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The gastronomic part of our trips is very important for cultural acquaintance with new countries. Our first car trip around Italy started on May 6, 2009. The second city on our way was Florence. I don’t even plan to bother you with comments on the famous pieces of art located in this city. Italy is a fabulous, fantastic country/museum.
The Fountain of Neptune, the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy.
Florence, Italy.
Florence, Italy.
Madonna of the Magnificat, Sandro Botticelli, Uffizi, Florence, Italy.
I like painting, but I still cannot distinguish one school from another, therefore today, we will speak about something that will probably inspire you for Gargantuas deeds.
Before our first trip to Italy, we knew at least three myths about Italian cuisine:
– Italy has the best coffee in the world.
– Italy is glorious for its unsurpassed desserts and, of course, Tiramisu.
– Italy has very tasty ice cream!
How many of them were confirmed?
Italian coffee is delicious. Being a real coffee fan, I bindingly confirm that. However, at home, we make coffee in a cezve, and it is not worse, although we get it from the former Yugoslavia.
Profiteroles…. Yummy. But Tiramisu is not worse in other countries, if it is truly made with mascarpone and Marsala.
We had instructions from experienced travel bloggers: you need to taste white beefsteak in Florence, make sure you tasted Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine-Style Steak), and your life will be filled with meaning, and so on. Therefore right on the first evening in Florence, we entered a pleasant trattoria and ordered carpaccio, salad, wine, unique Steak Florentine, and asked them to leave a menu to choose desserts later.
A carpaccio, Florence, Italy.
The next day, I recalled the honesty, politeness, and tact of our waiter who unsuccessfully tried to persuade signor and signora to be satisfied with a beefsteak, salad, and a jug of wine. But we didnt listen.
When we finished our big carpaccio, enormous salad, warm bruschetta, a jug of wine, and were almost full, the main course appeared. It was brought on a trolley and was so big that it looked like a whole roasted cow.
Just like in Wonderland: “Alice, meet Bistecca alla Fiorentina [only a small part of it]. Beefsteak, meet Alice.”
It could be only eaten by a real hero. I reflectively told the waiter, In this case, one more jug of wine, per favore,” pulled out a sword (well a fork) and plunged into the thick of battle. We both struggled with this huge steak until midnight, closing time of the trattoria. The next day, I wanted something to eat only in the evening.
After such an experiment, we became a bit more careful with menus. I preferred pasta, trying to choose only one dish from all the listings in three or four sheets of menu. Irina tested fish, seafood, and seasonal asparagus.
My advice: If you want to eat one portion of Steak Florentine, take a couple of friends with you.
It is a pity that we did not try courgettes floret fritters, they were out of season.
The third myth about Italian cuisine also was confirmed: Italy really has the best ice-cream in the world!!!
One more our adventure in Italy…
I hope you will return to Italy as often as possible! Have a safe journey!