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Published: October 15th 2011
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Note: All the events mentioned in this entry occurred back in late February 2007. For more updated trips and entries, please refer back to this blog at a later date. An updated trip or entry will NOT include a note like this. Thank you and enjoy!
I woke up around 9 AM GMT, the time Natasha and I had agreed upon. We both went downstairs to the hostel's cafeteria, where each of us ordered breakfast made to order! I believe I ordered bacon and eggs with toast and it was quite good! they also had a spread of muffins, croissants, bread, nutella, jam and other breakfast treats. I also got a chance to talk with Aya and her boyfriend as well.
Natasha and I finally head out, making our first stop at Il Duomo. Unfortunately because of rain and a very bad map, we could not find our first museum, The National Museum of Bargello, and neither of us spoke Italian. Instead, we used our combined knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish in order to get directions. As we wandered aimlessly through the streets, we had umbrella salesmen trying to get us to buy from them, despite the fact that
Natasha was allowing me to share her umbrella!
We eventually arrive to the Piazza della Signorina (Plaza of the Maiden). We decide to take a few minutes and admire the outdoor statue exhibit, as well as the front facade of the Medici Palace Museum with its fake David statue and a lovely Renaissance style fountain, which featured a statue of what looked like Neptune (aka Poseidon in Greek). The outdoor statue exhibit contains a wide array of works done by Ancient Greek, Roman as well as Italian Renaissance artists. The goal of this exhibit we learned while studying the captions that accompanied each statue and the exhibit as a whole was to demonstrate how Italian Renaissance sculpture was inspired by Greco-Roman art. One thing that I noted was that artists still created works based on Ancient Greek and Roman gods, nymphs, the muses and other literary characters. The main difference, however was the attention to anatomical fine details became more important and Biblical subjects like David, became more common.
After walking past the plaza we finally arrived to the National Museum of Bargello. Housed in a 15th, 16th century mansion, the Museum of Bargello is devoted strictly to
sculpture and the decorative arts, primarily by Tuscan Renaissance artists. One of the most noted statues I remember seeing is Donatello's statue of David, the predecessor of Michelangelo's and one of the earliest examples of Renaissance sculpture. I also saw smaller works by Michelangelo like Bacchus. I also remember seeing armor and military weapons, all of which used to belong to the Medici family. Before I left I decided to spend a few minutes in the mansion's courtyard to rest and take in the view of the other sculptures.
Unfortunately it was during this museum visit that Natasha and I ended up separating because she was going to leave Florence tomorrow for Milan I think, and therefore wanted to see as much as she could in a small time period. She saw the museum in 1 hour while it took me three hours. Nonetheless, we agreed to meet later at the hostel for dinner. Therefore, I was on my own for the rest of the afternoon. I decide to break for lunch at a local pizzeria in the Piazza della Signorigna, where I eat a dish called "veal florentina," a fried thin veal cutlet with a fresh sauce with
basil, olive oil and diced tomatoes. It was a very simple dish yet its composition was delectable: the nice, crispy exterior of the thinned veal cutlet tailored nicely with the sweet tomatoes, the fruity flavor and smooth texture of the olive oil used and the floral, aromatic smell and flavor of the chopped basil.
After lunch, I decide to tour the Medici Palace museum. Once again, I take another 2-3 hours to tour this museum. Apparently the Medici family ruled over Florence for 200 years I think. I got to see some original and replicas of the family's effects. I then decide to tour yet additional stalls related to the Leather Market. I follow the market to a square which features a statue of a boar, which everyone takes the time to rub his nose. According to my guide book, rubbing the snout of this little guy will bring you good luck. I had to literally run, touch the snout and get away because there were so many tourists. After that, I decide to take a break from the market and visit some of the surrounding shops. One in particular was a shop owned by a local, professional photographer,
selling most of her own work, however she did have some pieces done by friends of hers from other places. All of her photos were taken in Florence, however normally featured a very interesting perspective. For example, I ended up buying a photo from her of the tower from the Medici Palace reflected from a puddle found on one of the iconic Florentine style, squared cobble stones. I decided to buy a few of her photographs as a souvenir. I spend the rest of my day visiting one of the squares Natasha and I had passed earlier while looking for the museum. I decided to browse the local fashion department store and also a grocery.
Once I get back to the hostel, I am greeted by Natasha, who apparently saw five museums after we separated. We decide to go out to dinner together at a local trattoria, located across the street from our hostel. Trattorias are moderately casual restaurants serving local, regional dishes at reasonable prices. The one we ate at was no exception. The food was so reasonably priced, that Natasha and I were able to order two dishes each! I ordered tomato bread soup and chicken with
a cream mushroom sauce. Natasha orders green salad with olives and tuna, and then lasagna.
According to my guidebook, tomato bread soup is one of the most traditional dishes of the Tuscan region. It's a very humble dish, containing only tomatoes, water, garlic, stale bread and basil. It's a very thick soup, almost like a porridge, however it has a rich tomato, garlic and aromatic flavor of the basil. The bread gave the soup a creamy, soft, tender flavor. My second dish, the chicken, had been cooked just tender, and the sauce was creamy and thick, with hints of white wine and chicken stock. The mushrooms used were baby bellas, and added a nice beefy note to the whole dish. I believe my dish was also served with green beans and/or with a green salad, which I do remember was very refreshing, fresh and crisp. I got to try some of Natasha's food, her of mine likewise. Her salad was beautiful and filled with fresh, cured black olives and pieces of well cooked, crumbled tuna. The waiter gave us a bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar so that she could put that on her salad. The greens were
Fake statue of David, Michalangelo, Piazza della Signorina
for those of you not in the know the original is located in la accademia museum crisp yet delicate, yet complimented the salty flavors of the tuna and olives. Her lasagna definitely had a fresh tomato sauce and also homemade noodles in it. It was layered with bolognese sauce, or meat sauce, ricotta and a mixture of parmigiano reggiano and mozzarella. During dinner, I find out more about Natasha's story. Apparently she was traveling before she would start her studies at La Sorbonne in Paris. She would start in a few months, so leading up to it she had done lots of traveling. She took the time to show me pictures from her previous travels, such as her trips to Portugal, Hungary, Spain, Hungary and Romania. I then share her more info on my life in France, in the hopes that I can help her plan her future life in Paris.
Satisfied with our meals and full, we head back to the hostel. We end our evening by talking to our new roommates. We are greeted by another girl from Brazil, who has dual citizenship in Italy thanks to her Italian father. She offers everyone to share a bottle of Moretti beer with her. As we drink, we begin to share travel stories with her.
Soon our other roommates come in: a young woman from Guadelajara living and studying in Madrid, an American living as an au pairs in Venice, and another college student from and currently living in Germany. Our conversations last until late in the evening, and then to bed I go.
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