Botticelli and Bistecca

Last night we wound up going to an Irish pub (why when we're in Italy, I don't know) until 2AM with some guys from the hostel, so that ruined our plan of going early to the Uffizi this morning. Got there at 9:00AM and waited fully over two hours before we could get in. In the line we met a mother and daughter from Taiwan; the little girl was only 10 years old but already an aspiring artist. What a nice trip this must be for her! Well the wait was worth it. It was free museum day today, much to our pleasant surprise, and I got to see Botticelli's lovely Birth of Venus and Titian's rather provocative Venus of Urbino, amongst other really good works of art. No wonder this place is so popular!

Afterward I went back to Vivoli's for another gelato fix. Tried their fig gelato which was really fresh tasting and had chunks of fruit in it. Wonderful!

A nice juicy steak grilled rare...

I was on my way back to the hostel when I passed Mario, a trattoria recommended by my Lonely Planet guidebook. But all you had to do was look at the number of people (including locals!) lined up outside to know this place was really good - and affordable too. I wound up sharing a table with two really nice local guys who helped me order. I tried the riboletta, a kind of hearty Tuscan bread soup, and the bistecca disossata, a nice juicy steak grilled rare, served with a little lemon, salt and pepper. It was divine! Especially after so many meals of bread and yogurt and fruit. I had quite the authentic Italian experience, complete with people singing - happy birthday to one of the cooks. I'm definitely going to have to come back on my next visit!

Later that night, Ancilla and I had our farewell to Tuscany dinner at Trattoria Anita's. Being here in Florence has just reaffirmed my love for Italian food. No wonder David Rocco wants to live here! I had delicious risotto with pungent porcini mushrooms, and trippa alla fiorentina (Florentine tripe! Like the Chinese, Italians like to eat up all parts of the animal), with a nice glass of red wine. Oh it was good. I was stuffed afterward, but there's always room for more gelato of course as Vivoli was nearby.

Mosquitoes aside, I had a wonderful time in Florence. Met some really nice people, eat some excellent food, and there's just something about this city that's amazing. Loved it!