Sep 11 2016

Italy Day 10: Pisa, The Leaning Tower, and that’s about it

When we woke up, we packed our things and left from our short stay in Florence for the more coastal city of Pisa. It was only about a 1h15m drive, and was almost completely motorway, so it seemed quite short by comparison to some of the other drives that we’ve made on this trip. We checked in at our hotel—the Residence Antiche Navi Pisane—and dropped off our bags. This hotel was also quite modern, but the accommodations were very nice. I especially liked that there were two separate spaces, one for the living room, and one for the bedroom. There were also exits in the front and the back of the room, so two people could essentially stay there without disturbing one another. The hotel was on the western outskirts of Pisa, but that was fine because we had just planned on walking most places anyway.

Our first stop was the Keith Haring Café, primarily to see the mural (known as Tuttomondo) that he painted on the side of a church as commissioned by the government of Pisa. It was really cool to see it in person, especially because the colours that he chose were really bright and playful.

Tuttomondo mural by Keith Haring in Pisa
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Unfortunately, the café was closed for some reason or another (even though the website indicated that it should be open). So instead of having coffee and tea there, we decided to head back toward the hotel and find a spot along the way. We stopped in at Pasticceria Giordano without really knowing anything about it. I’m glad that we did, though, because the beverages were good, and the pastries were quite nice. I had one in particular that I can only liken to a fluffy doughnut (a la French cruller) with the Italian twist on Chantilly cream. It was delicious, and I somewhat wish I would have gotten two of them. 🙂

We went back to the hotel just to get the car and drive to San Rossore Park. It was only 10 minutes away by car, but would have been quite a long walk. The park was a beautiful area where you could just walk around and take in nature for hours on end. There was such a variety to the landscapes there that you wouldn’t be able to see them all within a day. We ended up just walking on the path toward Gombo beach, but didn’t have time to make it all the way to the shore.

Pisa San Rossore Park - path to Gombo
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After our time in the park, we dropped the car off at the hotel again, and walked to the infamous Piazza dei Miracoli, which is home to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Cathedral. As expected, the plaza was insanely busy with tourists, all trying to stage the photo of themselves holding up the tower. Once you got past the crowds, the area was really neat to see.

Piazza del Miracoli and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
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We had a little time before our scheduled entry into the Leaning Tower, so we walked southeast to the Torre della Muda (Tower of Hunger). This building may not have much significance to many people, but to me, it was special because it is referenced in Inferno: Canto XXXIII by Dante.

Pisa - Torre della Muda from Dante's Inferno Canto XXXIII
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We then went back to the Leaning Tower, and made the ascent. Even with all the other tall buildings we’ve climbed (the Torre del Mangia in Siena, and the Duomo in Florence), this was the first time that I had a sense of vertigo. Climbing up stairs but leaning downward was unusual, and in full disclosure, I didn’t care for it much. To confirm, yes, the Leaning Tower does indeed lean:

The Leaning Tower of Pisa definitely does lean
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After we picked up our bags from the cloak room, we walked to GUStO al 129 for dinner. Unfortunately, though, they were closed for vacation until the following day. It was a bummer to me because I was excited about trying their pizzas, and especially their dessert pizza with Nutella and cream. Click that link to see the photo, and tell me that you don’t want to eat that thing! 🙂

Since they were closed, we went for the second choice, which was Quarto D’ora. It was another pizza place closer to the Leaning Tower, but it didn’t seem as appealing to me from the menu. We split a few pizzas: the veggie, Prosciutto and mushroom, and the Regina. The veggie was not very good since I couldn’t taste the difference between any of the vegetables, and it was runny. The Prosciutto and mushroom was a bit better since the flavours were there, but it was also runny. The Regina was the best of the three since it wasn’t runny, but it was rather basic with just tomato, basil, and Buffalo mozzarella. They also had a Nutella pizza, but theirs didn’t have cream on it. We still got one takeaway, and headed back to the hotel. On the way, we picked up some wine (but of course, right?). We had to make it an early night since we had to wake up around 06:00 to make it to our special journey tomorrow morning.

Overall, I’m glad that we saw Pisa, but I can’t imagine spending more than a day there. There’s just not that much to see or do.

Cheers,
Zach

Sep 10 2016

Italy Day 9: School of Leather and Cooking Class at Cook Eat Italian

We woke up a bit later than normal this morning, which was fine because the itinerary was fairly loose for the day. We started off by just casually strolling around the city, and then made our way to Scuola del Cuoio (the School of Leather making). I purchased a belt from another leather shop yesterday, but I was really in the market for a wallet. I found the leather products at Scuola del Cuoio to be some of the highest quality items in Florence, so I purchased a wallet for myself, and another one as a gift.

We then walked to Piazza della Signoria, which houses many replicas of statues, including the fake David. Overall, it was a neat plaza but didn’t really stand out. It was fun to people watch there, though.

We then stopped off at Dondino for some coffee and tea. It is primarily known for being a great wine bar, but unfortunately, we wouldn’t have the chance to try it since this is our last day in Florence and we already have plans for this evening. After our drinks, we took a quick look at Ponte Vecchio, which is a well-known bridge across the Arno River that is home to many different shops. The shops may have been better at one point in time, but nowadays, they don’t offer much in the way of excitement, quality, or value.

Ponte Vecchio bridge and shops in Florence, Italy
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From there, we took the 20-25 minute walk to Piazzale Michelangelo. It is definitely a hike to the top as the steps are absurdly steep. However, the views from the plaza were absolutely stunning, and may have actually been better than the views from the top of the Duomo.

View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo
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After taking it all in from one of the best vantage points in the city, we walked another 25 minutes or so to our cooking class at Cook Eat Italian with Manuela. The class was one of the highlights of Florence for both of us because Manuela was wonderful in both explaining the concepts to us, and letting us actively help with the preparation of our meal. We started off by preparing Tiramisu, which isn’t exactly a “classic” Italian dessert (originating only in the 1960s), but it is a popular one.

Making Tiramisu at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Whilst we were working on the components for the Tiramisu, Manuela informed me that the Caffè Americanos to which I had become so accustomed in Italy were not actually anything other than the standard espresso shot with added hot water. Who knew?!

Once we had the Tiramisu ready and put into the refrigerator so it could chill and set up, we moved on to making our mains of chicken Cacciatore (which was originally done with rabbit, not chicken), and the mushroom sauce for our fresh spaghetti. When we were beginning the sauce for the Cacciatore, Manuela had us sample a bunch of types of tomatoes so that we would better understand the differences between the varieties of such a common ingredient in Italian cooking.

Sampling various tomatoes at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Now, for me, the highlight of the cooking class was getting to make our own pasta. We worked on the mushroom sauce for the pasta a bit earlier, but we then shifted focus to making the pasta itself. As a rule of thumb, Manuela taught us that 100g of flour (a 50/50 split between all-purpose and Semolina) is good for two portions. We then made a crater in the mound of flour and dropped in an egg per 100g mix. After working the dough (which is difficult because it sticks to your fingers), we wrapped it in plastic wrap and let it proof. Then came the fun part! We rolled out the dough, and put it onto the pasta chitarra (“Pasta Guitar”) in order to cut it into Spaghetti.

Making spaghetti on the pasta chitarra guitar at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Lastly, before indulging in our wonderful culinary creations, Manuela made us fried Zucchini blossoms two different ways. I stirred up the beer batter, and she showed us that less batter results in a thicker coating, whereas more beer makes the batter light and crispy (like a Tempura).

Here are the results of our labour:

Fried Zucchini blossoms at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Spaghetti with mushrooms and sausage at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Chicken Cacciatore and spinach and garlic at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Finished Tiramisu at Cook Eat Italian cooking class in Florence
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Overall, the cooking class was an absolute blast, and one of the experiences from the trip that I wouldn’t trade for the world!

We then took a taxi back to the hotel, but I accidentally gave the driver the address to Vivoli because I misread the itinerary. He didn’t seem to mind, and took us the rest of the way back to the hotel. Seeing as 1) I am a glutton, and 2) I wasn’t feeling all that well today, we went down the street to Habiki-an Japanese restaurant so I could get some takeaway pork Katsu. It turns out that I was just having Asian food withdrawal, and this was a great fix for that problem as it was some of the best Katsu that I’ve had outside of Japan. 😉

We then went back to the room, and had the bottles of wine that we had purchased earlier from Incontro di Vino. It was lovely to just sit in the room and enjoy our wines together.

Cheers,
Zach

Sep 09 2016

Italy Day 8: Florence, David, and Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

Today we started a new leg of our journey through Italy. After one last morning of coffee and tea on the beautiful patio at Casa Bolsinina, we drove nearly due north to the city of Florence. Unlike our previous bed and breakfast, our accommodations (at La Farina Apartments) in Florence were very modern, and indeed, more like an extended-stay setting. The rooms were huge, the location was a bit outside of the city centre (which was nice), and there was an on-site car park. That last perk was key because we didn’t want to drive anywhere in Florence.

After unpacking our bags, and settling in for the next couple days in Florence, we walked to Vivoli for gelato. Originally opening in 1929, it was one of the first gelaterias in the city. To me, though, it really wasn’t anything special. I did enjoy that they had rice gelato, which made for an interesting texture contrast, but as for the flavours themselves, they didn’t stand out from some of the other gelato that we’ve had (especially considering Gelateria Brivido in Siena).

We then walked to one of the main areas that you have to visit when in Florence, Piazza del Duomo, which is home to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Florence, the Baptistery of Saint John, and Giotto’s bell tower. Our first stop was the Baptistery, and, as expected, it was a stunning display of architecture. The doors on the front of the building were incredibly intricate, but one shouldn’t miss the inside of the Baptistery either:

Ornate doors of the Baptistery of St. John in Florence, Italy
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Inside, the details in the floor and especially the ceiling were remarkable! Unfortunately, tripod usage was not allowed inside, but I was still able to get a couple shots that captured the beauty of the place:

Beautiful ceiling of the Baptistery of St. John in Florence, Italy
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After seeing St. John’s Baptistery, which was quite small by comparison to the main Cathedral, I couldn’t imagine what we would see inside there. We had purchased tickets to ascend the Duomo, and like with the Vatican tickets, purchasing them ahead of time was the only way to go. We didn’t have to queue up for very long at all. Before the ascent, though, (which is at a scheduled entrance time based on the purchased ticket), we stood in the plaza in awe of the Cathedral.

Florence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore
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Being on the ground made it difficult to fully appreciate the level of detail on the statues above the entrance to the Cathedral. Fortunately, I had my trusty Canon 70-200mm lens and 2x III extender, so I was able to get a closer view. Though all of the statues were glorious, I focused on the statue of Mother Mary and the baby Jesus, which was right above the main entrance to the Cathedral. I couldn’t believe the level of detail in the stonework (especially the eyes):

Statue of Mary and Jesus at the Florence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore
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As far as the ascent to the top of the Duomo, there isn’t all that much to say about it except that the steps were steep and plentiful (around 460, if I recall correctly). It was very crowded at times, but the views of the city were worth it. As long as you’re in good cardiovascular and pulmonary health, it shouldn’t be missed. When we came back down from the top of the Duomo, we were supposed to then ascend Giotto’s bell tower. However, we talked to a woman from Boston who indicated that it might not be worth it after the Duomo. The bell tower is not quite as tall, and seeing as it is extremely close to the Cathedral, the views would be quite similar.

Since we didn’t do the bell tower, we had a little extra time before our tickets to the Accademia Gallery, and I wanted to look at a couple leather shops. We went to Michelangelo Florentine which is one of the better shops in Florence. Note that there are hundreds of leather shops, but the vast majority of them are not authentic. You really need to do your homework on the shops, but Michelangelo Florentine, Davide Cerasi, and of course, Scuola del Cuoio (the School of Leather) are top choices. The owner at Michelangelo Florentine was proficient and very friendly. I found a belt there, and he cut it to size for me, and even added some extra holes for when I return to my normal weight after eating like a fool on this trip. 😛 I wanted to look for some more leather goods, but we had to get to the Gallery by the time on our tickets (once again, purchasing ahead of time is a MUST).

We made it in time to the Accademia Gallery in order to see the real David by Michelangelo. It was massive—I mean, far larger than one anticipates—and was clearly the focal point of the gallery. I took several photos, including the full statue, but my personal favourite ended up being this one:

Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Gallery in Florence
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primarily because of the lighting, and slightly different viewing angle.

As there wasn’t all that much else of interest in the gallery, we left and walked toward our dinner reservations at La Cucina del Garga. I chose this particular restaurant primarily because of Guy Fieri‘s stellar review of it on the television show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

La Cucina del Garga restaurant from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri
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The food and service were outstanding, and it ended up being one of the best meals of the trip! Once seated, we were given a complimentary glass of Prosecco (although there is a coperto [seating charge], so that may have covered it), and we ended up getting a starter of polenta as a gift from the chef. We ordered two sides (“contorno”) as an appetiser, and both were delicious. We went with spinach and garlic as well as rosemary red potatoes. I think that we have both missed veggies on this trip. 🙂 For our mains, we ordered Fettucine with orange, lemon zest, and mint as well as Trofie (a fantastically dense short pasta) with pistachio and cherry tomatoes. Both pasta dishes were traditional with the chef’s unique twist, and both were excellent. The pastas are made fresh, so expect it to take some time—it’s completely worth it!

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel, picked up a couple takeaway bottles of wine from Don Fefe restaurant (next door to our hotel), and enjoyed them in the room. It was a very nice and relaxing evening after our first day in Florence.

Cheers,
Zach