March 16th, 2009

chasing.some.sun.in.florence

I went to Florence for five days last week, chasing the sun when it was just too gray in Milan. I did not do too many things but I just enjoyed a few good things slowly and savour the beauty :)

First day, it was super sunny saturday and we woke up very late, so we just had a quick breakfast and headed to the mercato di san ambrogio, which opens monday-saturday, but it has a special vibe on saturday. We were hungry so we headed straight to de rocco, which has a very unique concept: it locates in the middle of the indoor market and every table has its own door :) I had lasagna al genovese which is vegetarian and made with pesto sauce, creme caramel and coffee.

After I walked around and really liked the area of san ambrogio. I found this street van, selling lampredotto, that of course I can’t try, it is the inner part of cow, cooked very slowly and served either in its own broth or with tomato sauce and drizzled with salsa verde or salsa piccante. I think it is kind of men’s food as I did not really see women around there (neither when I returned there on Tuesday to buy some for Marco :)

I walked around the area, found a cute second hand market, but they were closed for lunch, and finally sitting and just watching people around a piazza, taking photos of some the beautiful vegetables I got from the  market :)

For dinner: this place have my high recommendation, the name is il vegetariano, at via delle ruote 30. Very good vegetarian food, the menu changes daily and the atmosphere is so relaxed. They has organic wines, the dessert is great and the rustic bread is awesome. I had a big salad and their tofu dressing is just so good!

Fortunately, it was the second sunday of the month, and the weather was still great, so we went to mercato di santo spirito, and flea market at the other side of the river. Many nice nice things, I liked many cups and plates and oldoldold cutlery, but too lazy to bring them back to Milano, so we just went around and ended up in popcafe in the middle of the piazza, having beer and just lurking at people :P

Monday is just cleaning house and David came home for lunch with Audra and Gerd-Helen: pasta with baby zucchini and potato, then I walked around city center, having panini at i fratellini, very nice and warm panini, having 30 choices and you can have a glass of rosso or chianti too with the panini!

and I ended up at le parigine gelateria, very nice gelato, and they made it there too.

Tuesday was just getting lampredotto for Marco, had lunch at il vegetariano again (it is THAT good) and cooking stuffed round zucchini and bulgur with agretti (recipe soon) for dinner with my bother and his flatmates: Isabell and Janiss.

Taking the morning train back to Milan on Wednesday. It was such a beautiful time in Florence, will come back sometimes soon :)

Filed under: life, travel