This morning, we all got up very early to catch the train to Florence, or Firenze, as they call it here. The scenery along the way was gorgeous - huge fields of sunflowers, tiny Tuscan villas and green hillsides.
We arrived and located our hotel just around the corner from Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge built in 1345 that holds numerous shops suspending over the sides that has become a symbol of Florence. Our hotel, Della Signoria, not only had an ideal location but was surprisingly spacious by European standards.
We dropped off our luggage before spending a couple hours roaming the streets, stopping into stores, watching the artists along the street and walking through the markets. The city itself was very quaint and captivating. When we came through Florence on our previous trip, it was winter. It was frigidly cold, rainy, and by chance, we arrived on a Monday when most of the museums were closed. This time however, it was like stepping back into time. You half expected William Shakespeare to appear around a corner at any turn. Artistry seems to hang in the air and everyone we met was incredibly friendly.
Below is a cute shop on a side street in Florence.
Seriously, how good does that gelato look?
Above and below features sidewalk art being done by artists on the street.
After a brief lunch of sandwiches, we headed to the Galleria dell’ Accademia, where we saw the breathtaking view of Michelangelo’s statue of David. Standing over 14 feet tall, David looms high above the heads of museum visitors who encircle the statue to take in the great work of art from every angle.
After a brief rest, the family met up for what may have been the best meal of my life. (If you are the slightest bit hungry, I recommend you skipping this section and coming back to it later). From the moment we walked in, our waiter began setting food in front of us. First, we were each delivered a plate of prosciutto that was being sliced about eight feet away from us by a man who did nothing but slice prosciutto and salami all night long. As we lifted our forks to take the first bite, four other plates arrived containing melon, bruchetta with a liver pate, salami and a bread salad. When the appetizers were cleared, it was time for a pasta and soup course. Freshly cooked pasta with fresh sauces were delivered - ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach, penne with bolognaise and potato gnocchi. The soup (we opted for only one soup instead of the three that were offered) was barley and bean and tasted fabulous, especially with freshly grated Parmesan on top. Next up, a course of meat. I’m not sure how else to describe such a big plate of beef, pork, veal, rabbit and chicken, served with freshly roasted potatoes and spinach. (Did I mention my family went through three or four liters of red wine over the course of the meal?) Before dessert, we were brought a dessert wine that the guys said was so strong, it was closer to a port, along with biscotti. Finally, a plate of desserts was brought out along with a sparkling white dessert wine. We enjoyed trying everything - cream puffs dipped in chocolate, a café crème, a caramel crème, a fruit torte, some type of light chocolate cake and an almond based cake they called “grandma’s dessert.” After coffee, it was time to call it a night.
Our favorite new restaurant, Il Latini (If you look closely, you’ll see our family just inside the door on the left).
Uh oh - one 2-liter bottle of wine gone.
Did you order the plate-o-meat?
The family after a wonderful meal together (I will say that we purchased several of the bottles on the table - they were not all empty)
Yes, I realize the bulk of my blog tonight was about my meal, but we were there for almost four hours and it was amazing. I’ve enjoyed cuisine from all over the world, but I must say that this small restaurant called Il Latini, was one of my favorites of all time.
We arrived and located our hotel just around the corner from Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge built in 1345 that holds numerous shops suspending over the sides that has become a symbol of Florence. Our hotel, Della Signoria, not only had an ideal location but was surprisingly spacious by European standards.
We dropped off our luggage before spending a couple hours roaming the streets, stopping into stores, watching the artists along the street and walking through the markets. The city itself was very quaint and captivating. When we came through Florence on our previous trip, it was winter. It was frigidly cold, rainy, and by chance, we arrived on a Monday when most of the museums were closed. This time however, it was like stepping back into time. You half expected William Shakespeare to appear around a corner at any turn. Artistry seems to hang in the air and everyone we met was incredibly friendly.
Below is a cute shop on a side street in Florence.
Seriously, how good does that gelato look?
Above and below features sidewalk art being done by artists on the street.
After a brief lunch of sandwiches, we headed to the Galleria dell’ Accademia, where we saw the breathtaking view of Michelangelo’s statue of David. Standing over 14 feet tall, David looms high above the heads of museum visitors who encircle the statue to take in the great work of art from every angle.
After a brief rest, the family met up for what may have been the best meal of my life. (If you are the slightest bit hungry, I recommend you skipping this section and coming back to it later). From the moment we walked in, our waiter began setting food in front of us. First, we were each delivered a plate of prosciutto that was being sliced about eight feet away from us by a man who did nothing but slice prosciutto and salami all night long. As we lifted our forks to take the first bite, four other plates arrived containing melon, bruchetta with a liver pate, salami and a bread salad. When the appetizers were cleared, it was time for a pasta and soup course. Freshly cooked pasta with fresh sauces were delivered - ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach, penne with bolognaise and potato gnocchi. The soup (we opted for only one soup instead of the three that were offered) was barley and bean and tasted fabulous, especially with freshly grated Parmesan on top. Next up, a course of meat. I’m not sure how else to describe such a big plate of beef, pork, veal, rabbit and chicken, served with freshly roasted potatoes and spinach. (Did I mention my family went through three or four liters of red wine over the course of the meal?) Before dessert, we were brought a dessert wine that the guys said was so strong, it was closer to a port, along with biscotti. Finally, a plate of desserts was brought out along with a sparkling white dessert wine. We enjoyed trying everything - cream puffs dipped in chocolate, a café crème, a caramel crème, a fruit torte, some type of light chocolate cake and an almond based cake they called “grandma’s dessert.” After coffee, it was time to call it a night.
Our favorite new restaurant, Il Latini (If you look closely, you’ll see our family just inside the door on the left).
Uh oh - one 2-liter bottle of wine gone.
Did you order the plate-o-meat?
The family after a wonderful meal together (I will say that we purchased several of the bottles on the table - they were not all empty)
Yes, I realize the bulk of my blog tonight was about my meal, but we were there for almost four hours and it was amazing. I’ve enjoyed cuisine from all over the world, but I must say that this small restaurant called Il Latini, was one of my favorites of all time. 
Well, at 9:45AM I wasn't hungry before I read this..but now I am. Thanks a lot.. ;) That sounds AMAZING!
ReplyDelete