Chocolate kebab
Realistic-looking rusty chocolate tools
In my own defense, during the second and third visit I was with girls from my Italian class. Here is proof! 
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Chocolate Festival!
Last week there was a chocolate festival in Santa Croce; I went three times within the first four days. That is all that I need to say.
Chocolate kebab
Realistic-looking rusty chocolate tools
In my own defense, during the second and third visit I was with girls from my Italian class. Here is proof! 
Chocolate kebabRealistic-looking rusty chocolate toolsIn my own defense, during the second and third visit I was with girls from my Italian class. Here is proof! 
Sunday, February 6, 2011
San Gimignano, enjoying the low-season
Seth had his shop talk/presentation at I Tatti a little while ago and afterwards we were treated to a nice dinner hosted by the director and his wife. I felt really spoiled as they served spaghetti con frutta del mare (fancy seafood pasta), rare tuna steaks, and molten lava cakes for dessert. After dinner there was an abundance of limoncello, coffee, port, and chocolates. My goodness... No wonder so many people have been gaining weight!
Now that the presentation is out of the way we have been able to enjoy a few popular sites which in three-fourths of the year would be swarming with big, sweaty bodies. Winter is such a great time to be out doing things without having to push your way through crowds, especially since the weather is so cool and sunny--not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy!
Last weekend we went around the corner to the Basilica of Santa Croce to see the Pazzi Chapel again and pay our respects to Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, Machiavelli, and hundreds of other famous Italains. Normally a tourist hot spot, we saved it for a drizzly winter's day. It paid off as there was hardly anyone there--except of course we had to deal with standing around the freezing cold church (heating apparently wasn't taken into consideration when they built it in the 1300s).
The Pazzi Chapel, a beautiful work of Renaissance architecture (also Brunelleschi)
The altarpiece (Giotto) and frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi
in the Cappella Baroncelli, Santa Croce
Wednesday was Part 2 of the Uffizi, home of the greatest collection of Italian painting in the world. In the summer it is recommended to reserve tickets a month in advance, but of course we were able to stroll right in and it felt like we had the place to ourselves! We followed this with a lecture on Buontalenti at the British Institute of Florence. By comparison, this talk had a full house for sure!
Yesterday we took a trip to San Gimignano, about 2 hours away via bus. It is the epitome of "tourist trap", as highlighted by its torture museums, funky knife shops, and overpriced wine/liquor stores. We didn't even bother to go to the main church or step foot inside the three-room art gallery. Normally hopping with tours, yesterday it was calm and quiet, and many stores were closed for the winter. Why such a big draw to this tiny medieval town situated on a big hill? Well, it is like a scene from Romeo and Juliet--there are perfect little medieval streets, 11 surreal towers (out of 60 original), and an old wall, as well as an old well. It actually reminded us a lot of San Marino and Fiesole rolled into one. Similar to San Marino, inside the walls of San Gimignano there hardly seemed to be any locals living anymore--most buildings were occupied by restaurants, hotels, etc, and the town appeared like an empty shell. (Most of the locals seems to live just outside the walls.) I don't think I would ever visit during the summer, but still... who wouldn't be fascinated by this place?
San Gimignano's towers
Some of the town just outside the walls
The main piazza with its very old well (no longer used--too many tourists taking photos by it would fall in)
Picnicking in peace. Hardly anyone was there!
Take a look at those vines climbing up the building to the right
The lighter-colored building was once a tower
Piazza del Duomo
Me with a cinghiale, which was making me hungry!
One of the highlights of the day was actually a walk outside and around the city walls. There were some great views of the rolling Tuscan hills.
Now that the presentation is out of the way we have been able to enjoy a few popular sites which in three-fourths of the year would be swarming with big, sweaty bodies. Winter is such a great time to be out doing things without having to push your way through crowds, especially since the weather is so cool and sunny--not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy!
Last weekend we went around the corner to the Basilica of Santa Croce to see the Pazzi Chapel again and pay our respects to Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, Machiavelli, and hundreds of other famous Italains. Normally a tourist hot spot, we saved it for a drizzly winter's day. It paid off as there was hardly anyone there--except of course we had to deal with standing around the freezing cold church (heating apparently wasn't taken into consideration when they built it in the 1300s).
Brunelleschi's cloister
The Pazzi Chapel, a beautiful work of Renaissance architecture (also Brunelleschi)
The altarpiece (Giotto) and frescoes by Taddeo Gaddiin the Cappella Baroncelli, Santa Croce
Wednesday was Part 2 of the Uffizi, home of the greatest collection of Italian painting in the world. In the summer it is recommended to reserve tickets a month in advance, but of course we were able to stroll right in and it felt like we had the place to ourselves! We followed this with a lecture on Buontalenti at the British Institute of Florence. By comparison, this talk had a full house for sure!
Yesterday we took a trip to San Gimignano, about 2 hours away via bus. It is the epitome of "tourist trap", as highlighted by its torture museums, funky knife shops, and overpriced wine/liquor stores. We didn't even bother to go to the main church or step foot inside the three-room art gallery. Normally hopping with tours, yesterday it was calm and quiet, and many stores were closed for the winter. Why such a big draw to this tiny medieval town situated on a big hill? Well, it is like a scene from Romeo and Juliet--there are perfect little medieval streets, 11 surreal towers (out of 60 original), and an old wall, as well as an old well. It actually reminded us a lot of San Marino and Fiesole rolled into one. Similar to San Marino, inside the walls of San Gimignano there hardly seemed to be any locals living anymore--most buildings were occupied by restaurants, hotels, etc, and the town appeared like an empty shell. (Most of the locals seems to live just outside the walls.) I don't think I would ever visit during the summer, but still... who wouldn't be fascinated by this place?
San Gimignano's towers
Some of the town just outside the walls
The main piazza with its very old well (no longer used--too many tourists taking photos by it would fall in)
Picnicking in peace. Hardly anyone was there!
Take a look at those vines climbing up the building to the right
The lighter-colored building was once a tower
Piazza del Duomo
Me with a cinghiale, which was making me hungry!
One of the highlights of the day was actually a walk outside and around the city walls. There were some great views of the rolling Tuscan hills.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Crossing races
Here is an interesting article in the New York Times about the growing population of multiracial Americans. It reminded me of the stresses many interracial couples and multiracial kids encounter and I feel very fortunate to have avoided much cynicism over being Vietnamese/Swedish. The worst of it, really, comes from facing the stares of Asians, having to select either White or Asian in questionnaires, and frequently fielding the various forms of the "what are you?" question. Overall, it's nothing, and I am quite happy to be a part of different worlds and cultures.
Cute picture of Dad, Carter, and Mom. No one would guess my nephew is quarter-Vietnamese!
Here we are with Grandma last year in Colorado. A family with all the shades of White and Asian :o)
Cute picture of Dad, Carter, and Mom. No one would guess my nephew is quarter-Vietnamese!
Here we are with Grandma last year in Colorado. A family with all the shades of White and Asian :o)Sunday, January 23, 2011
Post-Christmas celebrations
Due to the tardiness of the mail, we had a late but still fun mini-Christmas party this past week by assembling the gingerbread house kit Seth's folks had sent us. The celebration was prolonged because it took quite a lot of time to properly prepare and decorate the house--like, 3 or 4 days--but the final product was bellissima!
Seth's half of the house. He either tried to depict the Medici coat of arms or a turtle with 8 legs.
My half of the house--obviously much more beautiful, Country Cottage style.
Ah, home sweet home!
We waited a respectful 2 days before starting to eat the final product. It smells really nice, so we are trying to make it last as long as possible. 
There were even presents for Lorenzo (notice the sign)!
Last night we treated ourselves out to one of the best-known restaurants in Florence, Cibrèo, which of course just so happens to be in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio (about a 30 second walk away). This place specializes in Tuscan cuisine, so you'll never find pasta on the menu. In fact, the menu is hand-written (and barely legible), and we were told it changes daily.
Secondi: Vitello tonnato (veal slices with tuna sauce, capers, oil and lemon with a side of sweet onions) and Stoccafisso (dried unsalted fish with herbs with a side of creamy mashed potatoes). We didn't order dessert, but the waiter gave us a thin slice of cheesecake with orange marmalade as another "present."
For dessert back at home, I made Tiramisu for the first time. I never had the desire to make it before because I was under the impression it is labor-intensive, but I made a few substitutions and it was a piece of cake! 
Seth's half of the house. He either tried to depict the Medici coat of arms or a turtle with 8 legs.
My half of the house--obviously much more beautiful, Country Cottage style.Ah, home sweet home!
We waited a respectful 2 days before starting to eat the final product. It smells really nice, so we are trying to make it last as long as possible. 
There were even presents for Lorenzo (notice the sign)!
Last night we treated ourselves out to one of the best-known restaurants in Florence, Cibrèo, which of course just so happens to be in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio (about a 30 second walk away). This place specializes in Tuscan cuisine, so you'll never find pasta on the menu. In fact, the menu is hand-written (and barely legible), and we were told it changes daily.
Primi: Sformato di patate e ricotta (a sort of souffle of potato and ricotta, which looked like a stick of butter--and tasted about as rich, too!), plus zuppa di pesca passata (spicy fish soup) as a "present."
Secondi: Vitello tonnato (veal slices with tuna sauce, capers, oil and lemon with a side of sweet onions) and Stoccafisso (dried unsalted fish with herbs with a side of creamy mashed potatoes). We didn't order dessert, but the waiter gave us a thin slice of cheesecake with orange marmalade as another "present."
For dessert back at home, I made Tiramisu for the first time. I never had the desire to make it before because I was under the impression it is labor-intensive, but I made a few substitutions and it was a piece of cake! 
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fiesole
The weather this past week has been very Spring-like: sunny and in the 50s. Yesterday we made good use of the fine weather with a picnic in Fiesole, a town on top of a couple hills overlooking Florence. Being only about about 8km away we were able to reach Fiesole via city bus, which we shared on the way down with a big pack of extremely obnoxious American study abroad students...
This hilly Etruscan town is pretty darn old, probably founded in 800BC. Florence, its younger brother, was founded by the Romans around 60BC. So, there were some really neat archeological sites, as well as some great views (though hazy) from high above Florence.
Hard to see much, but we could at least still make out the (Florentine) Duomo
Church of S. Francesco (14th century)
Lunch!
This hilly Etruscan town is pretty darn old, probably founded in 800BC. Florence, its younger brother, was founded by the Romans around 60BC. So, there were some really neat archeological sites, as well as some great views (though hazy) from high above Florence.
Downtown Fiesole
Hard to see much, but we could at least still make out the (Florentine) Duomo
Church of S. Francesco (14th century)
Lunch!
Seth really liked this compact and well-kept cemetery 
Roman and Etruscan ruins
Roman and Etruscan ruins
Italian Postal Service, Part 2
As our Christmas mail has been trickling in this past week we came across a couple more little surprises with the Italian postal service. The first involves Mark and Gina, who amazingly still mailed us their annual Christmas bread (Stollen). Gina, the master of productivity, bakes a couple dozen loaves and mails them to friends and family every year. They paid around $20 on shipping, and yet the mail service managed to take nearly 6 weeks for delivery! That is almost how long it took to ship two large boxes by sea from Australia to Raleigh when we moved from Canberra. Unbelievable.
The next package was from my parents. We actually just got a little card in the mail saying it had to be picked up at the post office across town. In order to retrieve it we had to pay 10.56 euros (around $14), even though Mom paid $14 for the shipping. Why the fee? About 2.50 euros for customs, 5 for taxes, and 3 went to the post office (maybe they charged the little package rent?). I think they held the parcel and charged us because when Mom mailed it she wrote in an estimated value. The pick-up fee ended up being nearly 50% of the declared value of the contents! Note to anyone unfortunate enough to mail anything to Italy--DO NOT write in any value on the shipping slip if you hope to avoid these fees.
Finally, there was the box from Seth's folks. It was the first parcel to arrive, "only" taking about 4 weeks for delivery. Everything was fine, except the box was full of gritty dirt, almost like cat litter and sand. Don't know where that box had been, but at least the contents were untainted, which included a really cool gingerbread house kit and some hot wheels for Lorenzo :o) Working on the gingerbread house right now (waiting for the icing to dry...).
Gina's Stollen aged for 6 weeks actually tastes really good still (though a little microwaving doesn't hurt). This is a testament to her baking skills!
The next package was from my parents. We actually just got a little card in the mail saying it had to be picked up at the post office across town. In order to retrieve it we had to pay 10.56 euros (around $14), even though Mom paid $14 for the shipping. Why the fee? About 2.50 euros for customs, 5 for taxes, and 3 went to the post office (maybe they charged the little package rent?). I think they held the parcel and charged us because when Mom mailed it she wrote in an estimated value. The pick-up fee ended up being nearly 50% of the declared value of the contents! Note to anyone unfortunate enough to mail anything to Italy--DO NOT write in any value on the shipping slip if you hope to avoid these fees.
Finally, there was the box from Seth's folks. It was the first parcel to arrive, "only" taking about 4 weeks for delivery. Everything was fine, except the box was full of gritty dirt, almost like cat litter and sand. Don't know where that box had been, but at least the contents were untainted, which included a really cool gingerbread house kit and some hot wheels for Lorenzo :o) Working on the gingerbread house right now (waiting for the icing to dry...).
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Italian Postal Service
I thought I would just take a second to express how much I despise the Italian Postal Service (Poste Italiane), and I will try to keep it brief.
First off, the post office is ALWAYS crowded, so you have to take a number (which is actually kinda a relief, so you don't have to physically stand in line). Even to buy stamps you must take a number--there are no stamp vending machines--and on any given day it is a given that you will have to wait AT LEAST 30 minutes to an hour to get to the counter.
When you get to the counter the clerk is almost always grumpy (go figure) and typically tries to sell you limited edition post office souvenirs, which almost certainly contributes to the long wait times.
Also, the mail itself can be unpredictable: as of last week (Dec. 29), we had only received 1 out of 5 holiday packages that were sent to us. Even Mom's, which was mailed 3 weeks earlier, had not yet reached us. (Cards, however, were timely).
Yesterday was the icing on the cake. I found myself taking a number at the post office to buy stamps, of course, and when I got to the window the clerk was EXTREMELY rude, which upset me for the rest of the day. What is more is that the price to mail a letter to the US increased almost unexpectedly from o.85 euro to 1.60. All destinations, including within Italy, nearly doubled in price. This seems outlandish--even in the US, though the price increases fairly often, it is usually only by a couple cents. It never doubles! There was nothing on the news, no big signs, no warnings on the post boxes, only a little piece of paper with fine print hanging near the back of the post office. The increase was on January 3rd, so I hope the bunch of cards I sent off a few days ago made it through!
I hope no one is expecting any post cards or packages from us for a little while, because we plan to never step foot inside another Italian post office again. And heaven help anyone who is traveling here and finds themselves taking a number.
First off, the post office is ALWAYS crowded, so you have to take a number (which is actually kinda a relief, so you don't have to physically stand in line). Even to buy stamps you must take a number--there are no stamp vending machines--and on any given day it is a given that you will have to wait AT LEAST 30 minutes to an hour to get to the counter.
When you get to the counter the clerk is almost always grumpy (go figure) and typically tries to sell you limited edition post office souvenirs, which almost certainly contributes to the long wait times.
Also, the mail itself can be unpredictable: as of last week (Dec. 29), we had only received 1 out of 5 holiday packages that were sent to us. Even Mom's, which was mailed 3 weeks earlier, had not yet reached us. (Cards, however, were timely).
Yesterday was the icing on the cake. I found myself taking a number at the post office to buy stamps, of course, and when I got to the window the clerk was EXTREMELY rude, which upset me for the rest of the day. What is more is that the price to mail a letter to the US increased almost unexpectedly from o.85 euro to 1.60. All destinations, including within Italy, nearly doubled in price. This seems outlandish--even in the US, though the price increases fairly often, it is usually only by a couple cents. It never doubles! There was nothing on the news, no big signs, no warnings on the post boxes, only a little piece of paper with fine print hanging near the back of the post office. The increase was on January 3rd, so I hope the bunch of cards I sent off a few days ago made it through!
I hope no one is expecting any post cards or packages from us for a little while, because we plan to never step foot inside another Italian post office again. And heaven help anyone who is traveling here and finds themselves taking a number.
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