Cascine Park or Parco delle Cascine

Cascine Park or Parco delle Cascine
Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Cascine Park is the largest public park in Florence.  Like so many places in Florence, its history dates back to the Medici family.  What was once private is now fully open to the public.  There's a convenient tram line to reach Cascine from the historical center, too. Meno male! (Thank goodness!)

I walked to the park on my first day here and was pleased to discover its proximity. A few days later, I was reading about the outdoor markets in Florence, and learned of the Tuesday market at Cascine Park.   It sounded like a perfect opportunity to experience local life.

So, Tuesday morning after my run and shower, I walked to the park thinking I would get some fruit and lunch at the market.  I was completely unprepared for the size!  Nearly 3/4 mile of stalls on both sides of the walkway. The market contained EVERYTHING!  Tutti!  Food, household supplies, gadgets, pets, yarn, perfume, all kinds of clothes.  Honestly, it was overwhelming.

I walked the length of the market and by that time some vendors were packing up to leave. I stopped to watch. What  fascinated me is that each vendor stored their wares in a van with a large door along the side. The cloth awning extends from the top of the van and covers the tables that display the items for sale.  On the interior, each van is outfitted  differently depending on what is being sold.  Bins for shirts and housewares.  Racks for dresses. The display tables fold up neatly to tuck inside the van.  Everything is stored until the next market day.  It seemed like a lot of work!

In the end, I didn't buy anything except for lunch: a panino con porchetta (roasted and stuffed pork which is sliced for a sandwich).  It was delicious!

https://www.visitflorence.com/what-to-do-in-florence/shopping/the-cascine-market.html


http://parcodellecascine.comune.fi.it/informazioni/il_parco.html

Not Only Pizza

Not Only Pizza

September 17, 2019

I love pizza, and I especially love pizza in Italy.  However, I know a diet of only pizza would have disastrous results for my health and my waistline.  So, in the interest of following a Mediterranean diet, I eat a salad and veggies every day.  In Florence it's easy to stick to that plan.  Here are two great places for salad, as well as a very cool, nearby shop (negozio).

In Piazza Santo Spirito, I was walking around the piazza looking at menus, and the waiter at Cabiria suggested I try a large salad, a "complete meal", he said.  The food looked good and there were tables outside, so I agreed. The salad was fresh, plentiful and tasty:  greens, tomatoes, corn, carrots, tuna, mozzarella.  Even better was the price of only 6 euro!

Another well-known place is Carduccio, two blocks from Piazza Santo Spirito and near Palazzo Pitti. The food is artful, delicious, organic, biodynamic-- in other words, it looks great and is great for you. I needed a snack, so I ordered crostone (toasted bread) with goat cheese, avocado, sliced egg and almonds.  Carduccio also serves organic wine and prosecco! Since I was there in late afternoon, the cafe was quiet and I was able to have an interesting chat with the waitress.  One question I asked her was how to say the word "bohemian" in Italian, which is my perception of this neighborhood. She replied (in English) that they define this area of the Oltrarno as "radical chic".  I like it!

Across the street from Carduccio,  is a wonderful clothing and accessories  store owned by Guilia Materia.  She creates all the designs, and everything is made by hand (fatto a mano) in Florence.  Guilia is friendly, talented and passionate about her work. We had a conversation (mostly in English), about my plans in Florence and her path to owning this shop. When I was answering her questions about my year in Florence, she said, "You are on an 'Erasmus'".  An "Erasmus" applies to college students on an exchange program, and I liked her extension of the term to include possibly anyone on a type of "exchange".  She told me that she studied design during her own Erasmus in Berlin.  She made book bindings and continued to extend her creativity to clothing and bags. Her items are unique and practical. I bought a lovely skirt, or rather a "radical chic" skirt!

Shopping as a way to Learn Italian
Thursday, September 5, 2019

On the second day in my apartment in Italy, I decided to combine two needs:  shopping and practicing Italian.  Buona idea, no?  I wanted to get a teapot (because even in the country of coffee, I still prefer a cup of tea in the morning) and a ceramic mug from a favorite pottery store. I checked my map of Florence, wrote out a few shopping related phrases, grabbed my complimentary tote bag from the hotel Oltrarno Splendid, and exited my apartment.  

My first stop was La Via del Te', a serenely beautiful shop on via Santo Spirito.  The shop has an impressive variety of loose tea, boxed tea, and a tea cafe.  I attempted in Italian to explain what I wanted, and the saleswoman chatted fluently in response to my questions.  She helped me to pronounce the Italian word for teapot (teiera), teabag (bustina di te'), and loose tea (te' sfuso).  I bought a bright orange teapot and a small bag of loose English Breakfast tea. Success!  Ero felice.

Next, I needed to cross the river to find out information about a second phone and then find the pottery shop. I was near the Duomo and the shop is nearby.  If you imagine the Duomo as the center of a wheel, and each street as a spoke, I chose the wrong "spoke" and wandered  in a circle. When I reached the shop at 2:30, it was closed for another 30 minutes of the two hour mid-day break.  So, I poked around in a few other stores, bought face cream, and returned to the ceramic store, Sbigoli Terrecotte.  I have shopped in this store previously, and find it very special.  It's a family business and all of the pieces are made by hand (fatto a mano) right there.  The owner said she recognized me, and maybe that is true. I selected a mug and creamer with a bit of the same orange color as my new teapot. The owner and I chatted.  She was very patient, helped me to correctly say "teiera", and closed with "Spero di vederti ancora".  I hope to see you again.

https://www.laviadelte.it/

http://www.sbigoliterrecotte.it

Arrivederci NYC - Boungiorno Florence!

Arrivederci NYC- Buongiorno Florence!

Saturday, September 7, 2019

I am leaving a city that I have visited for many, many years.  When I was a teenager, I took the bus from New Jersey, bravely hurrying through Times Square so I would go unnoticed by folks living and working on the street.   As I got older, I went to NY for dinners, concerts and shows; I shopped at the Union Square Greenmarket; wandered Greenwich Village and Soho. I took workshops at Columbia University, and tango lessons in downtown studios. Later, every Christmas my kids and I went to the shops at Bryant Park, the tree at Rockefeller Center and out for a holiday brunch.  It's a long history. 

But, life is about growth and change.  So, today I fly to a city that I am just beginning to know through my recent travels to Italy: the famous Uffizi Galleria; Michelangelo's David; outdoor markets; leather stores; and the Oltrarno, where I will be living. I'm feeling a mix of emotions of course:  excitement, trepidation, worry, joy. I want to get to know Florence, the Italian language, and the whole of the country.  Maybe more importantly, I want to get to know myself and see what I will do with my one "wild and precious life".  Chissa'?

What will you do?

What will you do?

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Here's a story: On June 4, 2019, I was on a morning bus to NYC for my long-awaited visa appointment.  There was a lot of traffic and the guy next to me said, "I hope you are at least doing something fun once you are in the city." I said I had a visa appointment, which I didn't think would be fun, but would lead to fun in the future. A woman standing to my right in the aisle, overheard and asked to which consulate I was going. I replied, "I'm going to the Italian consulate." She was going to the Irish consulate. We chatted a bit about making big changes in our lives. She had graduated college, lived a year in Spain, and worked there as an English teacher and piano tuner. I admired her courage. In turn, she thought my plan was cool. She asked if I was on social media and if she could follow me on Instagram. I was flattered! We swapped contact information. Sarah and I wished each other luck, got off the bus, and went our separate ways. 

When I returned to the bus station and got on line for the 3:00 bus, Sarah got on line shortly after me! On the bus, we sat next to one another and talked about our summer plans. She told me she would be working at the Aspen Music Festival and then house-sitting in Boulder for a week. Yep, the same time I would be in Boulder! We agreed to stay in touch and get together.

So, last night I met up with Sarah and her friend, Karen, for dinner at Centro Mexican Kitchen in Boulder. Karen lives in California and is starting a business to re-purpose clothes. She can sew and has interesting, creative ideas. Our common link was that we were each taking an "alternate" path, which made some people uncomfortable. We talked about how difficult it is to have an answer when someone asks, "But, what are you going to do... in Ireland, in Italy, starting a new company." We thought, "Just live... give it a go"... didn't seem to suffice. We each understood that a person means well, but those kind of questions only added to our own anxiety about starting something new. We agreed the worst that could happen is that we would say, "Oh, well, at least we gave it a try." And then, start again.