The Exploration Continues...
Up early, we headed for an Affagato before the lines got long. They open at nine, so we decided to be there right when they opened. It worked… it was already crowded but not with a line down the street. Another family run business, this coffee shop was made famous through social media. We were focused on checking off another box… a delicious affogato!
In Venice last spring, I approached an outdoor coffee booth. Asking about the Affagato, they assured me they could make a delicious coffee drink. However, the gentleman ran across the plaza to get a scoop of ice cream in a bowl. Upon returning, he poured espresso over it and that was it. Greatly disappointed, I put having a true Affagato on the top of my “to-do” list. THIS… is what I had in mind. Incredibly smooth vanilla gelato scraped on the outsides of the coffee cup, then filled with espresso… mine had pistachio sprinkles. Oh my goodness! It was everything I pictured in my dreams! What made this particular location famous, is that they often serve the Affagato through a window. They’ve become so busy, it is impossible to do that now… If you get the chance, Vivoli Gelateria serves the perfect drink… Barry said next time we need to go early so that we can go again late in the same day. I guess he liked it!
Since we were up and about, we figured it was a good time to continue exploring. Our next stop was Mercado Centrale Firenze! Why wasn’t I hungry??? Thinking this was like a big open aired market with fruits, vegetables, fish and meat, I did not bring my appetite! Once up the escalator and inside, I quickly realized this was similar to the Time Out Market in Lisbon. Filled with unique food booths, one needs to be starving to fully enjoy it. On my next visit, I will make this my first stop… okay, maybe after the Affagato and I Girone de Ghiotto, but still early in my next trip!
My affinity for European doors continues…Tall, arched doors are my favorite.
Wandering on, we came across an arts and crafts fair in Piazza di Santa Croce. Being Sunday, we couldn’t go into the Basilica di Sant Croce :-( Deemed the largest Franciscan church in the world, i would have loved a peek inside. First mentioned in the early 1200’s, this piece of architecture has undergone several redesigns.
Another “closed to the public on Sundays”… Sagrestia Nuova. Built by Michelangelo from 1520 to 1534, the chapel holds real works of Michelangelo. Very disappointing that I didn’t get to see it. My past couple of visits, I did not know about it. As I always say, it’s good to have a list of new things to see when returning to a location.
Each day, we have walked around five miles. It seems like nothing when there is so much beauty as a distraction. However, it really does work up an appetite… and a thirst. We stopped at a cute outdoor cafe on a side street. Barry opted for pizza… shocker! For me, it was a chicken and vegetable curry with basmati rice. Wow! Was it ever delicious! After these big meals, my body always thinks, “Nap! Nap! Nap!".
Kind of an afterthought and therefore, quite dark… I wanted to get a few photos of our flat. Appropriately named “Apartment Duomo”, as it was located on Via dei Pecori Street right outside the Duomo and Baptistry. Despite the closeness to the massively visited tourist attraction, our accommodation was silent. Our bed was comfortable. Immediately upon opening the door to the apartment, we were greeted with a formal entry. There was a table with books and maps for the area. The wifi code and other helpful hints could also be found there. Straight ahead was bedroom number one and up the circular stairs was bedroom number two. The living room had a comfortable couch with a TV. We loved the kitchen and small outdoor space (which included a washer and dryer). This was a comfortable and perfectly located flat!
What made our place special… and why I chose it… was the outdoor, rooftop space. Only accessible by those in our building (about 10 units), it was a long, narrow area with incredible views of Duomo. What a spectacular view lit up in the evening! For this alone, I would return.
After napping and enjoying the aerial view of the Piazza, we decided to try eating again. Not really hungry, we figured a glass of wine and an appetizer would do the trick. As we walked, I realized this was the wine window I visited in the spring.
As we strolled by, I noticed that the guy I took a photo of last time was standing out in front of the restaurant. Not able to resist, I approached him with the photo in hand and asked, “Is this you?”. He looked a bit surprised and with a straight face said, “Maybe”… Then, “where did you get that???”. I explained that I had visited Florence in the spring and he served my friend and me a glass from the window. This was my favorite photo from the whole trip and I let him know that! He laughed and said, “I’m famous!!!”… He’s famous to me!
Considering the streets and alleyways are lined with outdoor restaurants, it is often difficult to make a decision. We ended up selecting a place with gluten free pasta. So far, I had not eaten pasta on this trip!
Settling into our seats, we ordered a bottle of wine. Barry had lasagna and I had Pasta Carbonara. As is usually the case with me (for some crazy reason), the simple meal was not uneventful. There always seems to be something out of the ordinary happening! This time was a power outage. As we neared the end of our meal, the lights went out. Everyone cheered… but continued dining, talking and laughing. After about twenty minutes, the lights came back on to another round of applause and cheering. But they only stayed on for about thirty seconds and they went out again. After a bit, they came back on and stayed on. It wasn’t bothersome except for the outdoor heaters went off… and Florence was a bit chilly this trip.
On our stroll back, we stopped to take one last photo for the day. The Duomo looked so majestic lit up. With the crowds away, it was peaceful. This unimaginable beauty… powerful architecture and no crowds. How nice… time for bed! Tomorrow is another day. A big day!
