We Continue Exploring Florence

There are a few gems in Florence that close their doors early.

When we travel, we do like to take our time. Usually we have a long slow brunch with various local cheeses, meats, tomotoes drenched in delicious Olive Oil, that we then mop up with some fresh bread. Of course we enjoy a good cafe with this.

We then tend to stroll the streets slowly, as we take in the feel of the streets and the people walking about. Nibbling here and there during the day.

Today, we changed our regular pattern, as we wanted to get to two of these sites that we kepted walking by, only too late.

One gem that closes early, is the Museum of Precious Stones. We had previously seen phenomenally gorgeous table tops and images of inlaid marble at the Pitti Palace. The Museum gives one a deeper appreciation of this type of work, and how it was made.

In laid table tops, pieces of alters, are all amazing. While so much was beautiful, what I trully appreciated were the oil paintings that were made as templates for the images to be created out of inlaid stone. And sitting next to the painting, is the inlaid image whose colours are so vibrant, and seem to glow.

Various slabs of lovely stone are exhibited, each on its own would make a great table top. To imagine that artists would select a particular shade from a particular stone, carve it precisely, and then add it to an inlaid image they were constructing is hard to believe. It is basically "painting with stone."

Nor is any one piece the work of a single artist. Instead, each piece is the work of several virtuoso experts, working in concert, to produce a single wonderful piece of art.

The Midici's loved this form of art, and it flourished. Even after the Medici's, they flourished for generations until the end of the Austrian Hapsburg-Lorraine family centuries later. No longer sponsored, they had to rely on being commercial, offering tables for a bourgeois class. While still excellent, one can see the pieces being less intricate, less complex, to keep the cost affordable for the buyer.

Many argue that the state should not be involved in sponsoring the arts. Let the free market decide. I can see their point, and there are too many examples of huge amounts of money being wasted on very questionable endeavors.

But art does not pay. Great art is not commercial. And without a patron, much of our great art of today would never have been created.

Just a few steps away, was a restaurant Hera and I had often passed by. With the hearty brunches we usually ate, we were too full to drop by at lunch, and by mid afternoon, they were closing shop. You can recognize a good restaurant, because it tends to be busy with many locals and few tourists.

As I mentioned above, today we decided to leave before our usual hearty brunch, so by 2 pm, we were ready for a good lunch.

"La Mescita Fiaschetteria" is really a small hole in the wall at Via deglia Alfani 70 r. There since 1927, Mirco and the two Allesios continue the resturant's tradition of serving delicious foods, at very reasonable prices, just around the corner from the Accademia and David.

We shared the small table with two gentlemen. They were finishing off their pasta plate along with a half litre of the house wine while we waited to order. We were not sure if someone would come to our table, or if we had to order at the counter. They noticed our uncertainty, and motioned with their hands.... "slow." Sit and wait.

Delicious looking plates of tripe were served to them, when the waiter asked for our orders.

Hera decided on the Penne Tartufo con funghi which was superb. I had decided on their Rigatoni, but by the time we were seated, it was scratched off their menu board. Gathering a bit of courage, I settled on the Tripa Florentina. I never had tripe before, but alas, when I ordered, I was told it too was all finished. The waiter suggested I have their Ragu, which was indeed excellent. Perfected cooked pasta, in a meat sauce that had subtle and delicious flavours

We ordered a half liter of their house wine, which we surmised was a medium but good quality Chianti. However, it went perfectly with our meals. Any wine of higher quality, would compete with the dishes we were having.

As we ate our meal, we slowly got to know the Pasquale and Joe. Neither spoke any English, but we managed, and had a great time. The 67 year old Pasquale worked at a nearby hotel, and Joe, who came from China as a child, runs a Japanese-Thai restaurant. We laughed and joked as we enjoyed our meals.

For dessert, we tried their Cantucci and Vin Santo. Delicious, but we did notice how the Vin Santo was different from the one we had the week before.

Pasquale and Joe were having a generous portion of cheese, and had ordered a very good bottle of Chianti, and offered us a glass. We had to take a small sip, and wash the the flavours of the Vin Santo to really appreciate the Chianti he offered us. It was exquisite, and I am sure it went perfectly with the cheese they ordered.

They offered us another glass, but we declined. The people of Florence are truly friendly people. But you also have to be "open" to others as well. Otherwise the pleasantries might stop with polite smiles after a short word or two.

As we left, there was a light rain falling, but that adds a different dimension to the streets of Florence.

In our rain jackets, we felt very comfortable as we walked, watching the tourists. We commented to each other that even though we were still tourists, we no longer felt like tourists. Feeling very comfortable with the streets of Florence.

Florence, and its people are very charming. Rain or shine, it is a delightful city.

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera