Today is our 25th anniversary, and we were still a bit jetlagged so we decided to take it easy. We slept until about 9, got up and had breakfast. This time they brought peaches, which are still in season, and they were delicious. I'm not really accustomed to eating breakfast, but I wanted a cappuccino. When we had dinner with the family on our first day, we were talking about the last time we were here and went to Impruneta with Mauritzio, and he wouldn't let me get a cappuccino even though it was before noon. Maria Pia said he was right not to let me, as that wouldn't have been appropriate. This got me confused because I always thought it was the time of day that mattered, so I asked when it is OK to have a cappuccino, and she said "with breakfast". So, I guess I'd better get accustomed to breakfast...
We didn't really have anything planned after that, so we went back to bed for a bit because we're on vacation so why not? 😂
We finally got up and around and decided to wander out for lunch. We came upon a little osteria which had a group of tourists just kind of loitering outside it. So curiosity won out and we decided to have lunch there. We popped inside and realized why the crowd-- this place has a wine window.
We had heard about wine windows before our last trip (from Stanley Tucci - if you haven't seen his special on CNN about Italy, what on earth are you waiting for?), but now they've become a very touristy thing, and much more prevalent. I forget if it was Stanley Tucci or Rick Steves, but one of them told us these are also called "little windows of paradise", which I like better than wine windows.
Originally these were created so that nobles could sell their wine out of their homes to avoid taxes, but in the 1630s Florence was hit with an epidemic and they provided a safer, no-contact way for people to get wine. Covid presented a perfect opportunity for these to come back into use, and tiktok turned them into a craze.
To be honest, we were a bit disappointed to find that at least this one had just been turned into what amounted to a drive-thru (or, more appropriately walk-thru) window for any drink you'd order at the bar. An employee of the place would take orders, then go back to the bar to get them, then open the little window, hand them out, and the people stand around on the street outside the place and drink their beverages. When they're done, they either bring their glass inside or wait for someone to come and retrieve them. I don't really get the appeal.
Anyhow for lunch we ordered prosciutto è melone and pici with cacio è pepe to share. So if you're keeping track, it took me less than 48 hours to have all of my Florentine favorites--I'm a happy girl!
After a bit, I noticed that I was experiencing a bit of de-jà-vu, most especially when the door to the place would open. I finally realized that was because we'd been here before. I'm not sure if the location is the same because that didn't look familiar at all, and we've been told by the family the owners have changed, but the name and logo are the same Osteria Belle Donne where I had bistecca fiorentina for the first time.
After lunch we took the long way back to our hotel, just enjoying the regular hustle and bustle of the city. Then, we got ready for the evening and headed down towards the city center. Frankie had booked us on a sunset cruise of the Arno to start off our anniversary dinner. We were early, which gave us plenty of time to stop and enjoy some of the random entertainment that seems to pop up spontaneously in this place, where even the architecture seems to be designed with perfect acoustics in mind.
The cruise was spectacular. There was a man playing a violin, and we started off heading into the sunset, so we were able to see the sun kiss the Arno as it said goodnight to us, and then as it dwindled on the horizon, it's light was replaced by a thousand twinkling lights from the buildings and walkways along the riverfront.
Everything in this city seems to be designed to maximize beauty and art, but I've never seen it so evident than I did on this cruise. It's easy to think as you wander through the streets that this piazza or that Duomo was clearly built to be the crowning achievement and draw people in from miles around to admire it, but when you view it from the river-- especially at night-- rather than just one area or the other, the whole town seems to be illuminated by magical fairy lamps which throw a perfect balance of light and shadow and seem to make each building, arched walkway, and bridge come alive. Add to that their reflection on the water and you can almost hear them wishing you a good evening as you approach. With the beautiful music of the violin providing the perfect background, you can almost believe that rather than being invented, this instrument seems to have been born out of this city itself as the perfect vehicle to draw the beauty and detail of the art and architecture, which was designed to delight the visual senses into musical form, and you cannot help but be overwhelmed with emotion.
At one point Frankie asked me if I was OK and I realized tears were just streaming down my face. I wasn't even aware I had been crying. All I could think, and all I could manage to say to him was "my god, how lucky we are!" When he asked what made us lucky, more tears steamed from my eyes and I just motioned with my hand to say "all of this".
And the magic of the cruise did not end there... As we neared the ponte vecchio (the first time-- we passed it both coming and going), I remembered a conversation I'd had with my grandma after our last trip here. I was telling her about everything, and she asked me about the ponte vecchio. She had said that Italy was one of the trips she and grandpa never got to take (they traveled a good amount in their retirement years, but never made it to Italy), and she'd always wanted to see the bridge that Hitler didn't destroy. As this memory hit me, the violinist began to play a familiar tune. My grandma passed away earlier this year, and towards the end she sometimes would get agitated or sleep restlessly, so I would play her some music to help calm her down. There were two songs that she seemed to like the most, and which helped her sleep better. This was one of them.
Later, as we approached the ponte vecchio for the second time, he began to play an Elvis song. My Aunt Vinni (who was Italian) was absolutely nuts about Elvis, so his songs always make me think of her. As he played, it occurred to me that she passed away 3 years ago on this day. ❤️❤️
The cruise ended shortly thereafter, and as we pulled into the port, Frankie wrapped his arms around me and my heart felt full-- seeing the city I love from a viewpoint I never have before, with a perfect soundtrack being played live just for us, celebrating a love that has lasted a quarter of a century and still feels fresh and new, and sharing a tender, beautiful, perfect moment with my auntie Vin and my grandma were more than I could ever have hoped for.
We had dinner at Al'Antico Ristoro di Cambi. This place is definitely less touristy than the place we went last night. Very little English spoken, which is great for us to practice.
The house red wine was €16 for a litre, and we couldn't finish it-- one litre is a lot of wine for two people!
We ordered papardelle with a chingiale sauce. So good. Then, we had fried polpette, which were meatballs that had been lightly breaded, then (obviously) fried. When we cut into them we were a little surprised as they were mostly still raw inside, but after one taste we decided we might have to join the raw food movement if this is what raw food tastes like!
We also had fried squash blossoms, and every time I have them I wonder why they aren't more common in the states because they are so light and tasty.
For dessert we ordered a seasonal dish to share, which was a baked peach with vanilla gelato. I don't think they added anything to it, the peach seemed to just have the natural sugar, but obviously it was more tart than the gelato, so the mixture was perfect - not too sweet and not too tart. We also ordered cantucci and Vin Santo, but we asked for one serving of cantucci and two glasses of Vin Santo because we were pretty full. I'd hate to think what two orders looks like, because that was a LOT of cookies!
We walked back to the hotel along as much as possible of the Arno, which I think after tonight is my favorite part of the city.
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