Playing with Firenze

If you plan to travel abroad, and you have a little sister, I recommend sending her in advance to scout out the place.

Erica, having "studied" in Florence for a semester, provided me with an ample list of restaurant recommendations for a weeklong stay. I was only there for two days. So you see my dilemma.

But for two days I ate like a king! My first night began with wine and appertivos at Riviore:





...followed by more wine at the hostel and a delicious meal at Za Za. I started with the soup sampler, and hardly needed the pasta that came afterwards.





When I get back home, I will be learning to make Ribolita. (That's the green one.)

The next night I was lucky to have Chelsea, a culinarily-cognizant traveller from the hostel, join me at Il Latini. We sat with a couple from Boston and ordered... well, we didn't order, they just brought plate after plate.











The plate Brian is holding contains beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and of course rabbit. Also, for good measure, the chandeliers were made of prosciutto.




I know what you're thinking, and yes, I did a bit of sightseeing in Florence as well. Since I'd already hit most of the museums, I spent my couple days wandering the streets and just trying to get a feel for the city. The daytime highlight was my walk in the Boboli Gardens with some fellow hostelers.







And at night, after our big meal at Il Latini, we took a nice walk up to Piazza Michaelangelo for a spectacular city view. It was one of those moments that made me stop and remember how lucky I am to be where I am.

Location:Florence, Italy