Italy: Fabulous Florence

MAIN SQUARE & DUOMO We’re re-discovering Florence and loving it!  Our first and only previous visit here was almost 50 years ago.  We wonder why we’ve not come back sooner.  Elegant and lively, not as overwhelming as Rome, and with its bridges, architecture, and marvelous art, it’s a gem.  Plus there’s a plethora of great small restaurants. On Saturday, …

Italy: Eating Out in Tuscany

PASTA If you like pasta and/or pizza, you’ll never go hungry in Italy.  We have been enjoying the pastas in particular and the fresh truffles.  The Chief Penguin is truffle-obsessed; I’m just very fond of them.  Consequently, we have both had tagliolini (the thin spaghetti-like pasta) with black truffles and a couple times with some early white truffles.  The …

Italy: Arezzo to Pienza

Yesterday was our last full day in Arezzo.  We’ve enjoyed being here and have had some of the best meals of the trip so far.  That’s partly the result of seeking out trattorias rather than cafes or pizzerias.  In Cortona, we had lunch in town, but took advantage of the tasty appetizers followed by cookies and vin santo …

Italy: Surprising Arezzo

ARREZO’S PLACE We arrived in Arezzo yesterday for three nights.  Arezzo is not as much on the tourist circuit as Siena, Cortona, and other Tuscan towns.  In fact, Debora, our lively guide today, described Arezzo as “the ugly duckling.”  It’s a real city and much bigger than Siena or Cortona, but it has not had the same influx …