Tonight I went to pick up Massi and the wine he had ordered from his company. It took almost an hour and a half to reach him on the other side of the city from Sesto - a journey that Google Maps said should take 24 minutes. The traffic was even more unbelievable than normal! Once I was finally made it, I had no desire to rush back into the traffic again, so we went to Il Battibecco, a restaurant that we had been recommended before, that we had tried to go to on our last trip to Chiantishire - only to find it closed.
The place is beautiful,flaming torches, flowers and terracotta statues on the lawn. To make a change, it was steak for dinner - its becoming a Florentine staple for us - maybe because, as Massi said, we haven't eaten steak for 7 months of student life!
But with the steak came salad.
And in addition to the grated carrot, valeriana (for which I don't know the name in English - its mache in French...) and cucumber, there were nectarines, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, oranges... it was a little strange. Somehow it seemed to be like the kind of salad that you would find in an English fusion restaurant - or in Hong Kong. But out in the Tuscan countryside, it was a little at odds - more confusion than fusion.
The only thing more colourful than the salad was the owner's trousers - post-box red jeans with Swarovski-esque diamante, not for the faint-hearted!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Runners beware of Google Map!
I owe a debt to Google map. I have been running near the residence where I am staying, but my lungs are struggling a bit with the fumes from the cars chugging past.
So tonight I decided to look at Google Map - and the satellite picture - to see whether I could find a spot of green to head for.
Triumphant, I pulled on my trainers and headed out the door at a steady pace, humming along to my favourite running tunes (Black Eyed Peas, Monkey Business - I try to do the whole album, which means I am out for an hour more or less).
I was delighted to breathe the fresh air as I turned up an almost country lane and into the domain of the gated mansion, in some cases, double gates! The scenery was gorgeous, but as I headed for Fiesole, the hills started to bite a bit.
I realised when I was half way up that what looks flat on Google Map (or flat-ish) can in fact be a heck of a climb when you are pounding the pavement in your Reeboks!
Still, it certainly beats running next to the traffic, and I will go out that way again - it must be easier the second time around!
So tonight I decided to look at Google Map - and the satellite picture - to see whether I could find a spot of green to head for.
Triumphant, I pulled on my trainers and headed out the door at a steady pace, humming along to my favourite running tunes (Black Eyed Peas, Monkey Business - I try to do the whole album, which means I am out for an hour more or less).
I was delighted to breathe the fresh air as I turned up an almost country lane and into the domain of the gated mansion, in some cases, double gates! The scenery was gorgeous, but as I headed for Fiesole, the hills started to bite a bit.
I realised when I was half way up that what looks flat on Google Map (or flat-ish) can in fact be a heck of a climb when you are pounding the pavement in your Reeboks!
Still, it certainly beats running next to the traffic, and I will go out that way again - it must be easier the second time around!
A near miss!
A short note to the driver of the black car on the roundabout near the Ipercoop in Sesto Fiorentino this evening....
I know this is Florence
And that your car was bigger than ours
And significantly newer too
And that we are stranieri (foreigners)
But - you still need to look before you turn right off a roundabout - especially if you are in the wrong lane at the time
And beeping loudly (and gesticulating rudely!) at me, is no let-off for appalling driving!
Thankfully, we escaped without a scratch, apart from my poor heart which beat faster as far as Santa Maria Novella...
If a cat has nine lives, how many does a car have? We used one up today to be sure....
I know this is Florence
And that your car was bigger than ours
And significantly newer too
And that we are stranieri (foreigners)
But - you still need to look before you turn right off a roundabout - especially if you are in the wrong lane at the time
And beeping loudly (and gesticulating rudely!) at me, is no let-off for appalling driving!
Thankfully, we escaped without a scratch, apart from my poor heart which beat faster as far as Santa Maria Novella...
If a cat has nine lives, how many does a car have? We used one up today to be sure....
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Smelling the air (again)
I wrote about the aromas in Florence once before, when we all went to Chiantishire last week. But its amazing, downtown, really there are 2 all-pervading smells - meat on a grill, and the occasional waft of jasmine, which is currently in bloom and, especially in my neighbourhood, is perceivable every now and again, and is beautiful and always unexpected.
Tonight, after a quick aperitivo in new-Nanut (no pizza, olive ascolane, peanuts or anything else - come back Portizza!) Massi and I got the munchies so headed for a place he found on the internet, that is famous for steaks.
Reminiscent of an old butchers, with white tiles half way up the walls, it was clear what we wanted before we went in - and even before we smelt the indoor barbeque from the kitchen at the back (the smoke and the smells reminded me of a trip to Tokyo with my friend Becky 2 years ago when we ate yakitori kebabs under the train bridge with the locals.)
The waiter, friendly but tired, said we didn't have long to order as they were soon closing. Luckily we didn't need long! 2 steaks, 2 salads and a half litre of the house wine later we were satisfied and satiated.
I would write the name of the place but a) I have no idea what it is and b) I think it is a bit like the Lonely Planet theory. The less you write, the less people know, the better it is, the more chance you have of getting in the next time!
So for those that know me, ask about the location of the secret steak house (and I will ask Massi - my sense of direction is still pretty bad!) For anyone else reading, just know that there are still places a little bit hidden away downtown where you can have the full Tuscan culinary experience - and - as Massi found it on the web, maybe you will too!
Tonight, after a quick aperitivo in new-Nanut (no pizza, olive ascolane, peanuts or anything else - come back Portizza!) Massi and I got the munchies so headed for a place he found on the internet, that is famous for steaks.
Reminiscent of an old butchers, with white tiles half way up the walls, it was clear what we wanted before we went in - and even before we smelt the indoor barbeque from the kitchen at the back (the smoke and the smells reminded me of a trip to Tokyo with my friend Becky 2 years ago when we ate yakitori kebabs under the train bridge with the locals.)
The waiter, friendly but tired, said we didn't have long to order as they were soon closing. Luckily we didn't need long! 2 steaks, 2 salads and a half litre of the house wine later we were satisfied and satiated.
I would write the name of the place but a) I have no idea what it is and b) I think it is a bit like the Lonely Planet theory. The less you write, the less people know, the better it is, the more chance you have of getting in the next time!
So for those that know me, ask about the location of the secret steak house (and I will ask Massi - my sense of direction is still pretty bad!) For anyone else reading, just know that there are still places a little bit hidden away downtown where you can have the full Tuscan culinary experience - and - as Massi found it on the web, maybe you will too!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Characters of Firenze, Part 1
The more I wander around the city, the more I realise that there are a number of charicatures of Florentine life that recur time and time again. I'm not talking about the cartoon charicatures that the myriad of artists here are ready to scribble out as fast as you can drop 5 Euros into their hands, (although they might rank for a place in the Characters list on their own!) but the characters that you can spot in every part of the City of Art.
I want to write about each of them gradually, but my first pen portrait is dedicated to the African bag sellers.
An amazing bunch of guys, with, I am sure, an incredibly hard life, these guys are everywhere and now as much a part of Florence as the Arno or Davide, you can see them all over the city centre - from the Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio and back again.
They lay their wares out on huge white sheets, and stand shoulder to shoulder along the streets leading from every major square, hoping to lure one of the many, many, many tourists to make a purchase, at a negotiated price that is mutually acceptable.
I sat yesterday evening having a sundowner in the Piazza Della Republica, and watched the troop outside Zara for a while. The tallest guy, with the broad smile, who was nearest to the coffee shop seemed more successful than the rest - survival of the fittest - but I am not sure whether this was due to his height, the spot he had staked his stall on, his superior collection of bags, or his sales technique.
The bags are all knock-offs of course, and the police are supposed to be cracking down on the trade in a big way. So after a while a horn started to sound quietly and a rush of activity ensued - with every vendor on the street picking his sheet up by its 4 corners and, tucking all the copy bags safely inside, throwing it over his shoulder Dick Whittington style before dashing over to stand near the coffee shop, and off the main drag. Likewise the guys selling the sunglasses on carboard sheets - they fold in half and are carried like a picnic table around the corner.
Now surrounded by bag and glasses sellers, I watched with interest as a car bearing the words Polizia Municipale cruised slowly down the street.
After it had passed however, the sellers were back out with a vengeance, stopping only to throw a quick smile in the direction of the waiter (who in turn suggested they might like to give me a bag for free - they didn't but it was nice of him to ask!)
In the hour that I sat at the bar, this process happened twice - and each time the bags were gone for about 1 minute or less. The more experienced of them have it sorted, they can lift and move the sheet without really disturbing the lines of products inside. The newbies though, have a harder job, having to rebuild the display every time.
I want to write about each of them gradually, but my first pen portrait is dedicated to the African bag sellers.
An amazing bunch of guys, with, I am sure, an incredibly hard life, these guys are everywhere and now as much a part of Florence as the Arno or Davide, you can see them all over the city centre - from the Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio and back again.
They lay their wares out on huge white sheets, and stand shoulder to shoulder along the streets leading from every major square, hoping to lure one of the many, many, many tourists to make a purchase, at a negotiated price that is mutually acceptable.
I sat yesterday evening having a sundowner in the Piazza Della Republica, and watched the troop outside Zara for a while. The tallest guy, with the broad smile, who was nearest to the coffee shop seemed more successful than the rest - survival of the fittest - but I am not sure whether this was due to his height, the spot he had staked his stall on, his superior collection of bags, or his sales technique.
The bags are all knock-offs of course, and the police are supposed to be cracking down on the trade in a big way. So after a while a horn started to sound quietly and a rush of activity ensued - with every vendor on the street picking his sheet up by its 4 corners and, tucking all the copy bags safely inside, throwing it over his shoulder Dick Whittington style before dashing over to stand near the coffee shop, and off the main drag. Likewise the guys selling the sunglasses on carboard sheets - they fold in half and are carried like a picnic table around the corner.
Now surrounded by bag and glasses sellers, I watched with interest as a car bearing the words Polizia Municipale cruised slowly down the street.
After it had passed however, the sellers were back out with a vengeance, stopping only to throw a quick smile in the direction of the waiter (who in turn suggested they might like to give me a bag for free - they didn't but it was nice of him to ask!)
In the hour that I sat at the bar, this process happened twice - and each time the bags were gone for about 1 minute or less. The more experienced of them have it sorted, they can lift and move the sheet without really disturbing the lines of products inside. The newbies though, have a harder job, having to rebuild the display every time.
Tonight on the news
After the usual news fare (hot weather causing fires - its 44 degrees in Palermo!; politics; something featuring the Pope) an unusual story on Canale 5 about the tomatoes this year. There seems to be some debate about whether they are superior to last year's crop or not, with one man lamenting the early ripeness of the fruit this year following an unbelievably warm year. Consensus though, over the fact that the market-bought variety are the best, rather than those in the supermarket. Although I agree I can't help thinking that the interviewees should try the Hong Kong kind if they think the supermarket ones are bad - after a few days on the plane they taste nothing like they did when they left their point of origin. (Although the Italian ones are always better, even if you pay through the nose for them - and its not just that I am biased I promise!)
The article finished though with a recipe for Bloody Mary - made without vodka, but with carrot juice, tomatoes, cardamom seeds and lemon juice, and finished with the obligatory celery stick.
I was just pondering on the newsworthiness (or lack thereof!) of this particular story, when the first ad came on - a topless woman advertising suncream! Only in Italy....
The article finished though with a recipe for Bloody Mary - made without vodka, but with carrot juice, tomatoes, cardamom seeds and lemon juice, and finished with the obligatory celery stick.
I was just pondering on the newsworthiness (or lack thereof!) of this particular story, when the first ad came on - a topless woman advertising suncream! Only in Italy....
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Patriotism goes up in smoke
Today I spent the whole day walking around the city, trying to get myself oriented with Florence. My poor feet are killing me, but it was nice to spend a day out and about, especially the 20 minutes sitting outside the Piazza Pitti reading my book and resting! I have been across the Arno many times, and walked up to Piazzale Michaelangelo - with its amazing view down on the city. And seen Piazza de la Signoria at almost hourly intervals. I will eventually understand how it all fits together...
Tonight were the annual fireworks over the Arno for the Festa di San Giovanni - Florence's patron saint. Slow to start, they finished well, and there were cheers all around when the red, white and green stripes exploded in the air, only equalled perhaps by the cheers when there was a large purple explosion. (For the uninitiated, purple is the colour of the Florence football team!).
At the end - after 45 minutes - a vigorous round of applause, then the masses headed for the buses to get home.
PS Thanks to the anonymous reader who corrected me on the Saint's name - I have duly corrected it - apologies!
MIB beats Insead and other business schools
OK, in a football tournament, but nonetheless we are very proud of the guys who played in the hot Roman sun for 2 days. the MBA Cup must be a tournament worth winning - look at the size of the trophy! Congrats guys!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Just when you think you have nothing to write...
When you have a blog, there is a pressure that you put on yourself to write something as often as you can, to keep people up to date on the things you see around you. So tonight when I got back from the office early having gone in early this morning, I was feeling a little lost as to what to say. After all, today I got up, went to the office and came home again at the end of the day. Not exactly riveting stuff!
So after dinner I decided a stroll was in order. So I rang Jenny and Marina, and we went out for a walk, and a gelato. Ice creams in hand, we wandered into the park near the stadium.
Then we heard the music.
Thursday nghts in our park in Florence there is dancing in the park. There was live music - the strangely titled 'Max and Airbag Orchestra' (and I talk a lot so Marina giggled that it might be a good name for me and Massi to steal for a future group!) The airbag in this case however seemed to be mainly connected to the synthesiser which was blaring loudly, whilst the septegenarians (some plus change!) bopped around the dance floor, and the 3 grandkids shook their stuff in the middle. It was a bit like a dance from the Elizabethan movies, with the old biddies sitting around the edge on chairs, and a few game guys picking them up out of their chairs at random for a turn around the floor.
There was a lot of discussion amongst the three of us for the top dancer awards - and it got really tough to pick when the tango started - those guys know the moves! But, as with all tough competitions, we compiled the top 5.
Here they are in reverse order...
Number 5 - Pale green shirt. Nothing special at dancing but gets points for being willing to carry his wife's red handbag across his shoulder as he twirled around.
Number 4 - Any man who was brave enough to dance with the half naked 30 something in the silver bikini top. She was a real health risk for most of those guys!
Number 3 - The lady in the black top, with the fierce expression, who took control of every man she danced with, and pushed them around the floor
Number 2 - The tall guy with the beard, who couldn't dance for toffee, but got high high marks for enthusiasm (and extra laughter points for complete lack of co-ordination!)
and the uncontested number 1 spot goes to..... (drumroll)
The guy with a little white hair, glasses and a purple silky dancing shirt, who picked a different lady for every song (although was demonstrating a preference for the head-to-toe-in-turquoise lady when we left). At the end of every dance, he dashed across the circle as fast as his special black dancing slippers would take him, to claim his next partner.
After at least an hour of giggling, we wandered home, with Marina and I twirling and whirling as we left the park.
Thank you to the Comune di Firenze, and all the dancing folk for making this post WAY more interesting than it would otherwise have been. And of course, to the famous 'Max and Airbag Orchestra"!
So after dinner I decided a stroll was in order. So I rang Jenny and Marina, and we went out for a walk, and a gelato. Ice creams in hand, we wandered into the park near the stadium.
Then we heard the music.
Thursday nghts in our park in Florence there is dancing in the park. There was live music - the strangely titled 'Max and Airbag Orchestra' (and I talk a lot so Marina giggled that it might be a good name for me and Massi to steal for a future group!) The airbag in this case however seemed to be mainly connected to the synthesiser which was blaring loudly, whilst the septegenarians (some plus change!) bopped around the dance floor, and the 3 grandkids shook their stuff in the middle. It was a bit like a dance from the Elizabethan movies, with the old biddies sitting around the edge on chairs, and a few game guys picking them up out of their chairs at random for a turn around the floor.
There was a lot of discussion amongst the three of us for the top dancer awards - and it got really tough to pick when the tango started - those guys know the moves! But, as with all tough competitions, we compiled the top 5.
Here they are in reverse order...
Number 5 - Pale green shirt. Nothing special at dancing but gets points for being willing to carry his wife's red handbag across his shoulder as he twirled around.
Number 4 - Any man who was brave enough to dance with the half naked 30 something in the silver bikini top. She was a real health risk for most of those guys!
Number 3 - The lady in the black top, with the fierce expression, who took control of every man she danced with, and pushed them around the floor
Number 2 - The tall guy with the beard, who couldn't dance for toffee, but got high high marks for enthusiasm (and extra laughter points for complete lack of co-ordination!)
and the uncontested number 1 spot goes to..... (drumroll)
The guy with a little white hair, glasses and a purple silky dancing shirt, who picked a different lady for every song (although was demonstrating a preference for the head-to-toe-in-turquoise lady when we left). At the end of every dance, he dashed across the circle as fast as his special black dancing slippers would take him, to claim his next partner.
After at least an hour of giggling, we wandered home, with Marina and I twirling and whirling as we left the park.
Thank you to the Comune di Firenze, and all the dancing folk for making this post WAY more interesting than it would otherwise have been. And of course, to the famous 'Max and Airbag Orchestra"!
Sniffing the air
Today we went after work for a drive to the hills, to decompress a bit after a tough day. Massi had asked the salesman for Florence for his company for some great (and cheap!) places to go, and we have already decided to return to the first place we stopped - the prices were so reasonable and the place so nice that it was completely full and we were turned away. We set off for the next recommended spot, and spent a funny 5 minutes sniffing the perfume of grilling steak in the air, trying to find the restaurant, before we realised it was a few unsuspecting English folk having a barbie in their own garden, and that the restaurant in question was, in fact, closed. After a short pit stop in a village nearby, without the air filled with grilling steak and where the Osteria was also closed, (is it a Wednesday thing I wonder?) we stopped a lady and asked her directions to a reasonable restaurant in the vicinity. She not only directed us to a place to go (very pleasant, but not up to Saturday's standards), but turned up at the place 2 minutes before us, to pick up a take away pizza!
The steak was out of the budget, so Jenny and Marina had pizza, and Massi and I cold cuts and bread, him with chips, me with salad.
And some of the local red, which is a prerequisite here.
Massi also told us all in the car that currently the mens' fashion collections are being unveiled in Florence, so the town is full of male models, and the social calendar full of parties. He is under strict instructions to work on tickets for us all with his connections, but somehow seems retiscent so far!
The steak was out of the budget, so Jenny and Marina had pizza, and Massi and I cold cuts and bread, him with chips, me with salad.
And some of the local red, which is a prerequisite here.
Massi also told us all in the car that currently the mens' fashion collections are being unveiled in Florence, so the town is full of male models, and the social calendar full of parties. He is under strict instructions to work on tickets for us all with his connections, but somehow seems retiscent so far!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Fa Caldo!
I just heard on the news that the temperature could rise to 40 degrees centigrade in Tuscany over the next few days. Added to the humidity and the lack of breeze - Florence is in a valley - it certainly feels warm for the short time that I am outside these days.
On Friday we are scheduled to go to Rome for the MBA Cup, and it might be a bit warm for football! But I heard today that there might be a train strike....
On Friday we are scheduled to go to Rome for the MBA Cup, and it might be a bit warm for football! But I heard today that there might be a train strike....
Driving games
I used to work as a consultant for a big gaming company, but somehow never really got into virtual reality. The games I liked the best though were always the driving games.
But here is Florence, virtual reality driving games would only seem tame compared to the original Florentine experience! The traffic here is incredible, but at least when it is crawling along, you can nudge your way from lane to lane.
Much more scary is when the traffic is flowing freely. The signs send you from one side of a four lane road to the other, in the space of about 100 metres, and strangely, although there are 4 lanes drawn on the road there seem to be anything between 6 and 3 lanes of traffic in use! Added to this strange side to side journey across Florence's main boulevards are many other cars, some doing the same waltz as you, some doing the reverse, and some just lost! And then Vespas. And cyclists. And pedestrians. And buses.
You get the picture!
But the stranger thing still is, that it makes for a somehow very fun experience, as long as you keep your sense of humour (and I do try, with Marina and Jenny chatting to me happily to keep me sane, and all 3 of us singing along to the radio.) Also, importantly, after one week of driving mayhem, no-one has so much as touched the bumper of Massi's Panda, the car we are lucky enough to be driving around in!
But here is Florence, virtual reality driving games would only seem tame compared to the original Florentine experience! The traffic here is incredible, but at least when it is crawling along, you can nudge your way from lane to lane.
Much more scary is when the traffic is flowing freely. The signs send you from one side of a four lane road to the other, in the space of about 100 metres, and strangely, although there are 4 lanes drawn on the road there seem to be anything between 6 and 3 lanes of traffic in use! Added to this strange side to side journey across Florence's main boulevards are many other cars, some doing the same waltz as you, some doing the reverse, and some just lost! And then Vespas. And cyclists. And pedestrians. And buses.
You get the picture!
But the stranger thing still is, that it makes for a somehow very fun experience, as long as you keep your sense of humour (and I do try, with Marina and Jenny chatting to me happily to keep me sane, and all 3 of us singing along to the radio.) Also, importantly, after one week of driving mayhem, no-one has so much as touched the bumper of Massi's Panda, the car we are lucky enough to be driving around in!
Monday, June 18, 2007
An Ode to the Butcher
Across the road from the residence where I am staying is an old-fashioned Macelleria (butcher). Tonight I walked in for the first time ever, clutching my last 5 Euros in my hand and said to the man behind the counter - would 5 Euros buy me some chicken?
He said indeed it would and prepared to give me 5 euros worth of finest chicken breast, sliced neatly with all the yucky bits removed.
Then he looked across the counter at me and asked whether, if I needed money, I wanted him to charge 50 Euros to my Bancomat and he could give me the cash. I said that was fine, I can (hopefully) get some cash at work tomorrow.
Then, as he wrapped the meat, he looked at me again. "Listen", he said, "if you don't have money now, but you are hungry, I can give you meat for now and you can pay for it later - tomorrow or whenever."
I assured him that it was fine, I was really OK with the chicken (and not destitute, just caught short away from a cashpoint) and with many thank yous, left the shop.
It's a very Italian thing, this unexpected kindness, and the relaxed attitude to money, and even after a few years of coming here, I am still overwhelmed by it.
And for the butcher, his kindness has won him one very loyal customer, at least for the 3 months that I am living here.
PS - having just arrived home with the chicken, Massi rang to say him and his colleague and friend Cameron were going for pizza. So I hopped in the Panda (wonderful motor!) and joined them. The butcher's delicious looking chicken is now on the menu tomorrow night!
He said indeed it would and prepared to give me 5 euros worth of finest chicken breast, sliced neatly with all the yucky bits removed.
Then he looked across the counter at me and asked whether, if I needed money, I wanted him to charge 50 Euros to my Bancomat and he could give me the cash. I said that was fine, I can (hopefully) get some cash at work tomorrow.
Then, as he wrapped the meat, he looked at me again. "Listen", he said, "if you don't have money now, but you are hungry, I can give you meat for now and you can pay for it later - tomorrow or whenever."
I assured him that it was fine, I was really OK with the chicken (and not destitute, just caught short away from a cashpoint) and with many thank yous, left the shop.
It's a very Italian thing, this unexpected kindness, and the relaxed attitude to money, and even after a few years of coming here, I am still overwhelmed by it.
And for the butcher, his kindness has won him one very loyal customer, at least for the 3 months that I am living here.
PS - having just arrived home with the chicken, Massi rang to say him and his colleague and friend Cameron were going for pizza. So I hopped in the Panda (wonderful motor!) and joined them. The butcher's delicious looking chicken is now on the menu tomorrow night!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Chianti in Chiantishire
Saturday afternoon after a trip to the amazing central market in Florence, Massi and I heard the call of the hills, and set out in the Panda to Chiantishire. After a brief photo stop at a terrace garden overlooking the city (with about 1000 other tourists!) we wandered happily up and down little lanes, climbing until we found the wonderful Ristoro Di Lamole , and sat down to watch the sun go down over the hills, with a glass (or 2) of chianti, and some salami and cheese. Fabulous, and I hope only the first of many such trips into Chiantishire.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The New Nanut
Regular readers will know that in Trieste the Enoteca Nanut was a key feature on my social caendar. In the round of farewells to Trieste, we said goodbye to it, and to Luca the owner, many times. So finding the new Nanut - especially before the expected visitors start arriving - was a priority.
The good news is that after very little searching, Massi has found the new official Enoteca. Right opposite the Palazzo Pitti (over the Ponte Vecchio) the enoteca is lovely, as is Eduardo the owner. And the prices were way better than you would expect from the location - but maybe after our conversation the owner just realised that we might be good for business over the months that we are here!
I have also found my new official bar for coffee and brioche in the morning. Caffe Villani is diagonally opposite the place we are staying, and the coffee is not bad - and the brioche fantastic.
The good news is that after very little searching, Massi has found the new official Enoteca. Right opposite the Palazzo Pitti (over the Ponte Vecchio) the enoteca is lovely, as is Eduardo the owner. And the prices were way better than you would expect from the location - but maybe after our conversation the owner just realised that we might be good for business over the months that we are here!
I have also found my new official bar for coffee and brioche in the morning. Caffe Villani is diagonally opposite the place we are staying, and the coffee is not bad - and the brioche fantastic.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
MSN SMS SOS
We are all still in touch with each other - thank godness for new(ish) technology!
The wonders of Skype, SMSs and MSN mean that my classmates and I can still chat happily and keep each other in the loop, now about work, about our new cities, about any gossip (!) and, most importantly, plan weekends together.
Next weekend we will all be in Rome for the MBA Cup 2007. And at the end of the month, we are trying to plan a weekend in Florence with a tour guide to see some of the culture here... and who knows? Maybe try the local Chianti too!
The wonders of Skype, SMSs and MSN mean that my classmates and I can still chat happily and keep each other in the loop, now about work, about our new cities, about any gossip (!) and, most importantly, plan weekends together.
Next weekend we will all be in Rome for the MBA Cup 2007. And at the end of the month, we are trying to plan a weekend in Florence with a tour guide to see some of the culture here... and who knows? Maybe try the local Chianti too!
Back to one pot cooking
The luxurious days of life-with-a-dishwasher are over for me. In Trieste, I turned into the kind of cook that you know has a dishwasher - from the number of pans, plates and utensils that were used in the cooking process.
Well, habits may die hard, but without a dishwasher, they also die quickly! Now that I am washing up myself again, I am back to cooking on one pan, with one spoon - or better still - not all all.
Luckily my employer feeds me well at lunchtimes, and the morning brioche in the new official bar over the road keeps me going, so I only need something light in the evenings.
It's salad again tonight - terribly boring, but good for the upcoming weekends on the tuscan beaches in a bikini!
Well, habits may die hard, but without a dishwasher, they also die quickly! Now that I am washing up myself again, I am back to cooking on one pan, with one spoon - or better still - not all all.
Luckily my employer feeds me well at lunchtimes, and the morning brioche in the new official bar over the road keeps me going, so I only need something light in the evenings.
It's salad again tonight - terribly boring, but good for the upcoming weekends on the tuscan beaches in a bikini!
There is no 'c' in 'Tuscany'
Having spent 9 months getting to grips with rudimentary Triestine dialect (and learning 1 word in Udinese, which is a language and not a dialect), I am now acclimatising to the Tuscan accent. Florence was the birthplace of Italian, thanks to Dante Alighieri, and so the dialect here is the 'real' Italian.
But with one exception. In Florence, the Florentines do not pronounce the 'c' when they speak. So 'Cosa fai?' (what are you doing?) becomes "Hosa fai?'
And Coca Cola, "hoha hola" - more or less.
It's a lovely dialect, very soft, and after a few months I may have forgotten all Triestine, and all the c's too. Making me incomprehensible when i speak I expect...
But with one exception. In Florence, the Florentines do not pronounce the 'c' when they speak. So 'Cosa fai?' (what are you doing?) becomes "Hosa fai?'
And Coca Cola, "hoha hola" - more or less.
It's a lovely dialect, very soft, and after a few months I may have forgotten all Triestine, and all the c's too. Making me incomprehensible when i speak I expect...
The Mosquitos are like Tigers
My Chinese star sign is tiger - an animal admired for its strength and many in Asia comsider the tiger to be the king of the animals and not the lion, like in many other parts of the world.
Since I arrived in Florence however, it is clear that the king of the insects here is a kind of tiger - the tiger mosquito. Apparantly this tenacious little thing arrived from Asia a few years ago on a boat, liked it, and stayed.
I live near to the stadium in Florence, and was trying to profit from the location last night by opening the windows to listen to the Renato Zero concert for free. The concert was good, but this indulgence has managed to help me to create my own city of Tiger Mosquitos in the apartment. I imagine that they spend their time biting me, then flying around to recover ahead of the next nibble, and in the process laughing at the anti-mozzie device that I have plugged into the wall.
I have added 'Off' to the shopping list for the weekend!
Since I arrived in Florence however, it is clear that the king of the insects here is a kind of tiger - the tiger mosquito. Apparantly this tenacious little thing arrived from Asia a few years ago on a boat, liked it, and stayed.
I live near to the stadium in Florence, and was trying to profit from the location last night by opening the windows to listen to the Renato Zero concert for free. The concert was good, but this indulgence has managed to help me to create my own city of Tiger Mosquitos in the apartment. I imagine that they spend their time biting me, then flying around to recover ahead of the next nibble, and in the process laughing at the anti-mozzie device that I have plugged into the wall.
I have added 'Off' to the shopping list for the weekend!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Arriving in Florence
Here I am in Firenze - or Florence to the millions upon millions of British and American tourists who are headed this way. And many of them are already here! After Trieste, when you could notice if there was a swell in the number of english-speaking foreigners (to around 20), the town seems to be thronging with visitors from overseas.
This is good news if you are in the tourist business - everything is crowded - from the Ponte Vecchio to the smallest wine bar, It makes it a little challenging sometimes to get around in the city centre, but as Massi said, it creates a great atmosphere - with everyone on holiday you feel a little of the holiday spirit too!
I arrived on Sunday afternoon from Marche, and met Massi at the station, map in hand, to help me get to the apartment.
My first encounter with Florence's one way systems passed successfully thanks to the co-pilot with directions, but since then I have been driving around lost in the labyrinth! (Mostly happily, although my sense of humour disappeared on Sunday night when I was lost on the way home!)
On arrival I dumped the bags at the room (very pleasant, like a large hotel room) and headed straight out to wander around the city. We watched the sun set over the Ponte Vecchio, beer in hand, calling classmates up and down the country to check in! Janet and Marina arrived later on and so our first night in Florence was in a small trattoria, with a bottle of red and Florentine steak.
(Once we got the bill, we decided that the steak is off the programme for a while!)
Then a bit of a wander around the city, before heading off on the incredibly long journey back - once we know the streets nights like Sunday, driving around for hours around one way systems, will seem like a bad dream. But it was certainly a reality on Sunday... If ever you needed GPS, its here.
This is good news if you are in the tourist business - everything is crowded - from the Ponte Vecchio to the smallest wine bar, It makes it a little challenging sometimes to get around in the city centre, but as Massi said, it creates a great atmosphere - with everyone on holiday you feel a little of the holiday spirit too!
I arrived on Sunday afternoon from Marche, and met Massi at the station, map in hand, to help me get to the apartment.
My first encounter with Florence's one way systems passed successfully thanks to the co-pilot with directions, but since then I have been driving around lost in the labyrinth! (Mostly happily, although my sense of humour disappeared on Sunday night when I was lost on the way home!)
On arrival I dumped the bags at the room (very pleasant, like a large hotel room) and headed straight out to wander around the city. We watched the sun set over the Ponte Vecchio, beer in hand, calling classmates up and down the country to check in! Janet and Marina arrived later on and so our first night in Florence was in a small trattoria, with a bottle of red and Florentine steak.
(Once we got the bill, we decided that the steak is off the programme for a while!)Then a bit of a wander around the city, before heading off on the incredibly long journey back - once we know the streets nights like Sunday, driving around for hours around one way systems, will seem like a bad dream. But it was certainly a reality on Sunday... If ever you needed GPS, its here.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A week in London
Many people I meet ask me how often I "go home" to London - which always strikes me as a strange question as I don't feel 'at home' there at all - as much of a tourist as the next person from Italy (but without the 7 or Invicta backpack) or from Hong Kong (with less designer gear, and an older camera!).
But it is always great to be in London, even if, like this time, I had not much chance to see old friends and catch up with people.
A few people I did catch up with though, were those folk from MIB that were there. Luca, of course, is now working in the city, and looks to all intents and purposes like a real city guy - as you can see from the picture!
The only other photo I managed to take in my short time in London was of Paolo and I, with self timer one night outside where I was staying. The car in the background is a Lamborghini, so the photo is destined for Wally!
It was fun to see a bit of London with people who don't get to go there so much, like in Hong Kong with visitors, it reminds you what a great city it really is.
Especially when I went for a run with Paolo on Friday morning in Hyde Park, and then to the National Gallery in the afternoon. All with the sun shining brightly too.
The clothes shopping wasn't bad either - thanks to my long-suffering Mum who accompanied me up and down Oxford and Regent Streets....
Monday, June 04, 2007
Rosita e Simo and Gardening
Saturday night in Sarnano, and a trip to the theatre to see the one woman one goldfish comedy Rosita e Simo. A play about a woman who is tired of life in Milan, so buys a goldfish and heads to the seaside - or rather Civitavecchia - the port outside Rome. There she finds herself living near ladies of the night in an ever more comical situation as she tells her friends back home that everything is rosy. It was funny and I was pleased that I could understand all the play, but felt bad for the actress as the theatre - already small - was not exactly full! I think that the subject of the play was perhaps a little racy for the octogenarian population of this town!
Yesterday I spent almost all of the day in the garden, tackling the roses which have gone crazy in my absence. They now look barer, but better, and the lawn looks like the remnants of an Indian wedding, as it is half covered in bright red petals. I still need to cut the hedge, and the grass, but some jobs will have to wait. Much to the disappointment of my patient neighbours, I have not yet entered the most beautiful garden competition that seems in full force down my street.
Yesterday I spent almost all of the day in the garden, tackling the roses which have gone crazy in my absence. They now look barer, but better, and the lawn looks like the remnants of an Indian wedding, as it is half covered in bright red petals. I still need to cut the hedge, and the grass, but some jobs will have to wait. Much to the disappointment of my patient neighbours, I have not yet entered the most beautiful garden competition that seems in full force down my street.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
3 thank yous
Firstly to Paolo, who came to help me carry my many bags to the car, and to load it up ready to go. No easy job, especially as he only got to bed at 330am! I have no idea how long it would have taken me without his help - maybe I would still be there!
Secondly to the person who, for the very first time this year, left the loading bay space on Via Torrebianca so that we could pack up the car without having to lug the stuff around the corner to the other carpark. I have never seen that space empty before, so I am taking it as a good omen for the next chapter of the adventure!
Lastly, thank you to all of the readers who have sent me comments to wish me luck in Florence. Some of you I know and some I don't, but I hope that you will all keep reading as I - and the blog - go on tour to Tuscany! I really appreciate you taking the time to write - thanks again.
Secondly to the person who, for the very first time this year, left the loading bay space on Via Torrebianca so that we could pack up the car without having to lug the stuff around the corner to the other carpark. I have never seen that space empty before, so I am taking it as a good omen for the next chapter of the adventure!
Lastly, thank you to all of the readers who have sent me comments to wish me luck in Florence. Some of you I know and some I don't, but I hope that you will all keep reading as I - and the blog - go on tour to Tuscany! I really appreciate you taking the time to write - thanks again.
Photo Farewell
One of the things we will all miss about wonderful Trieste is the sea. So here are some pics for the MBA XVII family, whether they are in Rome or Bologna, Munich or Milan, Florence or even overseas...
Friday, June 01, 2007
Triestine Feast Day
Yesterday I had a real Triestine feast day. It started with a coffee at the coffee bar near Ponterosa, me and Vlasta sitting in the sunshine by the canal watching the world go by. We went up to school for a while then when Vlasta headed home to pack, I went to get a ham sandwich at Da Pepe. I was the only one in there - no influx of Americans yet!
Then packing started in earnest. It's incredible how many things you can pack into a small flat! Every time I move I tell myself that I will streamline things in future, but seem to still have a pile of stuff. The recycle bins on via Machiavelli profited a lot during the day though!
In the evening I met Max for a spritz at La Portizza, then picked up a pizza to go before continuing with the bags at home.
At around 1130 Giulia and Janet rang. They were coming back from a burger after the gym and wanted to say bye. It was also Bianca's birthday from midnight, so we all met up for a last Zampoli icecream before going back to yet more packing!
Giuli said that if I had managed to squeeze in some Jota {bean and vinegar soup} that I would have covered all of the Trieste specialities!
Then packing started in earnest. It's incredible how many things you can pack into a small flat! Every time I move I tell myself that I will streamline things in future, but seem to still have a pile of stuff. The recycle bins on via Machiavelli profited a lot during the day though!
In the evening I met Max for a spritz at La Portizza, then picked up a pizza to go before continuing with the bags at home.
At around 1130 Giulia and Janet rang. They were coming back from a burger after the gym and wanted to say bye. It was also Bianca's birthday from midnight, so we all met up for a last Zampoli icecream before going back to yet more packing!
Giuli said that if I had managed to squeeze in some Jota {bean and vinegar soup} that I would have covered all of the Trieste specialities!
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