Sunday Shopping in Firenze

Buon giorno

Today  (Sunday) has to have been the best day so far.  I started out around noon after doing some cleaning.  I had mapped out my plan before leaving the building.  I was determined to find the quickest route to Toscanet my current favourite place in Florence because it has MAC computers and I have been fortunate to get the largest screen two days running.  I love it.

I tried to make certain my blog was accepting your comments.  So I reconfigured.  If you comment on a more recent post it should come through and you do not need to register with any other server.  Still having difficulty?  Email me.  The other internet place was closed so I could not retrieve my map.  Maybe tomorrow.  Well for sure tomorrow as I promised to download some pictures on my blog.  I took a few today.

I made a couple of new purchases for my apartment and found a store that had cutlery on sale.  Will try to find that store tomorrow and yes I am recording everything in my little book.  Today I am determined NOT to get lost.  Last night was a bit unsettling until I bought the map.  Today is a new day.  From the internet place I ventured to the Duomo to take some pics.  I purchased a leather garbage can thing for my bathroom…looks very shi shi.

Now let me tell you a little story about my first faux pas.  I was looking for a restaurant that had mushroom risotto…my favourite Italian dish.  The place where I had this dish two years ago didn’t have it on their menu.  So I found Lo Spuntino.  Very cute and reasonably priced and the food is good.  I decided to exercise my Italian language skills.  I ordered uno bicchierre vino rosso (glass of red wine), Bruschetta and then I goofed when I wanted to say Risotto Funghi Porcini (mushroom risotto), instead I blurted out Risotto Fungoo Porcini.  Ooops.  I don’t think Fungoo is a nice Italian word.  So the guy diagonally across from me was glaring.  I knew he wanted to burst out laughing…I just knew it.  But everyone remained calm and collected and the waitress did not skip a beat … must have thought ‘look at that stupid tourist trying to act Italian’.  I also played like nothing unusual was said, however I was bursting inside with laughter.  I would never intentionally disrespect anyone here.  Okay now I know I am special in this restaurant as the waitress gave me cutlery and the knife had a green handle.  As I looked around I noticed that everyone else had a brown handle.  Was this a signal to the chef?  If my sister had been here we would have pissed ourselves laughing…not internally but howling out loud.  I will carefully pronounciate the menu from here on in with clarity and confidence.  

The Bruschetta was swimming in olive oil.  Delicious although I would have added a ton of garlic and more salt.  Look at me, a food critic already and I haven’t so much as boiled a couple of eggs since I arrived in Firenze.  Not that I am an accomplished chef … I am still trying to find a great grocery store.  Restaurants are quiet in the afternoons.  Danny the owner of the  purchase internet for 49 euros/month place suggested to me that restaurants begin to serve dinner at 8pm.   I can see this will be another adjustment for me if I wish to dine out.  I decided I would continue with my Italian language skills.  Okay time to pull out the map so everyone will know that I am a true tourist today and not an acclimatized foreigner.   Oh good…the waitress saw my map.  I believe I am forgiven for my faux pas.  Thank goodness…now no one will spit on my food.  I saw that on a reality TV show once…so when eating out…not to gross you out…the odd chance it happens if the server is not happy with the customer.  Note to self…always be nice to the server. 

Looks like I am not going to make it to the art store today.  Must pick up more groceries .  The marvelous thing about eating out alone today is that although my preference is to share a meal with someone, I realized that you are my company.  So as I sit here smiling like an idiot (no  it is not the wine although they fill it to the brim here) I am thinking that you are now chuckling or at least I hope so.  It makes the experience so much richer as I have you to share it with.  I also find it fascinating how much I am able to write on such a small piece of paper.  By the way the porcini risotto was delicious although one biteful was a bit gritty.  No worries, minerals are good for the body.

Did I mention I found the train and rail station today…via Stazione.  I spoke to a tour operator who was selling bus tours…you know the double decker kind where you can purchase one day for 10 euros or 22 euros for two days and also use the orange bus system.  I will find a weekend to hop on and off the buses.  I am pretty good now with the foot only streets.  It is so easy to get from my place to the bus station and it only costs 4.50 euros to the airport.  So when I come home for a visit I will try that route to the airport.  One day I will go to the airport just for fun and pretend I am waiting for someone….that will get me used to getting there when I come home in February for a brief visit.

On the way here today I made certain that I had remembered some key signs so that I would find my way home tonight.  The first one was on the main street where my grocery store is on Via G. Carducci I noticed the Christmas lights high above the street in the shape of stars.  I saw those a few times last night and went the other way.  Go figure and I wasn’t even drinking.  

On my way back home on the corner of the Piazza…don’t remember which one as there are hundreds of them here….well not really but a few, a young girl came up to me and asked me if I wanted to donate to a cause for kids without drugs.  I said no thanks and then went and took a few pictures.  Then I stopped and thought what am I doing…in my profession I should contribute to such a wonderful cause.  So I approached another young pretty woman at the corner who stood behind the table with pledge sheets and information.  She began to tell me her story.  I told her what I did and she nodded knowing full well I understood.  She had recovered from crack/cocaine that she was taking from the age of 17-22 and now has been clean for 3 years.  She moved from Milan to Florence to get away from her dealer and anyone associated with the drug scene.  She had been in rehab for a little over 3 years.   I made a generous donation ….blessed her for her strength and courage and told her to ‘live her life’ and then went on my way with a very light heart.   

I had another miracle happen to me tonight.  Before leaving my apartment onto my next adventure I discovered the large door and I mean large door to the outside was closed.  For the inside door you press a button and it unclicks the lock so I thought I would try the white button to the right of the large door to the outside.  To may amazement the lights went on.  Oh my God…I have light.  No more digging in my bag for the flashlight.  Hallelujah!

On that note I say arriverderci till we meet next time.

Ci vediamo domani.

Caio!