July 2022 Newsletter

Life in Italy

We’re visiting Italy in July, and we’re having a tremendous time! The people are friendly, the weather is smoking hot, and the food and wine are wonderful! Here are a few experiences.

Coffee in Italy

The sun comes up over our rooftop pied-a-terre just after 7 am. I arise and plug in the mocha coffee machine. All the lights promptly go out in the apartment.

Leonardo, from Florence, and Bako, from Lagos, are busy on the floor below removing a dishwasher. “Pray to the saints,” offers Leonardo.

“Check the breaker switch,” says Bako.

We trudge down to a damp tunnel that extends beneath the Arno, where all the power enters the building. Apparently, this is considered a good idea in Italy. Bako uses the flashlight on his cell phone to find the right switch; Leonardo and I assist by praying to St. Elmo.

Power is immediately restored and, on behalf of the landlord, I gift Bako the coffee machine.

Cigarettes

They still smoke a lot in Italy. Fashionable women in Gucci puff like chimneys. Macho guys with tattoos roll gaspers with one hand.

There are tabaccheria on every corner. They have cigarette machines built into the street wall in case you run out at 3 am.  

The one thing they love more than cigarettes are their iPhones. The Italian who invents a cell phone you can smoke will become a billionaire.

Lunch

Rick Steves did a video of a restaurant located around the corner from the Piazza della Signoria and we’ve been dying to go ever since.

The Osteria de Vini et Vecci Sapora (tavern of wine and old flavors) is family-run, with Momma cooking in the kitchen and her sons serving up front. It’s all very camp in a Madonna way, and they have a sign at the front door saying they refuse to cook pizza or serve ketchup. If they forget your dish, they serve you a plate of fried zucchini flowers instead.

The picture above is veal from a restaurant in Milan; we were having so much fun kibitzing with the waiters I forgot to take a picture of our meal!

Things to do

Over 4 million people come to Florence every year to visit such attractions as the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, and to gaze upon such wonders as Michelangelo’s David. The picture above is a rather unique take on the Madonna and Child in the Pitti Palace. The statue of David in the Piazza della Signoria has been removed in order to prevent degradation to the original; the photo below is an artist’s rendition.

Dinner

The Beccafico is located around the corner from our apartment. They have a meat cooler in the front door chock-full of T-bone steaks.

Enrico the chef knocks a kilo off a roast and prepares it rare over the grill with just a sprinkling of salt. He then cuts it into big chunks and serves it on a platter with roasted potatoes.

Carnivore heaven!

Evening

Every night, just before dusk, we make our way to the Ponte Santa Trinita, which spans the Arno just downriver from the famous Ponte Veccio. Tourists and Florentines amble across the bridge, stopping to take selfies and to admire the sunset.

Very romantic!

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