Oh my! We are here just 24 hours and fully immersed and loving it.
Travel was messy at best. We had lie flat seats from Atlanta to Stuggart so we both were really able to sleep. A soon as we got into the apartment we had to go find a TIM store to get SIM cards for our phones so the airport could contact us about our bags. Focusing on finding the TIM store, it was a little thrill to look up and see the beautiful Giotto’s tower and eventually find ourselves in front of the duomo. It still takes my breath away, even in the rain! So far my bag has arrived but we are still awaiting news of Ken’s. He is already looking at shops to buy a new wardrobe but I think it will come—just a matter of when.
Last night we were prisoners in the apartment waiting for the driver to bring the bag so I went downstairs and just around the corner was able to buy 2 freshly made panini, some white beans and some lovely greens. Next store to the “Pane e Olio” shop was a vino sfuso where I got a mediocre bottle of light vino bianco for 3euro; the land lady left us a bottle of tasty red from the same shop.
So we had a nice picnic while waiting for the driver who finally came around 8:00. Afterwards we took a 10 minute walk for gelato at Vivoli, the old favorite of many. The pistacchio and nocciolo were wonderful!
This morning we ant for coffee at Cafe Cibreo; really good cafe macchiato! and then entered the Mercato Sant Ambrogio. It was very crowded and chocked full of great sights and smells.


We bought a bunch of stuff to have for tonight, came home to get ready to meet our dear friend Elio at Piazza Beccaria. He picked us up a noon and we went up to the hills to meet his parents who are our age and very easy to be with.

Elio took us all to a gorgeous classically Tuscan spot, Il Colognolo, for a lunch on a patio over looking the hills of vines and olive groves. It’s the kind of place you would love to have a small wedding and in fact there was a group there doing just that.

The food was AMAZING! This is just the antipasti

which was followed by 2 pasta dishes (one was a square stuffed pasta with ragu and the other were wide flat noodles with fennel, pecorino and sausage) followed by a typical boar stew and grilled chicken. We had coffee and a fantastic, house-made bay leaf liquor to finish. Incredible!
After lunch we drove to the Frescobaldi winery and walked around the little borgo there. I loved talking with Elio’s mom, Nadia. She showed me a bunch of the wild herbs and we talked, of course, a lot about Elio.

Here is just one of the stunning views:

We are back “home” now at our really perfect apartment. The weather is beautiful, the church bells are ringing just enough. Kenny is talking along jet lag induced nap and I am contenta.
Good news: Just heard from the delivery guy and he has Ken’s bag! Will be here tonight.