Everyday Florentine Beauty

I find some of the most mundane items here are ornate and crafted with great care. These things can be found almost anywhere in the world, I suppose. What's different here in the City Center of Florence is that everything is beautifully made.

A grate on the sidewalk. 

These are everywhere. I think they were to tie up your horse. They are very high on the wall, perhaps so that others could walk under. And yes, phallic symbols are as common as the nudes. 

Door knob. 

Andrea and Jerry this one reminded me of your photos of Florence. The doors here could be a study all their own. 

It seems every building I walk past has a secret, hidden interior. 

The hardware on this door is taller than me. The door is tall and wide enough for an airplane. 

Made of Marble

There is so much marble in this town. And it's always jaw-dropping magnifico.

This was on an outside wall of a building.

Inside of Santa Croce Church, this is where Galileo Galilei is buried.

Recognize her?  It is thought that the artist who sculpted her was the teacher of the sculptor who created our Statue of Liberty gift from France.

Important people of the time were also buried right in the floor.

Often with elaborate designs and family crests.

But they are everywhere so it's difficult to not step on them.

Michael Angelo's tomb, but he is not buried there.

Base of a table. 

Carved to look like fabric. 

To signify a family tomb. 

Dante is buried here.

Elaborate pulpit.

Stories carved on the pulpit. 

Carved to resemble basket weave. 

At the base of a pillar. 

Inlaid on the floor. 

On the corner of a tomb. 

On the base of a tomb. 

A family crest/ shield/ logo. 

On the corner of a platform. 

Lecture on Olive Oil & Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Olive oil, in it's most beneficial form with a high amount of phenols which are good for our health, taste bitter to those of us who don't associate bitter with quality, at least not olive oil. With the rare exception, in our sampling two of us, most Americans prefer less bitter olive oil.

Or do we?  Would that ratio change if we were exposed to high-phenol content oils that we know to be of the highest quality? And how do we determine and standardize quality?  Those questions and many more were explained today at The University of Florence by a world renowned gastronomic sciences professor, Erminio Monteleone.

We participated in a blind oil tasting and within minutes his team presented the results.

Erminio did not talk about Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake. After a long afternoon of Italian language, I found this at the grocery store on my walk home after class around 7pm. Italians eat late. I couldn't read the label on this cake, but I knew what it was the moment I laid eyes on it. Ricotta cheesecake is my very favorite. 

Lit by the afternoon sun dappling in through the window, I ate this lovely confection while waiting the long wait for dinner. It's nearly 9 now, dinner is almost ready. 

Cooking School Night

Okay, so we are going to cook.  We have two cooking sessions during this trip. Last night we made crepes and the group ahead of us made some senza glutine (gluten free) and saved a few for me.  It was great fun, delicious, and a relief from lectures. 

For my B'ham friends think Ciao Thyme. 

We washed it down with this we agreed was a very drinkable local Tuscan wine.