Monthly Archives: May 2012

Bistro del Mare

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I don’t know how I missed this one! An Italian friend took me here one day. The address is Lungarno Corsini, 4. This street is right by the river and the Santa Trinita Bridge. They specialize in seafood. I have only been here for lunch and they have a menu for 12 euro for an appetizer and a primi. They have a higher priced menu (15) if you add a secondo, but that is really a lot of food. The wine is sold only by the glass or the bottle so this can add a bit of expense. Prices at night of course are much higher.The entrance is easy to overlook because it is inside a large palazzo. The dining room is modern and elegant and the wait staff very attentive. This restaurant serves bread that is not Tuscan! It is from Puglia and is a type of sourdough bread.
I have been here several different times, and every day the menu changes to include whatever it is that they have bought fresh. This day, the appetizer was fried sardines. Delicately filleted and battered, and served over a bed of panzanilla, which is a Tuscan bread and tomato salad. For my primi, I selected the Penne pasta with shrimp and tomatoes. Try this place out for lunch! If you go at 12:30 when they open, you won’t need a reservation. Enjoy!

Mille Miglia (1000 Miles)

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The things to do and see in Florence are overwhelming. Many times I am on my way to do something and run into some other event that I was unaware of. That happened yesterday on my way to the Boboli Gardens. I ran into many blocked streets and the noise of engines. As I gathered at the edge of the barricades near the Ponte Vecchio with the crowds of people, I saw antique and specialty cars coming around the corner, and flags waving and people cheering. I was in the middle of the Mille Miglia, “the world’s greatest road race” according to Enzo Ferrari.
This is an annual event which takes place every May. The race goes from Brescia to Rome and back in 36 hours. It is a historic event which started in 1927. It is dominated by Italian cars, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, although there are BMW’s and Mercedes in the mix as well. It was fun to cheer them on at the side lines and see the different types of cars, both old and some new!

Fried Calamari

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Calamari-sliced into rings, tentacles removed
Flour
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Lemon wedges

Who knew that making this at home could be so easy and seem so much healthier? Mine were not very greasy at all! I used a very small amount of olive oil in the pan. Heat it until you see tiny bubbles starting to form. Slice the calamari into rings and cut of the tentacles. Put some flour, salt and pepper in a ziplock bag and throw in the rings and tentacles, shaking to coat. Cook the rings first, they take a little longer. The oil should not cover the entire piece, and you will need to turn it once after about 2 minutes on each side. Then fry the tentacles. Serve with lemon wedges. It’s delicious!

The American Consulate in Florence

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The American Consulate is in a huge and beautiful palazzo on the banks of the Arno at Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci. The flag waves out front and it is blocked by barricades to traffic on the surrounding roads. There are armed guards outside the building in military uniforms, Italian military.

I pass the consulate often on my bike rides out to Cascine Park, but haven’t had the need to go inside. I am registered with the American consulate as a resident of Florence and have received correspondence from the about the recent Census and other laws affecting immigrants.

Once a friend of mine and I were passing and she wanted to take a photo of me in front of the consulate, but at the site of the camera, a guard rushed over to tell her she was not allowed to take photos in the vicinity of the embassy. On a recent bike ride, an Italian business man walked by talking on his cell phone and was immediately confronted and told to turn it off. These photos were taken from the Ponte Amerigo Vespucci with a zoom lens in order to protect the innocent.

The consulate website does indicate that cell phones can’t be taken into the consulate, but really, is all of that necessary? I understand the increased security since 9-11, but I find it a little embarrassing, with all of the tanks, military and rules about cell phones and cameras. There are many other consulates in Florence: Grenada, Austria, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Finland, Greek, etc. None of these have this type of “threatening and intimidating” security. Why is that? I find it embarrassing. Thoughts?

The Florence Iris Garden

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The Iris Garden is located at Piazzale Michelangelo. When you arrive on the bus and are facing the rear of the David :) , go to the right edge of the parking lot, near the street and behind a small food kiosk. There you will find the entrance gate. Entrance into the garden is free, but it is only open this year from May 2-20. The date of opening corresponds to when the flowers are in bloom.The garden is on the steep hill of the side of Piazzale Michelangelo, nestled among an olive grove. The pavement can be slippery and it is steep. The olive trees don’t provide much shade so it is best to go early in the morning or late afternoon. The garden is open from 10-12:30 and 3-7 on weekdays and 10-7 on Saturday.The lily from which the imaginary “giglio”, symbol of Florence, was derived, is a very important flower which has symbolized the city since 1251. When I visited, I enjoyed the colorful ruffles of the beautiful flowers. There were a lot of other flowers in bloom in the garden as well. There are many places to sit and enjoy the atmosphere while you are there.