towns of Barolo, Barbaesco, La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba, Mango, Nieve, and a bunch of others.  On our last day we were hoping to have some wine at a vineyard as opposed to the tastings in the town centers like we had been doing.  At one of the tastings, I saw a listing for one of my favorite wineries, La Morandina.  Their Moscato d’ Asti is one of my all time favorite wines, so that became out last day destination.  We had no idea if they were open or if anyone was actually there, but we went anyway.

As we pulled up, it looked closed.  We got out and walked the grounds trying to find someone.  No one was around.  Damn.  So close to getting inside Willy Wonka’s Wine Factory, but no luck.  I called the number I had on hand and I could hear the phone ringing inside the building.  No answer.  Just as all hope was lost, I tried the number one last time and after a few rings, a woman answered.  I told her we came all the way from the States to try some wines and asked if there was any way she could open up for us.  I held my breathe hoping for the best, but I knew it was probably a long shot.  Without hesitation, the doors opened and we were welcomed by one of the owners into the Morandina wine cellar.  The day was on the verge of becoming legendary.

Inside La Morandina Cellar 

The cellar was built in the 900’s and had the feel of an old bunker.  It was stacked with huge barrels filled with various aging varietals, labeling machines, corking contraptions, and a perfect bar area for tastings.  We sat down and the bottles popped open.  Sadie and I have been to a couple tastings in Napa, but we’ve never experienced anything like the set up before us.  The owner of one of my favorite wineries opening every bottle they make specifically for us.  What an awesome experience!  

Not Quite White Truffles.  More like a Smurf Home.

Started with the reds, worked our way to the whites, then to the moscato, then the desert wine, and then grappa.  She probably opened about eight different bottles just for us.  By the fifth bottle or so, things started getting a little hazy and hilarious.  We drank, asked questions about the winery, and got insight into the whole wine making process.  After a couple hours, we were in such a deliriously happy state that we wanted to buy every bottle they had available...and we almost did.  Sadie and I ended up coming home with six bottles and a magnum of the moscato, all for a fraction of what it would have cost in the States.  We stumbled back into the daylight and endlessly thanked our host for her incredible generosity.  What was originally just a shot in the dark, turned into one of the best experiences we’ve had in Italy.  

Inside the cellar

The weekend was filled with small towns, big meals, and some of the best wine we’ve ever had.  We were constantly checking out new places the whole time we were there, but never felt rushed.  They have perfected the art of living well out in this part of the world.  The hospitality of the people of Piemonte is something I don’t think you can find too many other places.  We told Chiara and Paolo that we wanted to come back sometime soon to help with the next harvest.  They said the room and the wine would be waiting for us.


La Morandina: www.lamorandina.com
Osteria da Gemma: www.leradicieleali.it
Cascina Sant'Eufemia: www.cascinasanteufemia.it

View from Grinzane Cavour Castle

Rome vs. Paris

Over the past two weeks Sadie and I have made another two incredible trips.  First to Paris, then another return trip to bella Roma.  France and Italy have a long history of battling each other.  Whether it be on the soccer field, in culinary supremacy, or fashion design they always seem to be at each other for the title of worlds greatest in something.  After spending some time in the two capital cities, we wanted to give a rundown on how they stack up against each other in some random catagories...

This edition will be known as Italy(Rome) vs. France(Paris)

Options for Alternative Cuisine: This is a big one for us.  As much as we both love Italian food, having pizza and pasta everyday gets a little monotonous after a while.  Not to mention, eating all those carbs doesn’t help us squeeze into those leotards we have to wear each week for our performances.  We’ve found a couple spots in Rome that are incredible.  Handmade pasta gems that are so good it’s almost unfair to the inferior surrounding restaurants.  There are definitely these hidden secrets around Rome, but in every case they are serving Italian food.  Fantastic if you are vacationing in Italy, but not so much if you are used to NYC and it’s endless unique culinary specialties.  In fact, we needed some tastes from home so much that when we came back to Italy in Sept, most of our luggage weight was do to cans of refried beans, taco shells, and other necessities for making Mexican food.  We had to have it!!

Paris is filled with ethnic cuisine.  Japanese, Thai, falafels, Indian...whatever you’re in the mood for, you have at your disposal.  We found an organic vegetarian French/Japanese lunch spot called Bob’s Kitchen that was amazing.  Had incredible falafels another day.  Ate at a local French bistro another night.  Each meal was something different, and that can sometimes be lacking in Rome.  Paris definitely has the edge in this category.

Coffee/Croissants: Both Paris and Rome take coffee and croissants very seriously.  It is their daily breakfast and they are both proud of what they bring to the table.  Generally they say the croissants are better in Paris and the coffee better in Rome.  I’m not a big coffee drinker, but Sadie would tend to agree with that statement.

Also, Italy doesn’t allow Starbucks in the country, which keeps coffee shops local and unique.  Definitely nice not seeing a Starbucks every 50 feet.  Instead of having Starbucks on every corner Rome has a gelateria.  Much better use of space! 

In the end, you can’t go wrong with either.

Public Transportation: Not really a contest in this one.  Paris, one of the best.  Rome, not so much.  The subway system in Paris is extensive and makes perfect sense, even if you’ve never used it before.  The city is vast, but all the sights are easily accessible with the metro, buses, trams, etc.  They also have a fantastic bike sharing system that is great for tourists.

Rome’s public transportation consists of 2 metro lines, 8 or 9 buses, and a Vespa.  The one thing you learn very quickly about Rome is that to manage the city, you need a considerable amount of patience.  In Rome’s defense, it is very difficult to build anything new there because every time they start a new project, they find a spoon or something from antiquity, it becomes an archeological site and the project plans are scraped.  Just one of the prices you pay for living in a city that has layers upon layers of past civilizations.

Inside Notre Dame

Danger Factor:   In all the time we’ve spent in Rome, we’ve never felt any kind of danger or sketchy situation no matter where we’ve been.  The only thing to worry about in Rome is being bombarded with the gypsy salesman.  Endlessly forcing their crappy toys on anyone who remotely makes eye contact with them.  It amazes me that these same guys are out on the streets everyday selling bubble guns and jelly blob toys.  Who are buying these trinkets so much that it actually makes it worth their time to go back and sell more?!  I’ll never understand it.

Paris however, felt a little different.  The area around our hotel gave off that vibe of “you shouldn’t hang out in this area for too long unless you want to be mugged” so it gave Sadie and me a chance to work on our speed walking skills every night going from the metro to our hotel.  We also had a some incidences on trains where we felt like Kristofferson was on the verge of being kidnapped by some hoodlums!  Who is Kristofferon you ask?  It is the name Sadie has given to her beloved IPad of course.  (Named after one of her favorite movie characters from the classic film “Fantastic Mr. Fox”).  Not quite as scary now that you are aware of it being an electrical device and not a person, but we still feared for his safety.  

Museums: Paris has some of the most beautiful and impressive art collections in the world spread through it’s museums.  The Louve, Pompidou, Musee d’ Orsey...it goes on and on.  We toured as much as we could in three days and barely scratched the surface to what’s to see.  Not many cities can compete with what Paris has on display.  

      

Rome, however, is a museum in itself.  The whole city.  Yes, it has great collections in Villa Borghese, the Vatican, Scuderie, but Rome’s treasures are out in the open for everyone to see at any time of day.  One of the best ways to see Rome is late at night when everyone else is sleeping.  Walk the streets that have not changed much in centuries (some cases millennia) and you will feel like you have an all-access personal pass to the best museum you will ever see.  In my opinion, it’s difficult to challenge Rome when it comes to art and history.  So much to see and it’s accessibility is what makes it special.

Both Rome and Paris are magical cities.  They have so much to offer, but in very different ways.  At some point, get to both cities and see for yourself!

FIRENZE

Top of Duomo Dome

This week it was Florence...but not before we got what probably will be our last day in at the beach.  Our apartment is an easy five minute walk from the free beach on Lido, so we took advantage of the incredible day.  Below is nice picture of me passed out on the sand.  I don’t find out that Sadie has taken these photos until they end up ready for the blog.  She has a whole file of me sleeping awkwardly, making ridiculous faces, or me ripping my pants in public.  It’s amazing how much of a kick she gets out of seeing me make an fool out of myself...haha!

After our performances were done for the week, we had Florence on the agenda.  I had been looking forward to taking Sadie down there because it’s one of my favorite cities and she had yet experienced its uniqueness.  I was also in the process of finishing up an 800 page biographical novel on Michelangelo just as we got to Florence, so I was overloaded with Firenze history.  

Rape of the Sabine Women by Jean de Boulogne

Fun Fact #1: Thanks to Lorenzo de Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent), Florence was the artistic capital of the world during the Renaissance.  They were blessed with some of the greatest artists, thinkers, and scientists the world has ever known and with Lorenzo in charge, the city had a patron that had the funds and love of art to drive the Renaissance period to new heights.

Duomo covered in pink, green, and while marble 

Fountain of Neptune in Palazzo Vecchio

Our hotel, though not quite a five star hotel (more on that in a moment), was in a great location.  We were only two blocks from the Duomo, so all the major spots were within walking distance.  We hit up most of the obligatory sites (Palazzo Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Duomo and Brunelesschi’s Dome, Ponte Vecchio) but one stood out above the rest.  Maybe it was because of having just read about its creation, but seeing the David was awe inspiring for both of us.  As you walk into the corridor lined with MA’s unfinished Prisoner statues you feel like they are guarding the King at the end of the row.  For anyone who has never seen the David up close before, he is absolutely massive.  He sits underneath a glass cuppola that pours sunlight onto his head.  Sadie and I both got chills seeing the sculpture up close.  Some pieces of art don’t live up to their name and history when you see them in person.  The David however is more amazing than you could possibly imagine from looking at a picture.  

The Pitti Palace 

Fun Fact #2: Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, who were both working and living in Florence at the same time, didn’t get along very well.  Leonardo was originally given the commission to sculpt the block of marble that eventually became Michelangelo’s David, but he turned it down because he felt sculpting was a lower form of art.

So back to our little hotel.  Again, great location, but the rooms had a laughable tackiness to them.  Our room, the “Giotto Room,” was painted a light purple and gold framed religious art surrounding us on all sides.  The bed had a huge draped crown headboard over the bed made of the finest crushed purple velvet available.  There wasn’t a bathroom (one toilet down the hall shared by the whole hotel) in the room, but there was a sink/shower combination.  Which is ideal for brushing your teeth and washing your hair at the same time!

The highlight of the room was the bed...or should I say beds.  Upon entering the room the bed looked like it was a nice size full or possibly even a queen.  After further inspection, we saw that it was two twin mattresses that had been velcroed together.  Still a major step up from Como, so both of us didn’t mind.  

That night, in the midst of one of the most pleasant nights sleep I’ve had in a while, the beds started to ever so slightly separate.  I was positioned right on the crack of the two beds, which I now know is the last place you want to be when European beds are velcroed together.  What I didn’t realize was that not only were there two mattresses, but they were also on separate frames.  The velcro did all it could, but it finally gave out at around 3:00am.  The beds splits, the frames shot in opposite directions, I collapse onto the floor with one mattress toppling on top of me.  Great night of sleep indeed!  What was even better was that Sadie was perfectly fine in the other bed.  She woke up just in time to see me sprawled out on the floor with the mattress on top of my head,  which lead to the appropriate response of her laughing uncontrollably.  Needless to say I didn’t sleep so well the rest of the night.

The next morning I tried to explain the previous nights episode to the woman behind the counter in hopes of a room change, money back, or at least some kind of apology.  Not quite. The woman, instead, told me of the multiple times SHE had fallen out of bed over the years and how she had hit her head on the floor as well.  “Be grateful you didn’t hit your head like me!”   Yes, that was the response I got from the incredibly concerned hotel staff.  

**She did however, put a stronger piece of velcro on the two mattresses and they thankfully held through our second night.

WINE TASTING!

The next morning we made up for our terrible night of sleep when we stumbled on a once a year wine/cheese/olive oil/honey tasting in one of the main squares.  About fifty wine producers from Chianti set up tents showing off there new products and for the unbelievably low price of two Euro, we were given a wine glass and free reign to taste as many as we wanted.  If you were in this situation, how many wines would you have sampled?  There is only one right answer...all of them.  Or that was the intention, until half way through we had had about eight bottles of wine each and could barely feel our legs.  Fortunately, it was still only noon, so in true Italian style we managed an early afternoon nap.  Only our nap lasted about five hours.  A marvelous way to spend a day in Florence...

Brunelleschi's Dome

Fun Fact #3:  Before Brunelleschi came up with the design for the dome on the duomo in Florence, the completed church was without a roof for over 100 years.  He studied the Pantheon in Rome to come up with the proper design for his famous dome.  You can go to the top of the dome for one of the most beautiful views in Florence...it is however, 463 steps to the top!

Florence is an absolutely beautiful city.  The kind of city that we hope to get back to sometime soon...but next time we’ll make sure to get a room that has a bed that stays in one piece.

Ponte Vecchio