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Published: November 20th 2006
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Firenze Flea Market
We looked everywhere; nobody was selling fleas! Today is Saturday and we need to get to the other side of Firenze to meet some of the other people we will share this Culinary Week with. There is a piazza near their hotel from which we all will be picked up at 11 AM. If it were just the two of us with backpacks, that would be do-able on foot. However, we have these suitcases with rollers, we yank around by handles. Afer looking out the hotel window at the other (sorry, folks) idiots trying to wheel their luggage over cobblestones, with all the ups and downs from street to sidewalk (all two feet of it) avoiding traffic, the decision was sealed! We decided to get a cab to drive us to the other hotel.
We bid our hosts at Hotel Nizza arrivederci, jumped into the cab, and were let off at the end of a one way road near the other hotel. The walk was minimal; we met the other few people and headed for the piazza. Oh! That's why we were let off at the end of the road. There's a flea market at the other end in the piazza. Driving around the block would have
Firenze Flea Market due
Our compatriots were in a hotel down the block. Lots of pottery here! been impossible. Word was, this market happens once a year. Some very interesting looking pottery, veggies, etc. Boy, did we luck out or what?
We were looking for a small bus to come along with our hostess Carmie Hobbins and some people being dropped off from her first tour group. We were feeling a bit out of place at the piazza's edge, but the sunshine felt sooooo good! The bus arrived, the bodies all traded places, and we were off to overindulge in food and drink for a whole week!
We were filled in on some of the dealings that had changed since we last spoke with Carmie (two months prior). We would all be in the same villa for ease of transportation and logistics, and that we were going to sacrifice a cooking day for a tour of Banfi Vineyards. Sounds ok to us; we didn't have too many preconceived notions anyway. That, and Pat's friend Bill, who also arranged the boot tour next week from Venezia, had highly recommended the Banfi tour. What good fortune!
We got off the bus at il Mulino, the place we were supposed to have stayed. It's the home of
Firenze Flea Market tre
Some veggies and fruits! our regional hosts, Doris Fortino and Douglas Haynes. Lena, their dog was a charming and gracious welcoming chairpers . . . er, dog. This is a beautiful old millhouse converted into a home/inn. Douglas has done most all of the work himself and he can be proud of it! WOW! He gave us a tour of the place, including the room over the creek with the window in the floor! Coziness was not lacking on this property. He still has one room to completely redo (major) and the place will be incredible! After some welcoming antipasti and . . . (are you ready?) wine, we loaded onto the bus for the trek downhill to the converted farm house, la Volpe which means, the fox. There, we all scrambled like kids at camp for the first time, to claim our rooms for the week. Some in the group had been here before and were the first to sprint to lay their claim. Carmie distributed the tour information/ itineraries booklets and we got our look at the week ahead. We're exhausted just looking at it! We got to our room, just above the kitchen, and settled in.
We explored the beautiful
grounds of la Volpe, owned by Dr. Daniele, a local dermatologist and friend to the entire hilside population, it seems. The different trees; pomegranite, lemon, persimmon, chestnut, and olive, were fun to experience for the first time. The colors of the trees, flowers, buildings, and grounds were very welcoming! Ann napped some while Pat sat and chatted with our new housemates. One of the couples knew Pat (and he, they) from their boot-fitting experiences with him at Hoigaard's. And, they were still on speaking terms with him in spite of that fact! We all were awaiting our first culinary treat which would come later (remember the after 7 PM deal?), with Douglas making pizzas for us.
Ann awoke and found a wonderful place to begin writing some notes for this blog, along with postcards. There are metal gazebos covered in grapevines, with table and chairs underneath. The smell of the grapes along with the other blossoms nearby, was very quieting and relaxing! The grapes were pretty tasty too!
Doris & Douglas arrived and the preparations for the pizzas were off and running. We met another Daniele, not the Dr., but, a beautiful neighbor and friend of somebody, who
Lena
The greeter dog! Nice smile, Huh? helps clean up after the feeding frenzies. The pizzas were cooked out on the barbaque grill/ built-in outdoor stove. Douglas can cook as well as remodel! There were so many different types of pizza coarsing past us, it was hard to keep track. So, instead, we gave up and just ate it all! Daniele scurried about collecting all the dishes and disappeared into one of the kitchens to clean it all up!
We all had to get some shut-eye, the bus would be here for us at 9 AM. We bid all, buona notte, i a domani, and drifted off to sleep.
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