Ever since we got married, we’ve been talking about going to Italy to visit my best friend Kristi and her boyfriend, Davide. Each year, we say “this is the year!” and then the year passes without an inkling of a plan put in place. In November of this past year, that all changed. As reality sank in that Baby Vo is not going to be the easiest travel companion we’ve ever had (or the cheapest), we realized that we needed to get to Italy ASAP. So, in January, we booked our tickets and began to plan. On April 27th, we finally got on the plane and headed to Florence (where Kristi lives).
We arrived in Florence around 9:30 p.m. on a Saturday. Kristi and Davide took us to their home, which is absolutely fantastic. They live in an apartment overlooking a courtyard housing a gourmet chocolate store, a delicious restaurant/pizzeria, stores, and plenty of outdoor seating. To me, it seemed like the quintessential Italian city-dweller’s home. We were able to wake up each morning and grab a hot chocolate and scone for breakfast from the chocolate store. We had pizza from the restaurant. And I even peeked through the windows of some of the stores (which were mostly for kids). Just outside of Kristi’s courtyard is a busy shopping street filled with tons of stores – both boutiques and Italian chains – as well a plenty of restaurants, banks, and grocery stores. At first, we noticed lots of pram-like strollers, which coming from Los Angeles seem impractical when you are constantly loading your child in and out of a car. In Florence (or at least where Kristi lived), it totally made sense. There is no need to use a car unless you plan to leave town. Wouldn’t that be nice not having to drive everywhere…??
Anyhow, I’m guessing you would prefer more pictures that stories, so here we go. Our first full-day in Italy, we went to Pescaia, a town on the Italian coast. It was a chilly day, so rather than race to the beach, we stopped in Monteriggioni, an old gated city with an outdoor market and great views of the countryside. It was hard for me to stay away from all of the cheese being offered, but I figure for Baby Vo, it’s worth it to avoid unpasteurized cheeses. The beach town was super cute and we had lots of fun walking around as well as up to the top of the hill where the old walled-city still remains intact and lively. We ended the day at an AMAZING restaurant, where the menu is set and it couldn’t be better…in fact, I’m still thinking about the chestnut-flour gnocchi in zuchini sauce, the garlic & olive oil artichokes, and the wild boar. It was definitely the best meal we ate in Italy and probably close to the best meal I’ve ever eaten.
On day two, we went to the Chianti countryside where we had lunch at Dario Doc, a famous butchery. Although Steve had some prosciutto the night before, this is where he really began his carnivorous tour of Italy. He said the meats were phenomenal. I obviously stuck with the fully cooked meats, which were also tasty. It was also on this day that Steve discovered wine to be cheaper than water. Needless to say, that was a useful fact that carried over into almost every meal for him. While in the country, we also visited a winery (where Steve, Kristi & Davide enjoyed some wine tasting and I tested olive oils), stopped by Grieve (a cute, little town with an adorable central square), and admired the beauty of the rolling hills and vineyards. Of all of our time in Italy, this was the most relaxing day we had and we loved it! We ended the day by going to Florence’s White Night. On White Night, the stores and restaurants stay open all night and various Italian bands and DJs perform all over town throughout the night. It was amazing how crowded the city was…everywhere you turned, there were people walking the streets. People-watching was phenomenal, but it was also fun seeing the city lit up at night.
We spent day three wandering around Florence. Although it was rainy, we were able to visit the Boboli Gardens and take some great pictures of the Ponte Vecchio. Florence is a really pretty city!
On days four and five, we went to Rome, which I will save for a later post. On day six, we went to the Ufizzi in Florence and saw Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery. In the evening, we went to an outdoor restaurant with Kristi and Davide, where we enjoyed a buffet dinner and live music.
On day seven, we explored more of Florence with Kristi and prepared for our sad departure. We ended the evening with drinks on the rooftop of the Westin (which gave us splendid views of the city) followed by dinner at one of Kristi’s favorite restaurants. I completely understand why…my asparagus ravioli-like dish was phenomenal. Oh, and of course, we capped the night off with some gelato at Steve’s favorite gelateria. The doors were locked when we arrived, but I think they saw our desperation and let us in. Not only that, but they included us in an employee birthday celebration, which had champagne for all. Definitely an evening to remember and a trip that we couldn’t have been happier to take. Wish we were still enjoying it!!
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