Kleins in Italy

We woke to rain, our first of the trip, but plans had been laid and we were determined to meet Kate for another day of touring here in Florence. Even in the rain and relative gloom the city is magnificent and such a change from Rome. There is an elegance here; a refinement which is in stark contrast to the big city grit and grime we left behind in Rome. So it was fitting that our first stop of the day would be the Accademia for a look at Michelangelo’s incomparable David. What a way to start the day! Seventeen feet of perfection in Carrara marble. You don’t have to have an advanced degree in art history (like Kate) to understand and appreciate the brilliance of this sculpture. If there is another piece of art anywhere in this world to rival it, I want to see it.

We left David in all his naked splendor and splashed through the soggy streets to the Duomo where we stopped for a photo opp to mark a special spot. During their college years, David and his dear friend, Jeff Kirshner traveled Europe together. As they were standing in front of the Duomo, some 32 years ago, Jeff saw a girl he recognized from his childhood Hebrew school walk past. He told David he thought it was her and that he had always had a crush on her. David insisted he run back to talk to her, which he did. And the rest, as they say, is history. Jeff and Jen got married a year after we did and are still living happily ever after in Phoenix, thanks to that chance meeting in Florence.

We popped in for a quick snack at the Mercato Centrale, then made our way to the Scuola del Cuoio (leather school) tucked into the back of St. Croce’s church. In a bit of serendipity, a school field trip was just getting underway and we tagged along. From the tour guide, (who happened to be the granddaughter of the school’s founder), we learned that the school began following WWII as a way to help displaced and orphaned young men learn the leather trade. The school has been in continuous operation since 1950 and produces an array of upscale leather products completely by hand. It was fascinating to watch the artisan process and even more fun to buy a few things which they hand embossed for us.

My stomach was growling and we were ready to find a cozy spot out of the rain. David did a great job navigating us back toward our hotel and we found a nice place for our late lunch. A beautiful meat and cheese board and bottle of wine took the edge off while we waited for our pappardelle with boar’s meat and porcini mushrooms. Thoroughly satisfied, we came back to the hotel to rest up for dinner.

Later that evening, Kate came by our hotel which has a beautiful bar overlooking the Arno River. We wanted to have a drink and say a proper thank you and final farewell. She has been a great guide and we have learned so much history and art history in the days we’ve toured with her. While some of the days have been long and tiring, she’s a true professional and her abundant knowledge has brought the past alive for us.

In addition to the riverfront bar, our hotel also boasts a Michelin-star restaurant that everyone had recommended to us. At 8:30pm we began a culinary adventure. The meal started with an amuse bouche: four little miniature bites of various savory flavors made to look like tiny jewel-like desserts. They were about the size of a nickel (or a maybe a Euro would be more appropriate) and tasted of pizza, cheese, cod, and liver pate, although you would never guess by their transformed appearance. A cream of onion soup garnished with mussels and sea snails followed, then a risotto with mini meatballs (or polpettini as our wonderful waiter pointedly corrected me), and finally (but not really) a turbot dish.

It was at about this point in the evening when we realized some of the courses arriving were not from the same tasting menu we had ordered from. We really didn’t mind because everything was so good, but the waiters were very apologetic when they realized they had switched tasting menus on us. Suddenly more food from both menus started coming out. Suckling pig, then roasted lamb, and extra desserts. Paired with all the aforementioned food were two different sparkling wines, a rosé, a white Sangiovese (who knew that even existed?) two reds and two dessert wines, but who’s counting? For three straight hours we feasted like the Medici’s and there was no one else left in the dining room when we finally took our last bite. How we ever managed to make it back up to our room is another unsolved Italian mystery.

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