Day 10
There is nothing on the docket for the next two days, so that means.... we get to sleep in, baby! It was lovely to have a lazy morning! When we finally got up and out the door, it was lunchtime. We headed back to Mercado Centrale to feast on the yummy goodness within. The whole 2nd floor is basically a food hall offering literally everything Florence has to offer.
Bryan is waiting in line for a sandwich he's been dying to try for months! Ever since watching the Florece episode of Tucci in Italy, Bryan has wanted to try a lampredotto sandwich. I am going to start by saying it was amazing. Absolutely incredible. Lampredotto is slow-cooked meat in a vegetable broth with herbs, chopped, and commonly served in a crusty, broth-soaked bread roll (panino) topped with green sauce (salsa verde) or spicy. Bryan got the spicy. Doesn't that sound fabulous?!
So, I sort of left out a little part. It's the type of meat. It's abomasum, the 3rd and final stomach of the cow. That changes the whole thing, doesn't it? Strangely, I didn't feel like having cow stomach for lunch, so I chose a prosciutto and barata sandwich. I definitely wanted to try the lapradotto, and in all honesty, it was absolutely delicious. Way better than my lunch!
Above is the man that owns the Lampredotto shop making one of his famous sandwiches. He was recently filmed for an episode of a TV show, his sandwiches are that good! Below is actual footage of the moment Bryan took his first bite... va bene!
It's Saturday and Sunday, and we were so shocked that the sleepy little streets we had become used to were filled with one gazillion people! Saturday also happened to be Liberation Day, a national holiday commemorating the country's liberation from Nazi Germany during WW II, making things more crowded.
On Insta, someone posted a day-long walking tour with several spots we hadn't been to, so we decided to try it out! With our bellies full, we headed to the world's oldest pharmacy, Officina Profrumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. It was founded in 1221 when the monks grew medicinal herbs to make balms and medicines for their infirmary. It's famous for creating "Acqua della Regina (Queen's Water) for Catherine de' Medici in 1533, one of the 1st alcohol based perfumes. It opened to the public in 1612. Today, they sell products using centuries-old recipes, such as soaps, skincare, and perfumes.
The interior was gorgeous! We enjoyed smelling all the perfumes & soaps. They even had Queen's Water!
The next stop on our Insta list was Cinema Teatro Odeon - It's a large bookstore with an upstairs theater. Movies are playing consistently so you can watch and shop, or just watch!
They were playing "The Grand Budapest Hotel" in English with Italian subtitles!
Let's talk cars. There are so many itty-bitty cars here! Every time I see one, I have to do a double take - they are just so small it's shocking! Here are a few for your viewing enjoyment. You're welcome!
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| This one is so small it can park sideways and not stick out into the street! |
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| A convertible! And the guy who owns it is about Bryan's size! |
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| Even the garbage trucks are tiny! |
Ok, that's enough about cars, let's talk pigs! Il Porcellino is a bronze statue of a wild boar, even though the name means "the piglet". It's actually a 20th-century bronze copy of a 17th-century marble original that's housed in the Uffizi Museum. The boar is popular because of a legend that says rubbing its nose brings good luck. (Look how shiny his nose is from all the rubs!) More specifically, after rubbing his nose, you put a coin in his mouth, and if it falls into the grate below, you'll have good luck. Don't ask what my coin did, I don't want to talk about it.
Piazza della Signoria was next on the list. There are several statues in this square, including Neptune's Fountain, 1563, which we are standing in front of below. Loggia dei Lanzi is also in the piazza; it's a free, open-air gallery with significant Renaissance sculptures. Bryan is in front of the Uffizi, which we decided not to visit this trip.
We were getting a little peckish, so we decided to stop for an Affogato. This little cup of deliciousness has gelato on all 4 sides with an espresso shot in the center. Bry got pistachio, and I got tiramisu. Bry's was better, hands down. Even so, they were the best little pick-me-up!
We're back on track and heading to Ponte Vecchio, a bridge with gold shops lining each edge all the way across. It was wall-to-wall people! The bridge crosses over the main river in Florence, the Arno River. We did get some amazing photos on each side of the bridge!
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| Ponte Vecchio - the place where strangers become intimate friends, lol! |
It was exhausting crossing the bridge, and there wasn't nearly enough gelato in the affogato we had earlier, so we stopped at Edoardo, a bio organic gelato shop. Ok, so this is the point where I give you an education in gelato. I used to think "Gelato is gelato! They are all good!" But because of our food tours in Trastevere and Florence, we learned that most of the gelato around is not authentic. Many shops add chemicals to make the gelato fluffy, and add artificial colors to make it more appealing. A true gelato should not be taller than the container, and more often than not, there are lids on the containers. Also, there should not be a million flavors - just 8-10, maybe 12. In Florence, Tina told us we should look for bio-organic. That's a sure sign it's the real thing. I have to say, the good stuff is really hard to find! We have tried both, and the difference is night and day. Now we just walk by every place with the fluffy gelato - it's not even worth having! We've become gelato snobs! Sooooo... when we saw this little hidden gem on our way, we had to stop!
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| For reference, this is no, no, no gelato. It looks so yummy, but the taste falls flat. |
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| Don't worry if you can't find good gelato, there are always many, many other traditional options around! |
After our gelato break, we crossed the river to head to Piazzale Michaelangelo, a 19th-century panoramic terrace with breathtaking views of the city from one of the highest vantage points.
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Look at all the people on the steps of Michelangelo's Square! They're all waiting for the sunset over Florence. It's breathtaking!
We decided to walk back because we're allergic to big crowds! But after a couple more breathtaking views, we caught the sunset while crossing the Arno River.
At this point, we were starving! While wandering the streets, we happened upon a little trattoria called Zio Gigi, one of the best spontaneous decisions of our trip! The owner, Luigi, seated us while talking, laughing, and singing to us with the biggest, boldest voice ever! He greeted every customer in the same way and said goodbye in the same way. His big smile and warm, welcoming tone made dinner an entertaining experience!
He even sang to Bryan as he was paying!
In Italy, the order of meals is
- Antipasto (appetizers)
- Primi (first course), which is always pasta
- Secondi (second course), which is always meat
- Contorno (Side Dishes)
- Coffee
- Dolce (Dessert)
We had a lazy stroll home past the Duomo. We walked by it every day, but it never ceased to amaze us. We are walking the streets of Florence at night without a care in the world! It doesn't get much better than this!
Bellisimo! 🩷
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