Two Very Different Lunches in Florence

March 11, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in #italytravel, Florence, Italian restaurants, Italy travel, Restaurants Italy, Tuscany, Wine

Florence is an intriguing city, full of wonderful things to see, hear, touch, experience, and taste. It is also a city bursting at the seams with tourists, which means it is chaotic, crowded, and sometimes frustrating. And yet, it’s a city I love and never tire of visiting. It’s also a city where it’s possible to find great food – just visit a neighborhood market with its array of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, breads, and pastas and you’ll see ingredients that make your mouth water.

With fresh ingredients like these (from the Sant’Ambrogio Market) it’s no wonder that Florence is a great city for dining.

This ribollita looked good but was way too salty

The good food continues in the many fine restaurants. But, as is often the case in places popular with tourists, there are some restaurants that don’t live up to Tuscany’s reputation for good food.

In Florence, these are often the larger restaurants found in areas most frequented by visitors. I recently ate in one of these when I found myself tired, hungry for lunch, and in need of a quick escape from some wet and windy weather. I ducked into a place that I should have known to avoid – wait staff out front pulling in customers, located on a busy, touristy piazza, full of people speaking languages other than Italian. What was I thinking? I ordered a classic Tuscan soup - ribollita. It’s hard to mess up this vegetable soup thickened with chunks of bread. Hard, but not impossible as it turns out. The veggies and the consistency were right but this dish was over salted. I needed lots of water to balance out the saltiness. An eggplant dish was no better – heavy on cheese and overcooked. I had only bottled water to drink, no coffee or dessert. The tab was a hefty €32.50. Ouch! This was an expensive and poorly prepared lunch.

Coquinarius is an enoteca with wonderful ambiance, delicious food, and a great wine list.

I simply could not let my trip to Florence end with a memory of bad food, so the next day I had lunch at one of my favorite spots - Coquinarius, an enoteca just a bit off Piazza del Duomo on Via delle Oche. I had eaten here on a previous trip and enjoyed it immensely. Would it be as good as I remembered? The answer was a definite yes!

At Coquinarius I dined sumptuously in a lively and congenial atmosphere. This meal included a glass of wine (a tasty Vernaccia from San Gimignano), bottled water, an appetizer of crostini (toasted bread) with stracchino (a soft cow milk cheese) and salsiccia (sausage) all melty and crisp, a to-die-for pasta filled with pecorino and pear, an apple tart for dessert and a macchiato.

Little pasta bundles filled with pecorino cheese and pear

Delicious food and a great value too (just 2 euro more than my not-so-good lunch the day before). Not to mention the friendly service, mix of locals and visitors, great music, Italian chatter in the background, and a vibe that made me want to linger - which explains why I stayed for dessert and then a coffee, stretching my lunch to nearly two hours.

When heading to Florence the advice is clear - skip the big generic restaurants around the main tourist squares and head for those unique small places. I suggest starting with Coquinarius. With its wide range of appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, meat and fish main courses, and delicious desserts, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to go back. -post by JMB

Carnevale!

March 04, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in Italian culture, Festivals Italy, Italy travel, #italytravel, Tuscany

In Italy, you just about have time to catch your breath after the festivities of the new year and Epiphany when you begin to see signs that Carnevale - the raucous month-long celebration that precedes the beginning of Lent - is upon you.

The dates vary depending on when Lent begins. This year March 6 is the first day of Lent, so the Carnevale celebrations occur from late February to March 5 (Fat Tuesday).

And what celebrations they are! Colorful, noisy, fun - Carnevale is the ultimate late winter party.

In Italy, the largest and most famous Carnevale celebrations are in Venice and Viareggio, though many other towns also have impressive Carnevale events.

Each city’s celebration has a unique character. In Viareggio, the parade floats are known for political and social themes, making great use of satire and allegory to express current issues and, perhaps, rattle a few cages.

The return of fascism

Recognize any of these Italian politicans?

The master drone

The Carnevale parade in Viareggio occurs on five days - one day each weekend for the four weeks preceding Lent and the final parade on Fat Tuesday. Viareggio is not far from Lucca (about 25 minutes by car and 40 by bus) so it was the perfect place to experience my first Carnevale celebration. And the fact that the parade route covers a 1.25-mile stretch along Viareggio’s famous seaside promenade was an added bonus.

The Siren - with her false mask - luring us all into perilous waters.

One of the largest floats - beautiful against a blue sky

The parade kicked off with an announcement of “Buon Carnevale,” a brass band complete with baton twirlers, and lots of excitement from the crowd.

What followed was a feast for the eyes - huge, colorful, animated paper mache creations that moved along the parade circuit accompanied by performers and often smoke, glitter, pyrotechnics, and music.

There was colorful confetti - lots of confetti - sold by the bagful to spectators who flung it all about. Not to worry - in the name of environmental awareness, this was a plastic-free event and all the confetti recyclable paper.

The floats, chosen based on sketches submitted in advance, expressed current parade themes (this year celebrated women) and relevant social issues. Below are three of the sketches that were chosen and became floats in this year’s parade. You can see the the Italians find the current U.S. president to be a good subject for politically themed entries.

Mind Pollution

Medusa

Moon Dream

This year’s entries addressed themes of bullying, environmental pollution, and migration, as well as Italian and American politics.

High Tide (Ocean Pollution)

A Raft of Migrants

The Pack (anti-bullying message)

Other floats and performers represented the classical Carnevale theme of clowns and comedia dell’arte figures. In addition to the large floats, which take a small army of handlers to animate, there are many smaller “one-man” creations that join the parade.

Parade spectators are part of the show as many dress in colorful wigs, as clowns, or in other costumes. The celebration is family friendly and some of the best costumes are worn by the children or entire families. Spectators can sit in grandstands to watch the parade but many simply stand along the parade route and are free to join in the procession. The atmosphere is vivacious and noisy and crowded but also very safe. I loved every minute.

Having experienced my first Carnevale in Viareggio, I’m thinking that Venice might be just the spot for Carnevale 2020. Anyone want to join me? -post by JMB

A classic Italian (?) romance - Popeye and Olive Oyl - in an Italian shop window

A Valentine from Italy

February 14, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in #italytravel, Italian culture, Lucca

Happy Valentine’s Day! Actually, it is Saint Valentine’s Day. The Italian San Valentino was an early Christian priest in Rome, so it seems appropriate that I am spending this Valentine’s Day in Italy.

According to legend (and the site Catholic.org), San Valentino died a martyr to his faith on February 14 in the year 269. During his priesthood, San Valentino performed Christian marriages (forbidden at that time), which no doubt helped him become the patron saint of happy marriages, love, and engaged couples. He’s also the patron saint of beekeepers, plague, and epileptics – things for which I have no explanation. Legend has it that he once left a note, to a girl he cured of blindness, signed “your Valentine.” And so it began …

The feast of San Valentino is celebrated in Italy, as in the U.S., with flowers, chocolates, and gifts of jewelry.

We hope you enjoy browsing these brightly decorated shop windows with us!

Happy Valentine’s Day from Two Parts Italy.

While chicken is not typically a romantic gift, this butcher shop, which specializes in chicken, has a gaily decorated window.

Perhaps the most unusual Valentine window in Lucca features these gorillas.

Volterra

January 14, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in Italy travel, Hill Towns Italy, Tuscany, Volterra, #italytravel, #volterra, Italy

The days between the hubbub of Christmas and the celebrations of the new year are perfect for a low-key day trip into the Tuscan countryside. I’m always a bit lazy during this time of year, so a drive, a walk around a pretty town, and a good lunch were all that was on the agenda, saving museums and other more in-depth explorations for a later visit.

One of the entrances into the city of Volterra

Volterra is a place I’ve always wanted to explore but until now had never visited. So, when a couple of friends suggested a day trip, I jumped at the chance. On a crisp and foggy morning a few days after Christmas, we set out from Lucca and headed for Volterra, about an hour and a half away by car. Because Volterra is a little out of the way, without a train station or easy bus connections, it has fewer tourists than some of the other Tuscan hill towns (such as Arezzo or Cortona) and doesn’t seem to get the large tour groups that visit San Gimignano. And on this winter day it was almost free of tourists.

Volterra is a very old city, dating to Etruscan times. It is particularly known for two things - Etruscan artifacts and the creation of objects made of alabaster. We skipped the museum but did manage to do a little shopping for alabaster. It was fascinating to watch an artisan at work in her small shop (Gloria Giannelli Alabastri). Her work was gorgeous - delicate small carvings, bowls, vases, light fixtures. She was happy to talk about her work and the process of making alabaster pieces. She demonstrated how she began with raw alabaster and worked it to create objects made either from a solid alabaster block or as a mosaic from slabs of different colors of alabaster. Of course, I bought a small piece!

All pieces are handmade by the artist

Raw Alabaster

I couldn’t resist this little bowl

The town of Volterra is beautiful, with it’s old castello (castle), town wall and arches, beautiful stone buildings, little alleys, carved doors, and ornate iron windows.

A small vicolo with steep stairs heading to the castello

The wide gently sloped streets are lined with homes, shops, and restaurants. And at this time of year it was made festive with Christmas lights and decorations all through town.

Our lunch stop, at Ristorante La Terra di Mezzo, was a treat. We chose several pasta dishes, all delicious. The chocolate soufflé dessert, recommended by our waiter, was fantastic.

Pappardelle with ham and truffles

A spicy Arrabbiata alla Calabrese

A warm chocolate soufflé

After lunch and a bit more wandering around town, we headed home to Lucca, knowing that we’d have to return soon for more exploration and to visit the Etruscan Museum. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect late December day in Tuscany! -post by JMB

Looking out over the valley from a viewpoint in Volterra