Our Third Day (Florence)

We again started our day at the Mercato Centrale. Tastings are part of the experience at the market, and we sampled some cold cuts, picking up three, along with some cheeses (Piquante Provolone, Pecorino Rustica and a Tuscan Pecorino), as well as a black ruffle. Our most expensive food acquisition so far at 25 Euros. This year, apparently they had a bumper crop, and the prices are depressed. Apparently the one we bought would normally sell for 50 Euros.


The variety of meats and produce at the market is amazing. The colorful chickens, while smaller, looked delicious, the quail eggs were tempting, while other organ meats, brain and testes and ...... were not high on our must try list.


We had heard that one should reserve sometimes a month in advance for the Uffizi Gallery. Getting there, we were greeting by a sign map stating that gate 3 was for reservations and information. We soon found out that the long line at gate 3 was for those who made reservations to pick up their tickets, before going to another long line at gate 2 to enter.


Asking directions, we were instructed to go to gate 1, were we easily bought tickets for the next day, and it seemed we could even get in later this same day. Perhaps it was good we did not make reservations in advance.

One reason we wanted to go in person, was to try to get a photo permit. Most museums allow photgraphy, some require a permit for a nominal charge. Here in Florence, most museums do not allow any photography. A pity.


With our tickets arranged, we once again walked along the Arno river admiring the Ponte Vecchio with the throng of tourists. Florence is a city of tourists.


Crossing the Arno River, we once again strolled the quaint small streets of the Oltrarno. The area here has a more authentic Florentine feel, with the small winding streets, and the occaissional remaining family tower. Romeao and Juliette were not from Florence, but these family towers and feuding families surely had their own stories of star crossed lovers.




Gelatos are always an enjoyable treat, and we each had ours as we sat in a small park, resting, and simply enjoy the sense of place.

We headed back towards the river, and was amazed how still it was. The reflections and sky was spectacular, and once again, Hera seemed to briefly exhibit some symptoms of Stendhal syndrome. Thus far, I seem to have not been affected, but we will have to see tomorrow at the Uffizi galleries.


Wine, food, pastry is everywhere in Florence. As we past a chic looking cafe, Hera spied some awesome looking Cannolo Mignon. We each had one of these bite sized deserts. They were wonderful. Deliciously sweet, with a long pleasant after taste. All too often such deserts are overly sweet, but these were just perfect.


We meandered back home, and entered our now familiar neighborhood. Passing Santa Croce church, we crossed some streets that reminded us of both Prague and Rome.

As I write, the apartment is parfumed with the Porcini cream sauce Hera is preparing for our pasta. We sip our Lagioiosa et Amorosa Verduzzo Frizzante wine, a delightful slightly effervescent white wine, refreshing and crisp. At 2.60 Euro, it was cheaper than our gelato. (Back home, the SAQ charges us $9)


One of the shops we had crossed earlier today, had handwritten bookmarks with various quotes. One of them had said... "If you keep thinking of all the things you do not have, think of the things you do not want to have, and be thankful for not having them..."

Photographer's notes: So far I have so many amazing images. I am saveing them all for my audio-visuals. All you see here are tiny teasers. I hope you are enjoing them so far. Don't be shy, contact us in private or in comments section here.

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera

Our Second Day

I awoke wide and awake at 4:30 am local time. A bit too early, so I stayed in bed and day dreamed for about an hour, before once again falling deep asleep.

We awoke late, startled that it was already 10 am. I made an espresso coffee for us, and then we headed off to the Mercato Centrale for some real food shopping.

We crossed the Duomo, and past some of the leather stalls we had seen the day before. Again Hera seemed to briefly be showing signs of Stendhal syndrome as another wave of emotion over came her.

I was about to take out my map, to be sure we were headed in the right direction, when we spied what looked like the Mercato Centrale. An enclosed market full of stalls selling fresh vegetables, meats and various cheeses.

We bought bread, parmagiano cheese, olive oil, prosciutto and Milanese salami, along with other vegetables and fresh porcini mushrooms. We looked at each other, and exclaimed to each other that porcini mushrooms are bolettes. (A type of mushroom)









We headed back home for our bruch. We dipped our bread into the olive oil. We decided not to add any balsamic vinegar, as the floral flavour of the olive oil was exceptional on its own. (Santoliva extra virgin olive oil, www.sordigiuseppe.it) Along with the parmagiano cheese, and cold cuts, we had a satisfying brunch.


The day before, we had walked past several leather shops, but Hera felt that one of the first shops had the purse she wanted. So we headed towards Santa Croce, and found the leather shop we saw the day before, to pick up a small purse.

We crossed the Arno river and gazed at the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. The small streets and shops south of the Arno river are reminiscent of the West bank of Paris or Trastevere of Rome. We spent some time on the famous bridge filled with shops selling gold jewelry, then again walked back South of the Arno river. We walked across Pitti Palace, saving it for another day, and later bought some delightful oval cherry tomattos to eat as we strolled. So sweet and tasty, Hera saved some to seed and dry them, hoping to grow them when back home. (Winks to Elaine)





Heading back, we again sauntered over the Ponte Vecchio bridge filled with toursists, and again wandered the beautiful streets of Florence. Today was a day for unguided meandering walks. To get a feel for the city. After all, we are in no rush.




Back home, Hera fried the Porcini mushrooms in some butter and olive oil, while the Porcinin filled ravioli we bought earlier was served in a butter and olive oil sauce, along with some garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and a spice mixture we bought at the market. To accompany our meal, we had a 2008 Poggio Stella Rosso Di Montepulciano. A full bodied red, with mild tannins and a lovely lingering delicious after taste.


Talk about being spoiled. Exceptional wines, delicious cheese, and olive oil that alone makes the trip worthwhile. Settled into our comfotable apartment, we are now at home in Florence, and looking forwards to the days ahead.



Cheers,

Anthony & Hera

Travelling to Florence

It was a gorgeous warm sunny morning, when my sister picked us up, and drove us to the airport. With time to spare, we had brunch at Houston's, bought some parfume at the duty free, and roamed among the shops, and then waited some more.

The plane left on time, and headed West, giving a spectacular view of Lake St. Louis reminiscent of the Carribean.


We connected in Philadelphia, and flew back up the coast, over Cape Cod, then over the Bay of Fundy on our left, and Nova Scotia on our right, before heading off across the Atlantic.


After supper and movie, I tried unsuccessfully to sleep, while Hera watched a second movie. The idea is to try and nap heading East, then forcefully stay awake the next day to quickly get our bodies habituated to the time change.

We had a brief stop over in Frankfurt, enough to watch the sun rise, then a quick flight to Florence. The Alps were a sight to see, which soon gave wave to the hills of Tuscany.


Hopping into a taxi, with broken Italian, we arrived to our apartment. The real richness of life, are the contacts we make in our journey, and one such person had given me the name of the owner of this apartment. While the original apartment was no longer available, this apartment was a wonder to behold. Thank you Francesco & Umberto.


A charming historic building, the apartment has lovely artwork on the walls, a comfortable bedroom, and an additional loft with two separate twin beds. A family of four would live very comfortably here.

Tired, exhausted, but resolute to acclimate to the new time zone, we left the apartment for a quick stroll of our new neighborhood. We soon found out that our street is a major tourist walkway between Santa Croce Church and the Duomo, with the Palazzo e Casino Burghezie across our street.




An essential early visit to any new city, is the tourist information place. Getting a map of the city, and any helpful hints, is always appreciated. The next essential, is to find some local markets. We found a wine shop across the street, but had to walk a bit to find a super market. We picked up coffee and sugar, along with some wine. The bare essentials, as we planned to go to the Mercato Centrale the next day for some real shopping.

Although tired, we still managed to cover a significant portion of the tourist areas of Florence. We past the Duomo, and meandered about, coming across several street stalls selling various items of leather. At every turn, art afronts the eyes. At one point, Hera seemed to be suffering a bit from Stendhal syndrome, as she felt a wave of emotions over take her.





Our feet tired, we spied a charming restaurant called Mangiafuoco at 24/R Via Guelfa. We started our meal with a mixed salad. Hera had their truffle ravioli, a delicate mushroom filling with a simple buttered and sage sauce, while I had their creamed porcinini pasta plate, more robust in its earthy flavours. The half liter house wine we ordered had a full nose of scents, with soft peppery flavours that complemented our meals wonderfully.


Getting back home, we settled into our new home. Opened the chilled bottle of Villa Rasina Soave Classico. A refreshing, clear white aromatic white wine with subtle fruity notes. We ensured our WiFi internet connection, enjoyed our glass of wine, and though still relatively early, we were glad we manged to stay awake until 7 pm.

Snuggling in bed, we closed our eyes. Our home for the next few weeks...

Photographer's note: Throughout this trip I will use my Panasonic Lumic G1. Mostly with it's kit lens (14mm-45mm). I like to travel light. I will shoot hand held on manual mode or sometimes on Custom mode (exept night shots). So far all my shots are done in Vibrant film mode. All my images are only slightly edited. To shoot my architectural shots I use Live View to get my compositioal lines right in the camera.

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera

New York Day 8 "Our Last Day"

Once again we stepped out to a gorgeous dry 26 degree day in New York. Our last day was going to be spent similar to our first day, but without the horrendous humidity we endured.

At first Hera was thinking of not bringing her camera, but I convinced her otherwise. She decided to shoot today in black and white, although I tried to convince her otherwise to no avail.

Walking North in the East village we came across the oldest church in New York City, St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery Church, dating back to 1799. The church stands on the same site as the original 1660 chapel that the Dutch Govenor Peter Stuyvesant on his large bouwerie, which is Dutch for farm. Two aged statues depicting native Amerindians, one named "Aspiration," and the other named "Inspiration" stand outside the church.



The adjoining cemetary holds the tombs of Governor Stuyvesant, along with seven generations of his family, as well as several other notable people.

We walked down this diagonal street that I had earlier wrote is one of the few true East-West Streets, that the wealthy of the time saved from the Grid structure that was being imposed on Manhatten. As the wealth moved further North, these mansions were taken over as brothels. Organized crime moved in, the parties caused such a racket on the streets, which is where we now get the term "racketeering" to described such criminal activities.

Walking West, we crossed The Bowery Street. North of here it is 4th Avenue, while South of here, into the East Village, Little Italy and China Town the street is called The Bowery. Govenor Peter Stuyvesant larger bouwerie (farm) played a role that I am sure he never envisioned.

Heading towards Greenwich Village we came across delightful small cobble-stoned street called Washington Mews which once housed the stables for the wealthy homes around Washington Square. Grass sprouting between the cobble stones, lovely flowers on windowsill flower boxes, and ivy climbing the walls of these low houses.


Unlike the week before, when mobs of people walked streets closed to traffic, Greenwich Village was back to normal. Locals and tourists alike roamed the streets. The various angled streets are wonderful places to stroll. Each street seems to be an enclave of its own. Picturesque buildings of various sorts, a wide variety of shops and boutiques, and of course, restaurants of all types.


You do not have to spend much money to eat excellent food in New York. That is not to say, that spending some money on a fine restaurant does not give you value for your money. We found a wonderful restaurant called Sant Anbroeus (www.santambroeus.com). We sat outside and we each ordered a glass of their Savuto'Odoardi 2005 for $11 a glass. It had a wonderful multi-layered nose. So often we have tasted some wines with a phenomenal aroma only to be disappointed by its taste, but that was not the case with this wine. Its flavor was a complex of dark fruits, good structure, with a long smokey aftertaste.


Hera ordered their mildy spicy "Fusillone All'Arrabbiata," while I had their home made ravioli with ricotta and baby spinach. Each plate was delicious. Just perfect on such a wonderful day. We even had the company of a little bird that kept visiting us throughout our meal.



To end it off, we each had a double expresso and a wonderfully light Tiramisu.


Rested and without the humidity we had endured the week before, we headed deeper into Greenwich Village. Walking into various shops and boutiques, as we meandered about the multitude of small streets.

While here for just a week, our neighborhood felt like home. While it is our last day, it will not be the last time we visit New York.

Notes from Hera (the photographer) : During the entire trip I have used a Panasonic Lumix G1 camera, with a 14mm-45mm Lumix lens ONLY. Most of my shots were shot on Manual mode f stop set at f/8... Every black and white image was shot in the camera. I did slight editing to all my images. Almost all the images were shot hand held, except Infared shots and night shots at the Brooklyn Bridge.

Dring our travels I beleive in traveling light in camera gear. My Lumix G1 is a wonderful camera that creates good quality images to my liking. Some of my photography from Lumix G1 have been enlarged as large as 20"x30" wall art prints...

Heavy duty camera gear doesn't make you a good photographer. The camera is just a tool of the craft...

I have several audio visual shows planned from my trips. So therefor what I have shared with you at this Blog are just tiny teasers.

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera

New York Day 7

It was another gorgeous sunny day, 25 degrees and dry. It felt amazing. It is hard to believe that just a few days ago, the humidity was so oppressive.

Like we usual do, we started our day in our neighborhood. We stopped by Yonah Schimmel (137 East Houston Street), where the first knishes of North America were made. Knishes are more or less baked, never fried, balls of mashed potatos. Hera had the mushroom knish, while I had the original potato knish. Of the two, we both prefered mine.


Then we hopped into the metro and headed off to Coney Island. Once again, as I have said before, do learn the transit system. Getting to Coney Island simply meant taking our usual train, this time into Brooklyn, and getting off at the last stop. Stepping out of the train, one can smell the fried food, we are there.


Coney Island has defintely seen better days, but it is the original grand-daddy of amusement parks. As long as you are not expecting the latest high tech amusement ride, and can take the kitchiness in stride, you will have a good time at Coney Island. If you enjoy going for a swim, bring your bathing suit as there is a large beach and a long board walk to enjoy as well.


Children run about laughing and screamining, as they race from ride to ride, while a church choir sang lovely songs.


Back in town, we head off to McSorley's (15 East 7th Street ), the oldest pub in New York, established in 1854, with saw dust strewn on the floor, the place is filled with history. Pepe our bartender informed us that there was only two beers on tap, McSorley's light and McSorley's dark. We ordered one of each, refreshing and delicious, it was happy hour so we ordered a few more.



Our neighborhood is such a cross section of the world. Food from a variety of cultures can be had here, from Thai to Polish, and everything in between. Not only is there a huge variety of various ethnic foods, they run the gamut of price ranges, from inexpensive eateries to pricey bistros. Something for everyone, and for anyone's budget.


We ended our day back on the Brooklyn Bridge, as the sun started to set. A few short days ago, the nights felt like an oven, but tonight, for the first time, we were sorry we did not bring our jackets. The view of Manhatten is spectacular from the bridge, and in the evening, New York takes on a different personality.



Cheers,

Anthony & Hera