Music and Markets - - Following the Music

Florence - Old Favorites and New Discoveries

Monday - Tuesday, January 2-3, 2012
Florence, Italy

Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We'd love to hear from you!
Next on the itinerary: Our spring tours in Barcelona, Venice or Prague

Florence's Mercato Centrale - a must visit each time we're in the city. And it's even more fun than usual since we're in an apartment, and are on the hunt for dinner inspiration. We'll stock up as well with take-home-to-Virginia essentials, Olio Nuovo (just-pressed olive oil) from the Conti's, a hunk of Par- miggiano, and some tender sun-dried tomatoes, which are just better than any we've found in the States.
I'm looking as well for a travel tote. For some reason (could it be because we're always traveling???) mine wear out sooner than I'd expect. Several shops are still closed - Monday is a frequent off-day for shops and museums in Europe. I need compartments for phone and makeup, length and depth enough for files, magazines, and newspapers, something relatively lightweight since I load it so full of must-haves, and with a closure so things don't escape when slipping through security.
I've looked in myriad shop windows, tried out several totes on my arm, but haven't found what I want. Kirk suggests the leather shops near Santa Croce, and as I walk into one, he goes into another, through a courtyard across the street. The shop I'm in has pretty much what I've already seen in all the market stalls - not interested. So I join Kirk, and just fall in love with an embossed leather bag - but will it hold magazines, etc? It looks small. The saleslady assures me that it will, and brings a few magazines from the office to try it out - yes!
I see so many things I'd love in here - it's Bottega Fiorentina, and their designs are just lovely- not what I've seen everywhere else. Gianluca and his family have been crafting unique and beautiful leather goods since 1961. I'm sold! We'll certainly tell our Music and Markets guests about this place. Such wonderful quality, fair prices, and friendly non-pressure owners. (And the purse/tote worked wonderfully on our flights home, I'm glad to say).
After all of this hard work, we treat ourselves to a warm Bomboloni (like a filled doughnut - chocolate for Kirk, cream for me) from our favorite spot on Via del Corso, stroll around some more, then spend the evening relaxing in the apartment (and enjoying the delicious fresh pasta we picked up at the Mercato!)
We start the day slowly on Tuesday - Kirk's fighting a mean cold. But we don't want to miss what has become an annual pleasure - the Uffizi's I Mai Visti (never before seen). Each year a particular selection of masterworks that have long been in storage are curated into a lovely small exhibition, which is always free.
This year the theme is Volti Svelati - Faces Revealed: an intimate viewing (love the small room - keeps the works accessible and not overpowering in number) of classical sculptures from the collection of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

The works of art coming out of storage include 44 busts of ‘Cesari in marmo’ (‘Marble Caesars’), as well as one of the best collections of Classical portraits ever seen in the Uffizi. Isn't this stone drape exquisite?




There are also several portraits gracing the walls, showing the importance of classical sculptures and collections to artists through the centuries. This was unique to me - Giovanni Damon's self-portrait in which his real hair shows below the requisite wig. Truly I Mai Visti ;)





Across the calm Arno is the quieter, less-visited San Niccolò quarter of Florence. The tower of the same name was built in the early 1300's to protect this area of the city.



I smile as we pass a parking garage - one of the reasons I love Italian is that it is so very musical! Adagio = slow, in music, and slow for cars too! Draw out the soft "g" as you pronounce it - it just SOUNDS slow, doesn't it?!




This quiet part of the Oltrarno is getting better known as new restaurants move in. Our destination today is ZEB, a former grocery store that the mother and son team of Giuseppina and Alberto Navari reinvented as a lunch and dinner counter.



A carefully chosen wall of wine on one side, stools lined up along the counter on the other.... and the smells and sights inspire as we gaze.







The longer we sit, the more we see that we want on OUR lunch plates.





First a generous portion of tortelloni in a creamy pecorino sauce, blanketed with layers of pear.
We share a plate of main course dishes - a peposo (beef stewed with pepper- corns), an intriguing and delicious mash of potatoes and artichoke, cippolline, petite onions in a sweet and sour marinade, and a smoky eggplant parmiggiano. Each bite is fabulous... and it's such fun to watch the Navaris, with their lovely smiles, enthusiastically describing the dishes in Italian or English as the counter fills with hungry clients.
What a feast! Now for an afternoon walk.... (to be continued)

Labels: Florence Italy, Florence restaurants, Italian food, Uffizi Museum

posted by Anne and Kirk @ 3:13 PM