Strawberries mean summer

Finally it seems as though summer is here in Florence. The weather is still a mess for this time of year, it's chilly at night and raining a lot. But my visit to the Sant'Ambrodgio market this morning confirmed that, despite the inclement conditions, the seasons are changing.
As I rounded the corner to the market, the first thing I smelt were the strawberries. Piled high in their plastic punnets, almost every stall sported a collection of berries, from the farmed variety to the 'contadina' sort (I guess organic, or grown in people's gardens or farms.)
The summertime impression of the strawberries was backed up by glistening piles of cherries, apricots and rock melons.
A visit to the market should never be preceded by breakfast - you eat your way around the stalls, chatting with the stallholders.
'Try these, they are fabulous!' exclaimed the wizened 70-something year old popping s strawberry into my hand, and another into her mouth.... 'Or, if you prefer, a cherry?' with another sample.
I bought both.
Making my way down the outside of the building I snacked on porchetta (a roast stuffed pork) trying to avoid the beady eyes of the head of the pig with a large lemon in his mouth, fetchingly perched next to the server. At the back of the stall, a loaf of bread with a sign proclaiming 'Cooked in a wood oven' that was at least a metre long and half a meter wide. 'The olives are delicious too' I was told. They were. I bought some.
And prosciutto, here try a bit. And cheese... And salami...
My bag bulging, there was just enough space to squeeze in some Sardinian tomatoes - about the strangest tomato variety I have ever seen, a dark emerald green, with mottled tinges of burgundy, that I was told are sweet and delicious in salad.
Having had appetizers en route, I was nonetheless determined that this would not spoil my lunch, and made my way over to Il Pizzaiolo on Via dei Macci, next to the market.

Davide, a Napolitan friend from work, told me during the summer that this was the best pizza to be had in town. The margherita pizza I ordered with buffalo mozzarella was piping hot, and fabulous, although, like many pizzas here, it is pretty runny. Those who come expecting to eat pizza by the slice with fingers could find it messy going!