Italy: Florence, Tuesday 3/19/24

Another day, another delicious breakfast of cornettos and caffe lattes, this time at La Casa del Caffe. My cornetto was especially buttery and flaky. We had a big morning planned: tickets for the Uffizzi. It was an incredible museum, and absolutely packed with people, mostly tour groups. Still, we wrangled ourselves through the crowds to see some of the biggest sights, like the Birth of Venus, several Ducio pieces, and just so much more. Endless sculpture halls, art covering every ceiling, the views of the Ponte Vecchio as spectacular as the artwork. It's a place that requires multiple visits. We saw what we could during this one.

After we left the Uffizzi (no easy task--we got lost in the labyrinth of rooms and Lucia called the museum a "prison" for the rest of the trip) we walked over the Ponte Vecchio. Another spot absolutely crushed with tour groups. I honestly can't imagine how Florence would be in the summer. On our way back to the Mercato Centrale for lunch, Lucia finally chose a purse to buy from one of the many vendors--she'd been searching desperately for a small white backpack but then decided on a white cross-body, which is very cute. We all chose different things from the Mercato Centrale for lunch:

Me: arancini

Lucia: arancini and fried mozzarella balls

Greta: arancini and gnocchi

Andrew: prosciutto and cheese focaccia

Mom and Dad: pizza

We went back to the gelato place for another round for dessert.

Next on the itinerary: we all returned to the Fontana del Porcellino. This time, we each held a coin in its mouth while rubbing its nose, then released the coin, hoping it would go into the grate of the fountain (the requirement for the good luck). Mom's coin did not go in, and there were consequences (see: Wednesday). 

We headed over a different bridge into Oltrarno to do some more exploring. Andrew took some pictures in front of Casa Guidi, an apartment building where his great-great-aunt once lived. The girls and I bought a bunch of souvenirs in a small souvenir shop. We all sat outside the Pitti Palace, debating whether to go into the Boboli Gardens; the decision was made for us when we found out the ticket sales had ended for the day. Instead, we had coffee and Aperol spritzes at Cafe Bellini across the street from the palace; Lucia had fries and Greta had some focaccia with sage. Then we took an Uber to Piazzale Michelangelo for some spectacular views of the city. We took a taxi back to the apartment for a little rest before dinner.

Dinner was delicious yet again: Le Cappelle Medicee. We sat inside and had:

Drinks: bottle of prosecco

Starter: cheese and charcuterie platter, and bruschetta

Me: pappardelle with wild boar sauce

Andrew: ravioli tartufo (truffles)

Lucia: spaghetti pomodoro e basil

Greta: tortelli dell mugellani con ragu (tortellini with meat sauce)

Mom: Tuscan black pepper beef stew

Dad: ravioli borro e salvia (butter and sage)

I really liked my meal, but Andrew said this was one of his least favorite meals. 

Lucia continues to get up late at night and eat charcuterie from the fridge.