Next it was back to the church of San Miniato al Monte, where palms were being distributed for the celebration of Palm Sunday. But they weren't palms. Instead, the church was giving away olive branches pruned from nearby olive groves, a Tuscan twist on a Lenten tradition.
Following a stroll down the river and across the Ponte Vecchio, I gave my family a tour of the Uffizi and Piazza della Signoria. Though not all of them were interested in the differences between Cimabue and Duccio's "Madonna and Childs" everyone appreciated the history and the views from the main corridor. On the way back to our car, we hit up Grom for some gelato, braving a line that extended out the door and around the corner.... boo tourist season. Our first full day ended with a trip up the steps (always better than a trip down the steps--- hahahahaha) of Giotto's campanile, which provided spectacular views of the Duomo. Since the sky was crystal clear we could see all of Florence and the surrounding valley.
The next day we took a cooking class with "Accidental Tourist," a very small company my mom had discovered via the magic of TripAdvisor. After a stunning 30 minute drive through the Tuscan countryside, we arrived in a country home that was formerly a tower from 1000 years ago. Greeted by an enthusiastic golden retriever and some fine Chianti Classico, we met our three classmates for the day, a family from Boston. Upon our instructor's arrival, we began to learn the art of making home made pasta- kneading a special kind of flour with an egg, mixing it with more flour, kneading, kneading, kneading, and more kneading, followed by even more kneading. The next step is to roll the pasta in to paper thin strips with a pasta press. This whole process was very similar to the cooking I did with playdough whhen I was in preschool. As a result, it was both entertaining and stress relieving. We made two types of pasta- a ravioli with a spinach and ricotta filling, and a fettucini with a spicy tomato sauce. Following the class, we enjoyed a gourmet tuscan lunch, with the food we had prepared supplemented by more typical tuscan delicacies prepared by a professional chef.
For Tuesday, my Mom had reserved a cooking class, again with the help of the inscrutable trip advisor. Called the "Taste Florence Tour," a guide took my family to various markets and restaurants throughout the city. At each stop, we sampled the best balsamic vinegar, meat, olive oil, wine, meat, and of course, plenty of gelato. It was a great way to learn about the rich food culture in Italy- and to find some new places that I will definitely be frequenting throughout the rest of my stay in Florence (especially enjoyed Pasticerria Sieni- a bakery hidden to tourists by the San Lorenzo leather market. Try the 'lobster tails')
Wednesday I would not be able to spend with my family- since I had an exam for my comparative fascist cultures class. While they ventured to the beautiful towns of Siena and San Gimignano, I returned to the classroom, took a test that I had not studied for (let's just say I got away with it this time...) before returning to Florence at Gusta Pizza, a pizzeria hidden in a dark alley that serves thousands of the city's tastiest pizzas on a nightly basis.
Thursday morning we boarded a train for Rome at 7 am. When we arrived at Roma Termini, a private guide met us at our platform- he even had a sign with "Panzer" written on it. I've clearly hit the big time. In a brand new Mercedes mini van, we toured all of the citie's major landmarks, including the forum, the pantheon, the colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the St. Peter's, and the Vatican Museums. By the end of the day, we were all sufficiently exhausted. I especially enjoyed my return to Rome because our guide, Stefano, took us to both a good panini shop and a great gelateria throughout the day. Since good food is generally impossible to find in Rome, I was more than pleasantly surprised.
The following day, we hopped in the van and headed for Assisi, to visit the birthplace of Francis on Good Friday. As always, the city was charming and overwhelmingly scenic, still hypnotizing with its uniform blend of pink and white marbles. The day ended with a stop at Trattoria La Stella, a former animal stable just outside the city walls. In as much of a rustic setting as one can imagine in an italian restaurant, we enjoyed sausage, cheese, and various torta- all prepared over a wood fire right next tour our table.
Saturday was meant to be our trip to Cinque Terre- but an 80% chance of rain showers pushed us on a detour towards Lucca and Pisa. Besides enjoying the activities famous to both these cities (riding the walls, taking pictures holding up the leaning tower), we ate a gourmet lunch at an osteria recommended by the equally inscrutable Rick Steves. The seafood that we ordered had obviously been caught that morning- we saw workers loading boxes of fresh seafood into the restaurant throughout the meal. I especially enjoyed Annie's tomato soup- how is it that Italian tomato soup is so infinitely better than what we have back home? Non lo so.
Finally on Sunday, my family's final day, we gathered in Florence for the Easter morning festivities. As is the centuries old Florentine tradition, the piazza was filled with revelers in Renaissance garb, anxiously awaiting the arrival of a three story cart laden with enough fireworks to blow up a small European country. When the cart finally arrived, I felt like I was at some kind of Pagan sacrifice- it was pulled by four snow white oxen, adorned by rich bouqets of flowers in their horns. Truly, this must have been what the Golden Calf celebration looked like. Yet this was all to celebrate the resurrection- and what better way to celebrate than to blow something up. Clearly, Italy has far less stringent fire codes than what we have in America. Blowing up a cart full of TNT in America, even if it weren't within 50 feet of two of our most historic buildings, would never, ever fly. We can't even light candles in church on Christmas Eve anymore. While the Italian government might be highly inefficient, at least they're practical enough to know that giant explosions are the best way to celebrate any occasion, from high school graduation to a nation's independence to the salvation of all humanity.
That night we dined at an exquisite Tuscan restaurant in Fiesole. In a converted monastery famous for its views, we were hindered by a thick sheet of fog that had descended on the city after a very rainy day. However, this didn't dampen the taste of the cuisine- I enjoyed a plate of large ravioli topped with an orange and tomato sauce, followed by a Florentine Steak that I shared with my brother. Though the waiter was persistent that Florentine steak is a course for 2 people- I'm sure I could have handled it on my own. Capping the week off with a bottle of Vin Santo and biscotti, I said good night to Annie and my family, as an absolute blur of a week came to a close.
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