The end of the first day in Florence. We finally arrived on Thursday evening via CityJet (not a large plane) and made it to the hotel by about 6pm. We checked in and found Bop and Gok in a room down the hall. Our room is big enough for 2 roll aways but of course we later find out we only really need one. Gok has identified a place in Place de la Republic for dinner...for 11 of us. We meet up there and have dinner (salads, pasta and pizza). Simple enough and Isabelle announces to the harried waiter that she wants "capoos (capers) on my spaghetti". During dinner it starts to POUR but our table is protected under a white tent. To bed by 10pm. We actually sleep until 11am (except for the minor 3am wake up due to the hotel clock alarm). Up and out by noon and we land in a small cafe where the girls have pizza and sandwiches and the rest have coffee and roll and yogurt. Then we are off to find the Duomo...only from the outside. We shop around (window shopping) amazed at the high prices everywhere. But still, there are Americans here.
We have 2:30 reservations at the Accademia to see the David. A long line but fortunately we have that all important reservation that lets us in after only a short wait. We see the David and some other sculptures and then an exhibit of musical instruments. The girls each buy something in the gift shop (Em: magnetic "dress up David" and Sarah: David notebook). We find a small corner cafe for lunch (sandwiches for all...5 different types, all great). Then we have gelato, and Deb unwittingly orders them and somehow gets the 5 EURO version (they are big),Bop: pistachio, Sarah: Chocolate, Emily: Kiwi and Marc: coconut.
We walk back and meet up with the Fresno gang in front of the Duomo...then Sarah realizes she forgot her purse at the restaurant. Marc and Sarah rush back and fortunately find it.
Deb, Sarah and Bop walk back to the hotel. Bop breaks off when we head into a Dolce and Gabbana store...too much for him.
Emily is intersted in a purse or a bag for school. Everything is crazily expensive. No decisions today.
Back to the hotel. Ellen, it turns out has missed her connection (just like us) and has to take the 3:50 plane out of CDG into Florence. She arrives at the hotel around 6pm. The place for dinner has been recommended by two people Marc knows and it is a winner. It is a tiny place (10 tables, under the Ponte de vecchio). They have a table set up for all 12 of us. Because the kitchen is so small (2 chefs) the waitress (who we later find out is from Missoula Montana!), she recommends family style and it turns out great. We get a salad to share, bruchetta to share and then some melon with procchutio (sp?). Then we geat a variety of pasta (ravioli with sage butter, Pasta with wild mushrooms, gnocchi, and a large noodle (handkerchief) with meat. All are delicious and then we add to it lamb chops with rosemary and frito misto and some grilled asparagus and wild mushrooms. WOW. Everything is great and we are stuffed. We walk home via the gelato place (for the Fresno kids) and back to the hotel. We come home to the sad news on the front page of the NYT that Tim Russert has died. Deb is sad. Sunday mornings will never be the same.