Adventures outside of Florence and lots of free fun!

Wow, what an action-packed weekend!

Saturday: Best of Tuscany Tour

I met the bus at the station at 8:30 AM and didn't return to Firenze until 8:30 PM. We made 4 stops: Siena, an organic Tuscan farm, San Gimignano and Pisa. I really enjoyed being on an organized tour and learning a bit about the history of both Firenze and the places we were visiting.

1. Siena
   -About an hours bus ride away, Siena is Firenze's rival. It thrived in the Middle Ages but after The Plague, like many other Italian cities, died. We got off the bus and walked up into the city, which is still surrounded by walls, and met our tour guide for a walking tour of Siena. On the walk in, the woman in front of me got diarhhead on by a bird. Hilarious; especially because it wasn't me. We visited the main locations--Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (the oldest bank in the world), Piazza del Campo (the main square in Siena where every year in July and August it is transformed into a racetrack for the horse race Il Palio), and went inside the Duomo. We then had some free time to wander around the city before moving to our next stop.
   
   
   
   Bell tower in Piazza del Campo
   
   

   
   Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena
2. Organic Tuscan Farm
   -We drove 45 minutes through the countryside to an organic Tuscan farm where we had lunch. We first toured the farm, walking through the vineyards, olive trees, winery and cattle barn. It was fun to see these sites and think "I'm going to drink wine from these grapes and have olive oil from these olives," and of course walking into the barn all I could think was "lunch." I'm pretty sure the cows they showed us were just for milk, though, not Bistecca Fiorentina. I really enjoyed the winery because they do everything there on the farm--from fermenting to bottling; my favorite part was the bottling machine.
   
   
   
   Barrels of wine
   
   
   -Lunch was delicious. I sat across from an Australian couple and we chatted a bit over the bruschetta, homemade pasta, prosciutto, salami, pecorino, salad, 3 different wines and cantuccini dipped in vin santo for dessert :)
   
   
   
   Lunch
   
   
   -After lunch I spent some time looking out over the Tuscan countryside and then it was off to San Gimingano, which we could see from the farm up on a distant hill.
3. San Gimingano
   -Such a cool town! Also a town from the Middle Ages, San Gimignano currently has a population of 400 and is home to a handful of tall, skinny towers (which used to be houses that you could only enter via a window on the second floor with a ladder), incredible panoramic views and "The World's Best Gelato." But really, this shop was named the world's best. I had some (of course), had I not known it was the world's best, I don't know if I would've named it as such, but it was pretty delicious...I mean, it's gelato, people.
   -Walked to the top of a fortress and just looked. When I thought about going somewhere else, I stopped and looked some more. It was endless, green, hilly and beautiful. Wow.
   
   
   
   View
   
   Line for the bathroom
   No way was I going to wait in line so I went to a cafe, instead...
   
   
   
   Fun bathroom sign
   
   
4. Pisa
   -We took a scenic drive through the Tuscan country side and the beauty just never stopped. The person who puked on the bus dampened the situation a little bit, and the girls from Miami who were freaking out about it and giving everyone the play-by-play were a bit more than unnecessary, but otherwise...it was great!
   -When we got to Pisa, the bus dropped us off in a parking lot and we got on this mini train that goes on the road and took it into the religious center of Pisa (The Field of Miracles). I'll admit, it was pretty magical.
   -I just walked around, looked at the buildings and took photos. I was tired so I sat in the grass and people-watched instead of going inside the Baptistry or trying to get a ticket to climb the leaning tower.
   -There is always a celebration in Italy. As I was walking around, all of a sudden 6 planes with green, white and red smoke flew over the Center. It was unbelievable. So unexpected and cool.
   
   
   Planes over Pisa
   
   
   
   Holding up the Leaning Tower
   -After some time in the Field of Miracles, we got back on the train and took a mini tour around Pisa, to see some of the less famous but still interesting parts of the city. We drove by some palaces, parts of The University of Pisa (which apparently has 57,000 students and makes up more than half the population of Pisa), and some places related to Galileo who was born(?) there.
   -Then it was back on the bus and back to Firenze.

It was a pretty full day, so I laid low when I got home--Skyped with my dad and Danielle Bluford, chatted with a few others, and called it a night. Such a fun day!

Sunday

Umm...more unbelievable celebrations.

1. Free Steak.
   -Yes, you read that right. In Piazza della Republicca there was FREE, and I mean FREE...NO COST WHATSOEVER, Bistecca Fiorentina. There were a few tents set up and they were just grilling steak and handing it out along with bread and wine. AMAZING. DELICIOUS. OUT OF THIS WORLD. INCREDIBLE. Are we sure I'm not dreaming?
   -This was also perfect because Bistecca Fiorentina was on my to do list before I leave Florence, but I would have to go out and it's super expensive...so this solved that problem :) INCREDIBLE.
   
   
   Om nom. FREE STEAK.
   
   
   Bread in hand, wine on plate, steak in mouth.
2. TerraFutura
   -A sustainability/"go green!" festival at Fortezza di Basso with local, organic food samples, different booths about how to be eco-friendly and numerous green products
   
   
   Italian eco-friendly products

I went to both of these with Alyssa and my friend Chris. Afterwards we hung out in a park behind the Fortezza. It was such a beautiful day (when in the shade).

I was completely exhausted last night but had such a fun weekend!

Lesson of the Day

I have an accent.

Photo of the Day

Planes and pigeon over Pisa

The Count

Glasses of wine drinken: 56

Gelatos eaten: 13

-->Flavors tried: 28

Pasta dishes eaten: 28

Churches toured: 11 + 1 synagogue

Cities other than Firenze visited: 4

Amazing views of Florence/Tuscany seen: 6

Photos taken: 2109

Agadugo

Friday

After 5 days without gelato, I definitely made up for lost time.

We talked about the three basic kinds of gelato: milk, cream and just water (sorbetto). Often times, stabilizers are added so the gelato can maintain it's structure and delay its melting at room temperature, we did none of this but most stores do. We made 7 kinds of gelato (but only ate 6 because one needed to chill for longer), and pesto pasta. I made the pesto completely from scratch and by hand! So raw, delicious and fun!

For the gelato, we made everything from scratch (boil milk/cream/water with sugar, then add more milk/cream and flavoring, chill in the freezer, then put in the gelato machine.)

Gelatos chilling in the freezer

• Gelato di Parmigiano Reggiano with honey-balsamic reduction and crushed walnuts
  -Umm...parmigiano gelato? YUM
  -The honey-balsamic reduction was out of this world. We used chestnut honey which is absurdly delicious
  -We ate this as an appetizer. It is not icy as your standard gelato and definitely worked well as an appetizer
  -Savory with a hint of sweet; rich, round and overall just blew my mind
  
  
  
  Gelato di Parmigiano Reggiano
  
  
• Pasta Pesto
  -I made pesto using a mortar and pestle
  -I want a mortar and pestle for my birthday
  
  
  
  Motar and pestle-ing
  
  Pasta Pesto
  
  
• Sorbetto di Mela Verde e Rucola (Green Apple and Arugola Sorbet)
  -I'm not really a fan or arugola, but this was really nice
  -It was sweet but still not quite a dessert--perfect balance between sour, sweet and peppery
  
  
  
  Sorbetto di Mela Verde e Rucola
  
  
• Sorbetto di Fragole (Strawberry Sorbet) with blueberry sauce
  -Your typical strawberry sorbet, veryyyyy sweet
  
  
  
  Sorbetto di Fragole with Blueberry Sauce
  
  
• Gelato Fiordilatte (Basic Milk Ice Cream) with Cinnamon and Nutmeg
  -This is gelato made by first boiling milk and sugar, then adding a bit of cream
  -To me, this was an "icier" gelato, which I really enjoyed
  -The cinnamon and nutmeg flavor were very subtle; next time I would add more spice to provide a more prominent flavor
• Gelato Crema (Basic Ice Cream)
  -This is your basic ice cream you could get in the US
  -Made by first boiling cream and sugar, it has a thicker and creamier consistency than milk gelato
  -We just made it plain--no added flavoring
• Gelato al Basilico (Basil Ice Cream)
  -Wow.
  -This was another basic ice cream but infused with basil
  -The basil flavor was mild and it was an interesting experience because you could detect a flavor you recognized, but couldn't quite put your finger on it because the texture and coolness of the ice cream strayed you in a different direction

Basic, Basil and Cream Gelato

I'm not quite sure how it came up, but while enjoying gelato, Marcella told me a story about how in when teaching at Apicius, she has to leave class and wrote on the board "Agadugo." All of her students (who are American), stared at her with puzzled faces and she couldn't understand why. What she was trying to say was "I've got to go."

:)

Afternoon

I rode my bike in the pouring rain to Palazzo Strozzi for two exhibits: Picasso, Miro and Dali and "Virtual Identities."

Both were incredible.

Traveling through time, the Picasso exhibit explored how Miro and Dali were influenced Picasso. Many incredible (and famous) pieces from all three artists were on display, and while usually not the biggest fan of cubism, I really enjoyed the exhibit. It was incredible to see how talented these artists were, even at a young age, and how their styles changed and developed over time.

"Virtual Identities" was also wonderful. I was discussing it with Alyssa (who went earlier in the day) and we were both just so happy to finally see new art. Yes, Renaissance art is wonderful, world-renowned and important, but in Florence we are constantly surrounded by history and "the old"--it was nice to see some innovation. A lot of the exhibit reminded me of some TED talks in terms of interesting ways of using data and the wireless world we live in. The exhibit opened with photographs by Evan Baden of people staring at screens--ipods, computers, in-car DVD players, phones and kindles. The photographs were completely illuminated by the glow of the screens and the subjects were completely absorbed in their electronics--it was so interesting. The next room was a series of video clips by Robbie Cooper. The videos were recorded using a camera inside a TV monitor and were of kids playing video games and watching movies. Listening to them and seeing their facial expressions was hysterical, and insanely thought provoking--because while I was standing their laughing at and watching these video clips, I was becoming them--completely immersed in the screen that was in front of me and making my own noises, facial expressions and gestures. I really hope they video taped people watching this--I was half expecting it to be like a 2-way mirror and to walk in the other room and see people watching people watching TV...did that make sense? Other cool parts of the exhibit included a guy who made both an atlas and "annual report" based on cell phone, internet and car data, and someone who zoomed in on Google Maps' street view and found funny/creepy moments such as people kissing and giving the finger.

"Every day our online actions bring to the construction of our online 'self.' Fed by aspirations and hopes or held back by fears and suspicions we shift ourselves in more and more connected fields. This map looks for a reconstruction of the flow of these relations. The colors of the single boxes show their rate of positivity/hope or negativity/fear."

Friday night I went out with Alyssa and met up with some of her friends, as well as a friend of mine who just got here this past week. I had to be up early on Saturday morning for the "Best of Tuscany Tour," though, so I only shmoozed for a bit.

More about Saturday and Sunday, plus updates on "The Count," tomorrow.

 

Om Nom Organs

Today

Class was such an adventure! I ate so many new and unusual foods, and I don't think I will ever eat them again.

• Carvella all'Italiana and Carciofi Fritti (Brains Italian Style and Fried Artichokes)
  -we used veal brain and we first had to peel off the membrane
  -when peeling, I pointed to a part at the base of the brain and asked Marcella what it was. Her response..."I don't know: a thought, idea, feeling..." :)
  -we dipped the brain pieces in with egg, flour and breadcrumbs then fried them
  -the brains didn't really taste like anything to me, besides the flavor of fried food
  -the texture was rather mushy though and given that I didn't find them exceptional, I don't plan on eating them again
  
  
  
  Chicken fingers?
  
  
• Animelle (Sweet Breads--glands)
  -I have no idea why we call these "sweet breads" in English
  -Usually they are quite large, but we used glands from a lamb so they were much smaller
  -We cooked it in a sauce of port, salt, pepper and butter
  -They were interesting; they tasted a bit like seafood to me which was weird, but I liked the sauce
  
  
  
  Animelle
  
  
• Pan Brioche with Pate' di Fegatini (Bread with Chicken Liver Pate')
  -Still don't like liver, but the bread was delicious
  -I taught Marcella how to do a quadruple braid!
  -We painted it with melted honey--something I definitely want to try on challah!
  -But while it looks like a Challah, Pan Brioche is a much different bread. It is sweeter and doesn't contain any egg.
  
  
  
  Braiding the Pan Brioche
  
  
  Pate' di Fegatini
  
  
  Pan Brioche
  
  
• Trippa alla Fiorentina (Tripe Florentine Style)
  -Trippa is one of the cow's stomachs
  -It is very commonly eaten in Florence
  -We cooked it in a sauce of carrots, celery and onion
  -I liked the sauce much more than the trippa itself--it was very gummy and jelly-like, which I did not really enjoy; plus I don't think it had much flavor
  
  
  
  Trippa alla Fiorentina
  
  
• Carne "Ncantarata" in Salsa di Miele e Peperoncino (Pork with Honey and Chile Pepper Sauce)
  -This was the dish we started yesterday
  -Other than the pan brioche, this was my favorite of the day
  -The mild honey flavor accompanied by the hot chile pepper offered contrasting flavors, that were emphasized by the soft texture of the pork that melted in your mouth (in a good way)
  
  
  
  Carne "Ncantarata" in Salsa di Miele e Peperoncino

Afternoon

I had planned on going to the Picasso and Dali exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi, but when I got home from class Andrea asked if I wanted to go to school with her at 4:30, so I wouldn't have had enough time. Instead I went to a park by the river and people-watched for awhile before biking with Andrea to school.

There was actually a lecture today, as opposed to earlier in the week where they did group-work the whole time. The class was called "Produzione edilizia e sicurezza"--Building Production and Safety. It was pretty boring today (even for Andrea, and she speaks Italian!). The TA taught and literally sat at his computer reading slides about different production standards. It was fun to observe the class though, and how similar it is to classes at Michigan--at least in terms of the dynamic. You had pockets of people frantically taking notes, students on Facebook, others playing on their phones, and handfuls just talking--completely oblivious to the lecture taking place. I enjoyed it.

We got caught in a downpour on our way home which was fun :)

Today is my Italian dad, Claudio's, birthday. We sang, had cake and did presents after dinner!

Photo of the Day
Om nom nom...

BABY COW BRAIN!

Lesson of the Day

Way back when, salt was a precious commodity and people received it in exchange for work. Hence the word salaria (salary)--from sale (salt).

The Count
Glasses of wine drinken: 45
Days since my last gelato: 5
Days since my last plate of pasta: 2

Photos taken: 1695

Tomorrow

I get to start using Claudio's bike which may actually be my size! A+ for the prospect of less thigh pain!

Is it really already Friday again? Time, could you please slow down a little?

Class: gelato, and a pasta dish of course! (it's been too long!)

Sun and Game

Today

Class: Meat 2: low cooking

Today we talked about (s)low cooking and prepared game meat. The main methods are: confit, salmi' and civet. A confit is completely submerged in fat, salmi and civet are both similar preparations that require first marinading, then stewing the meat. The main difference is that the civet has a higher blood-content in the marinade/broth.

It was a relaxing day of cooking--not too much rushing around from one thing to the next. The kitchen had a nice flow and order to it.

• Fegatelli al Coccio (Pork Liver Rolls)
  -this was on the syllabus for tomorrow but Marcella found pork net at the market this morning which is a rarity, so she bought it and we did it today
  -In a nutshell, this dish is pork liver wrapped in fat and is probably one of the most unhealthy things you can eat
  -I'm not quite sure where in the pig the pork net is located, but it is a lace-like layer of fat that we used to wrap sliced pork liver coated in a mixture of fennel seeds, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper
  -Marcella doesn't like liver, but she loves this dish
  -I'm not generally a fan of liver, but I ate it (of course) and enjoyed it, for the most part
  -I liked the outer part better because it had less of the texture of liver that I am used to
  
  • 
    
    Marcella behind the pork net
    
    Fegatelli al Coccio
• Sella di Lepre con Castagne e Mirtilli Neri (Hare with Chestnuts and Blueberries)
  -I got to de-bone a hare!
  -Apparently I really like game-y meat, as well as slow-cooked food
  -This dish was excellent
  -I love all the different combinations I've tasted to far and am learning so much about the importance of contrast, and which contrasts are actually complimentary
  
  
  
  Sella di Lepre con Catagne e Mirtilli Neri
  
  
• Cervo in Salmi' (Stewed Venison)
  -we were supposed to do Cinghiale in Salmi' (Stewed Wild Boar), but it's not hunting season so wild boar is hard to come across in the market. Thus, we used venison instead
  -Umm...delicious. Stewed with olives, tomatoes, carrot, celery and onion
  -The meat melted in your mouth and had such a strong flavor
  -Plus I love olives these days so that was a definite bonus :)
  -Not the best photo but I swear it's delicious.
  
  
  
  Cervo in Salmi'
  
  
• Carne "Ncantarata" in Salsa di Miele e Peperoncino (Pork with Honey and Chile Pepper Sauce)
  -Confit that we started but did not eat because at the end of class, it wasn't done cooking
  -More details tomorrow

Ran some errands with Andrea this afternoon and then biked to Piazzella Michelangelo and visited San Miniato al Monte, Franciscian Church of San Salvatore al Monte alle Croci, and a beautiful rose garden. I am slowly improving my bike-riding skills and enjoyed riding up a windy, shaded road. It is so nice to get away from the crowds of the city center and be around so much green. I could never live in a big city; I love oxygen.

Both churches were beautiful. San Miniato al Monte is surrounded by numerous cemeteries with graves and tombstones of all sizes. Plus the view is spectacular.

San Maniato al Monte, exterior


San Minato al Monte, interior

Stained glass on tombstones

San Salvatore al Monte was my favorite church so far. It doesn't have a beautiful facade, and the interior isn't that different than many of the other churches I've visited, but it smelled incredible. I am definitely learning to appreciate the sense of smell more. Regardless, this church smelled incredible. I can't pinpoint what the smell was specifically--a combination of wood, maybe oak, and a general sense of freshness. It was cool inside the church also which definitely added to the effect.

San Salavatore al Monte

I then took a walk through the rose gardens that Manuela (my Italian mom) has been talking about. They were incredible. The view was remarkable, there were so many flowers and once again the smell was so strong and wonderful. I wasn't going to take any photos because as you all know by now, I hate flower photography...but then these beautiful roses snuck up on me and I just couldn't walk by them without a visual memory. Maybe flower photography is growing on me.

Rose

I sat for a little in the gardens but there was a terrible guitar duo playing in Piazella Michelangelo that I could hear from my bench and they were driving me crazy, so I took that as my cue to head home.

For lunch, Manuela had the extra venison I brought home from class. We were talking about it at dinner and because I couldn't remember the Italian word for venison and she didn't know the English word either, so we ended up using the universal"Bambi," instead. On that note, I guess I had Thumper today too, right? Ah, sensitivity :)

Lesson of the Day
Bikes that are too small kill your thighs

Photos of the Day

Surprise! More vegetation. Don't know what this plant is but saw it in one of the graveyards at San Moniato. Maybe this is what an artichoke looks like when it flowers. On second thought (and thanks to google images), probably not...but to me, it looks like an artichoke

Carciofi?

San Moniato is just beyond Piazella Michelangelo, but the view is definitely better. It's no Fiesole, though. You're able to see more individual buildings of Florence, which is nice, as opposed to Fiesole where you could see all of Florence in addition to the surrounding Tuscan hills, towns, etc.

The View: Palazzo Vecchio and The Duomo

The View: Copy of The David and (real) Tempio Maggiore Israelitico di Firenze

The Count

**Please note that I only had 1 glass of wine, 0 plates of pasta and no gelato today!

Glasses of wine drinken: 43

Churches visited: 10 + 1 synagogue
Photos taken: 1654

Tomorrow

Bread, liver and whatever else is at the market in the morning

Most likely going to Palazzo Strozzi for the Picasso and Dali exhibit as well as a contemporary exhibit, "Virtual Identities"

Want to find a bookstore with a coffee shop and finish re-reading Harry Potter 7. It was too heavy to bring with me and I just realized how much I miss it, and remembered that I want to finish it (again) before part 2 of the movie comes out!

Sorry today's post got kind of long! I tried to include lots of photos to keep you captivated!

Vegetazione

Today
So much vegetation! Vegetable class in the morning, followed by an afternoon in the garden!

Class: vegetables!

Today was great--we made such a wide variety of creative and yummy things: 3 different dips, a souffle, some fried food, crepes and pasta (of course).

• Fiori di Zucchini Fritti (Fried Zucchini Flowers)
  -battered and fried: sweet and crispy
  
  
  
  Zucchini flowers
  
  

  
  Fiori di Zucchini Fritti
• Avocado Sauce
  -not at all like guacamole because they don't usually use cilantro in Italy
  -made with ricotta, yogurt and parsley, it is surprisingly sweet (especially when you expect it to be like guac)
• Crema di Melazana (Cream of Eggplant)
  -more sweet and less smoky than babaganoush, but similar concept
• Pesto di Arange (Pesto of Oranges)
  -such a crazy combination of flavors I never would've imagined putting together but tasted delicious
  -comes from Sicily, where they like pairing contrasting flavors
  -dip made of orange, almond, fennel, capers and olive oil :)
  
  
  
  Bread and dips
  Clockwise from top left: orange pesto, eggplant, avocado
• Tortino di Carciofi (Artichoke Flan)
  -my favorite dish of the day--pureed artichoke and porcini mushrooms with whipped egg whites--so simple and light yet had such a depth of flavor
  -this was the third vegetable souffle we made and I love the concept
  -I don't know how I would rank the tree (celery, zucchini and artichoke). Artichoke would definitely be #3, but artichoke and celery are fighting for first.
  -The concept of "light" is interesting. Technically, this souffle was the lightest of the three--the celery souffle was made with yogurt, the zucchini with bechamel, and this one just with egg. I agree that all around, the zucchini souffle was the heaviest, but in terms of flavor, the celery was much lighter than this artichoke one. Flavor, texture and perception are so interesting!
  
  
  
  
Tortino di Carciofi


• Crespelle di Formaggio di Fossa con Pure' di Fave (Crepes with "Fossa" Cheese and Broad Beans Puree)
  -"Fossa" cheese is cheese that is cultivated and cured underground for an extended period of time. Today we used pecorino (my favorite)
  -The fava ("broad") bean puree was a bit too bitter for my liking--I would've prefered just the tomato and pecorino crepe either plain or maybe with a pesto, but all in all it was delicious.
  -We shaped the crepes into little cones and then baked them in the oven to get crispy which made such a difference!
  -I also found out that I've been eating fava beans here at the house for the past few weeks without even knowing it--I've never seen beans in the pod before; I thought we were just eating a new kind of fuzzy pea :)
  
  
  
  Crespelle di Formaggio di Fossa con Pure' di Fave
• Casarecce con Zucchine e Ricotta (Casarecce with Zucchini and Ricotta)
  -a simple and light yet delicious and deep pasta dish. I would've enjoyed it more had I not already been full at this point :)
  
  
  
  Casarecce con Zucchine e Ricotta
  

Afternoon

Went to the Florence Botanical Gardens with Alyssa. The gardens were established in 1545 by Cosimo I de' Medici and are the 3rd oldest botanical gardens in Europe (behind Pisa and Pidova). It was sunny, beautiful and relaxing. We sat in the gardens for a couple hours and walked around for awhile too. It was exciting that I could name some of the plants, flours and herbs (thanks, mom!). We could only find a handicap bathroom, which I stopped in before heading home. I accidentally hit the alarm button instead of the toilet flush button and couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Luckily (or maybe not-so luckily?) no one came.

Lesson of the Day

Of all the modes of transportation available, I like walking the most.

Photos of the Day

I really do hate flower photography, but these little guys looks like stars!

Astronomy 101

And while I hate flower photography, I do love language. Especially translations...

Warning

The Count

Glasses of wine drinken: 42
Pasta dishes eaten: 26

Number of yells endured from old women while riding my bike on the sidewalk: 1
Photos taken: 1540

Tomorrow

Not sure what's on tap.

Class is "Meat 2," and the afternoon is open for adventure!