Making friends in Florence

Hong Kong, for such a bustling place, always feels like a village. There is scarcely a time that you go out when you don't bump into someone you know. Especially if you are not wearing make up and need to wash your hair!
It turns out, on the evidence of this weekend, that Florence is similar!
I was wandering around the city on Friday night after a coffee with my friends Irena and Mo, up from Lago di Bracciano for a few days, when I bumped into Alessia and Laura from work, who invited me for a drink with them. We made our way through the freezing night to San Ambrodgio and the not-very-Italian James Pub - with large ads for Tennents on the wall! I tried to explain a bit about life in Hong Kong, slipping into English when my Italian failed me. I have promised to bore them with pics on Monday at the office.
On Saturday, after bumping into Annibale from work, I met Lucia, also from work, and Alessia who was with her, coming from the hairdressers. We went together with Lucia's husband for lunch in an amazing little place - the Birreria Centrale - where I can recommend the Pici - a fat spaghetti from nearer to Sienna - which they served with Cinghiale (wild boar) - yum! A glass of red wine to wash it down with and I would have been asleep! In the restaurant was also Veronica from work - another chance encounter.
Alessia had a dinner, so we went after lunch with her friend Daniella to another place for the best of Florence list - the VIP supermarket near to the Duomo, Pegna, in business since 1860 and selling a mind-boggling array of food products and ingredients - from Italy and also, unusually for Italy, imported. In addition to the vast selection of yumminess that you can see if you go to the website, there is also a wide range of - err - washing detergent. I guess you never know when you might need it!
So 2 key learning points from the weekend - find an excuse to go to Pegna every now again - maybe after my first pay packet! - to treat myself to something absolutely unessential - like imported French jam - and NEVER go into the city without at least mascara on - I am bound to see someone I know!