Florence '09

7/19/09 Stuck In A Grove
A seemingly easy morning led to 2 hours in the train station, sitting in the wrong seats, and a bunch if walking. When we arrived at our hostel in Florence, I was completely taken aback. A little hostel community, in an ancient grove of olive trees, overlooking the stunning view of Florence. Once we settled in Zac collapsed into a comatose state, only to be awoken 4 hours later. I took this unique opportunity to sit and absorb my surroundings. As a breeze rolled through the trees and over the hill, I could feel the transcendent beauty and history coursing through my veins. Something uniquely European. As the night surreptitiously approached we left with some Americans, the tent down, to find dinner. And did we ever. The widely accepted myth, that when travelling cheaply you trade in flavor for price, was shattered tonight. Ostedia de Pacci, a small, eclectic, family run restaurant could easily be missed. That would be a big mistake. Taking a hint from our waiter, I ordered, Ravioli perre con pecorino. The butter basted freshly made pasta dough, was covered with sautéed radicchio and garlic, and filled with the perfect blend of cheeses. My normal voracious, and somewhat haphazard, eating was replaced with an almost surgeon like precision and priestly patience. Time slowed. No speech, no thoughts, just utter bliss. The meal would have been worth all my money, luckily it wasn’t. We soon left the gastronomic heaven for a bottle of wine and midnight tour of the city. Florence I have caught your bug.


7/20/09 O, David Where Art Thou?
Going to Florence and not seeing the David is like going to Boston and not seeing a Red Sox Fan. Everyone does. The one difference being one generally wants to see the David. We did see almost everything else in Florence. When you get to see it at night with no one around as we were able to do, and then stuffed with tourists, you really see two sides to the city. Florence is an incredibly small city. You can walk from one end to the other in less than an hour. The city exudes more of a “modern city” feel, and it really stands out in the day. When you see Il Duomo, an ancient masterpiece, next to cars and stands selling t-shirts telling you that you love Florence, you really notice a city with two lives.