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jo-shaneflorence18 · 5 years ago

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Whatever floats your boat, Fiats or cooking

7/05/2018: Out of bed for a great day ahead. Only time for a cuppa but wouldn't you know it, after search high and low for a kettle and finding it tucked away and out of sight in the back of the cupboard, it didn't work. Boiling water in a saucepan was required. At least the electronic glass top stove was a lot user friendly than in Paris.

Jo and Cecilia left for their food and cooking tour before Tom, Beau and Shane. They had a nine o'clock departure time for their activity and had to be there twenty minutes early. They must have been keen as the meeting place, under the loggias at the Tours and News Stand in Piazza della Repubblica was just around the corner. Not long after the boys left for the Walkabout Tour's garage in via Vinegia, immediately behind Palazzo Vecchio so only a few minutes were needed to get there. They had a similar starting time but upon arrival, some of the Vespa people were already there and a few of the Fiat people. Tom put his name up to drive, they took his particulars and gave him a run through of how the car worked. All too easy. In the meantime Shane & Beau checked out the other vehicles in the garage.

Receiving Instruction

Jo and Cecilia were booked into the VIP Small Group Cooking Masterclass Tour and Historic Bottegas Food Tour (what a mouthful) through Ciao Florence Tours and met their tour guide Giuseppe who had a small group of 8 people to show around. The first part of the tour involved walking through a small street close to where we were staying. It actually ended up being our street! First stop was a Forno Sortoni. Forno means oven and in this case, means a bakery where breads and pastries are cooked on site. They were given a traditional Tuscan bread to try, cooked sans salt. Also on offer was focaccia and biscotti. Those that were coffee drinkers were given an expresso, those of us who were not coffee drinkers were given water.

First stop, Forno Sortoni

The Fiats were a bit slower to get going. Sorting them out, prepping up with driver instructions and decking out the scooter riders took some time but by a quarter to ten most were ready to go, the manager being unhappy with the delay, partly created by a Spanish woman who wanted the tour in Italian so she could understand it (Beau's interpretation). She argued for ages and by the time we left she was still arguing.

The guide, Alexandro (Ale) was quite a character and quite knowledgeable, got the boys in the vehicles, in convoy and out of the township. Ten minutes later they were climbing the bends up to Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, a basilica that turned one thousand years old this year. Commencing in 1018 and taking almost a century to complete, the Tuscan Romanesque structure was built on the remains of an earlier church. The Monte in the title refers to mountain but is really only a hill affording panoramic views across Florence. The façade was completed much later, at a time when Florence was in dispute with Siena, hence there is only white and green marble. No pink as in the town centre as the pink came from Siena.

View of Florence from the forecourt

Apparently, whether you believe it or not, Minias after whom the church was named, was a Roman soldier who decided that he had had enough of the army and retired to Florence. Taking on Christianity, he became a hermit in a cave of some sort beneath the current abbey. During the Christian persecutions of the third century. He ended up being thrown into the middle of the Roman amphitheatre with a couple of panthers. These animals would not touch him so the Romans done it for them, cutting off his head. Refusing to die he tucked his head under his arm and walked home, dying there.

A few old frescos

Before the boys were even at San Miniato, the women had moved on to their next stop, a fruit and veg shop called Mauro Frutta. The shop was laid out with an amazing array of colour. They were shown fruits from the region and explained that some fruits were particular to Tuscany. Cherries were just coming into season and they were both given a sample to try. There was also another fruit that resembled a cross between an apricot and a persimmon to look at but no one in the group, neither they, the English, Canadians or Yanks could equate the taste to anything back home. It was yummy. There were also the smallest strawberries they had ever seen which were bush strawberries. They also sampled two types of tomatoes, cherries and dates of which the latter were particularly sweet and very nice.

Mauro Frutta

From Mauro Frutta they headed across Piazza della Signoria to a couple of back streets leading to a store specialising in olive oils and balsamic vinegars called La Bottega Dell'olio and given three different olive oils and three different balsamic vinegars to try. It was explained what food was best for each. There was a sweet balsamic vinegar that they were told could be used on strawberries and ice cream, hmmmm not sure about that!

Samples of vinegars and oils at La Bottega Dell'olio

By now it was eleven and tucker was on. The men heading off to eat it and the women setting up to cook it. Nothing's changed. Soon after leaving the basilica, Shane and the boys were driving through narrow laneways, potholed asphalt and very tight corners, stopping off at a lookout overlooking a valley of olive groves in the Florentine hills and a hidden away vineyard (paddock of grapes), given an education by Ale about Tuscan olive oil and the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico wine. All very interesting. It was at this time that Shane and Beau swapped front and rear seats. The back seat was quite cosy, Beau too tall and Shane too fat.

But it was then time to eat. Ale leading back the way we came, passing the entry to Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte and stopping at the front gate of where we were to eat. A small laneway off of Via della Torre del Gallo. We parked all the Fiats on a small area near the gate and walked down the numerous steps to the entertainment area, all owned by the Walkabout owner and setup to specifically cater for customers of their tours. The last time we were here with Zac and Soph, our group were the only ones there and their big dog Falco was quite pleased to see us. This time however there were a couple of dozen doing a cooking class so Falco was a lot less responsive. So much so that when Tom tried to be friendly with him and offered his hand, Falco gave a nip as to say that he's had enough of tourists for the day.

The narrow lane ways of the Florentine hills

It was cosy in the back seat

Parking up top

It was approach eleven thirty, eating time for some, cooking time for others. Jo and Cecilia crossed the Arno to the restaurant where their class was to occur, Ristorante Olio & Convivium. Bit of a problem though. No one was there! Giuseppe took them to a café on the corner to grab a drink while he hastily made a few phone calls. Finally after several calls and 45 minute wait, the manager arrived and let them into the restaurant. After heading off to wash their hands (hygiene is a must in any kitchen) they were provided aprons, went through the formal introductions of name and where they all hailed from and given a run down on what they were going to cook. Almond biscotti, gnocchi, basil pesto, egg plant parmigiana and porcini risotto. No machines, this was going to be all by hand. Biscotti was prepared and put aside to rise. It was then on to the gnocchi which also had to sit for a while. During this waiting time they were taken into the seating area and treated to salamis, prosciutto, cheeses, bread and red wine. It was during this break the next problem arose. The oven was broken. Again frantic calls between the guide and the restaurant's head chef and a visit from the manager was to no avail. No biscotti for today. Awwwwww, all that work and no reward. Jo's looked pretty damn good too! It was back to the prep area where they commenced work on the basil pesto using a heavy mortar and pestle. This was bloody hard work for a weakling like Jo. Next, it was time to prepare the eggplant and then time for another glass of wine. It was then into the kitchen where the cooking on the stove top began. Cecilia volunteered to start the risotto. Nona in the making. Their gnocchi were cooked as a job lot, dished up a portion each and had it mixed with their own pesto. Several made it way too salty. Jo's was bearable. It was back to the tables where they ate their masterpieces, enjoyed conversation and downed another wine. Even with the hiccups at the "VIP" cooking class, it was a great day. Jo and Cec were given master Chef certificates then headed off on their way home.

Nona preparing the risotto

She passed. Now qualified to cook dinner

A less stressful time was being had across town. As was the last time, the food was excellent. Shane and the boys sat with a couple from Las Vegas, in fact all the other people were from the United States. Again the red wine came out (only one glass allowed for the drivers), pasta in tomato sauce followed by a large plate of meat, cheese and olives. Plenty of food and again all good. An hour or so there saw them heading back through the lane ways to Florence.

Yard beside the meal area

Pasta and antipasto for lunch

Travelling back in the Fiats was good, negotiating the traffic and traffic lights until they hit the last bridge. The first three Fiats turned left and must have turned right somewhere. The last three were caught up in traffic and ended up lost. With all of the one way streets and dead ends, they all ended up diving along the riverbank until they could cross the river and try to work out where they were on Google maps. It ended up getting them back to base but by the long way and where they weren't supposed to go. When finally arrived back, it was storming with light hail and whilst handing back the keys they were notified that they went through some streets illegally and that we would be fined. The company said that they would cover the cost but they did not have to. A little more instruction under heavy traffic and tight roads may have been the answer. Although everyone had radios, they were pretty poor and the messages pretty garbled. Anyway, to top it all off by the time the men left the workshop it was pouring so they found a Caffé Pasticceria on the corner nearby and sat it out with a few ales. Everybody had the same idea so the place was packed, all looking for a seat. After a couple of beers the waiter was asked if it was still raining. He said it was so another round was ordered. After the third beer the waiter came over and told them it had stopped raining. It was "il conto per favore" and they were out of there.

Waiting for the rain to clear

Following the day's activities, it was time to change course. Cecilia and the boys had to rest up while Shane and Jo spent the early evening enjoying a walk around the Duomo. By the time that they returned to the apartment, the rested ones were up and ready to go, spending the late evening around Piazza della Signoria. Looking at the statues in Loggia dei Lanzi and listening to the live music. After the evening’s activities, we all settled down by trying some of the tasty vinegars and oils that the women had purchased during the day.

Walked the evening off around the Duomo

Another day down

Tomorrow, the Tuscan countryside.

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pope-francis-quotes · 6 years ago

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15th March >> (@Zenitenglish By Deborah Castellano Lubov) @PopeFrancis @Pope Francis Returns to Rome After Concluding Lenten Spiritual Exercises in Ariccia. Thanks Preacher Bernardo For His Contribution in These Days.

Pope Francis has returned to Rome after having concluded his annual week of Lenten Spiritual Exercises, with the Roman Curia, in Ariccia, outside of Rome in the Castelli Romani. The following are the Vatican-provided words of thanks given by Francis this morning to the preacher of the Spiritual Exercises, Abbot Bernardo Francesco Maria Gianni, O.S.B. Oliv., of the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte, near Florence, who led the Exercises:

***

I wish to thank you, brother Bernardo, for your help in these days. I have been struck by your work to allow us to enter, as did the Word, into the human; and to understand that God always makes Himself present in the human. He did so for the first time in the incarnation of the Word, total, but He is present also in the traces He leaves in the human. As in the incarnation in the Word – indivisa et inconfusa – He is there. And our work is perhaps to go forward…

I thank you very much for this work. I thank you for speaking about memory: this “deuteronomic” dimension that we forget; for speaking about hope, work, patience, how to show us the way to have that “memory of the future” that we always take forward. Thank you!

And it made me laugh when you said that some people, reading the titles of the meditations, perhaps did not understand what the Curia did: perhaps they had hired a tourist guide to show them Florence and its poets… And I too at the first meditation was a little disorientated, and then I understood the message. Thank you.

I thought a lot about a Conciliar document – Gaudium et spes – perhaps the document that has encountered most resistance, even today. And in that moment I saw you in that way: with the courage of the Council Fathers when they signed that document. I thank you very much. Pray for us, we who are all sinners, all of us, but we want to go ahead in this way, serving the Lord. Thank you very much, and greet the monks on my behalf and on our behalf. Thank you!

[Vatican-provided text]

15th MARCH 2019 16:36POPE AND HOLY SEE

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sabinastanart · 5 years ago

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While staying in Florence I got the habit to go to San Miniato Al Monte Abbey and I really took part in the service, sitting among the people that came for that, not on the side like a tourist. The first time I took part, my mind was again a mess. I try to keep certain thoughts out of my head when in church just because.

[This would probably be the right moment to say I do not believe in God anymore. Let’s just say that at a certain point in life I realized that the existence of God is not necessary for the Universe to exist and that its existence wouldn’t explain anything.

I am spiritual however. ]

Getting back to the service. While I was fighting to keep my demon quite (I have just one at the moment, shaped as a dove no less), this next moment arrived: everyone would turn to the people next to them, shake hands and say: “la pace sia con te” Fuck! I have to do this too! Some would just say “pace” so I went shaking their hand and say “pace” feeling… Awkward you would expect, but no! Welcomed. Everyone was smiling and shaking hands honestly. Omg! I do not know what thoughts I was fighting to keep at bay right then, but puf! Bye bye demon! A demain!

For more on the experience, follow the link:

#abbey #catholic #mass #religion #god #spiritual #spirituality #florence #san miniato al monte #connection #experience #belonging #habits #drawing #scketch

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cesarecitypilgrim · 6 years ago

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Monte Oliveto style: tre abbazie ricche di arte e storia/Monte Oliveto style: three Italian Abbey rich for art and history.

Gli olivetani dall’abito bianco, noti per il loro amore per l’arte e la cultura, sono una delle più affascinanti congregazioni dell’universo benedettino. Non numerosissimi, vivono in abbazie di grande interesse, diffuse in tutto il mondo, anche se è in Italia che si trova il cuore dell’ordine: l’abbazia madre di Monte Oliveto Maggiore in provincia di Siena. Da qui voglio partire per una breve…

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easytravelpw-blog · 6 years ago

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Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/5-attractions-near-piazzale-michelangelo-florence/europe/

5 Attractions Near Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

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Visit the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte

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Via delle Porte Sante, 34, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

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+39 055 234 2731

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About a 10-minute walk uphill (with stairs) from Piazzale Michelangelo, this beautiful 11th-century abbey and church complex is worth every ounce of effort to get here. Its geometric facade of green and white marble and gold mosaics is visible from the center of Florence, and its interior is a jewel box of early Medieval religious art and architecture. Resident monks still produce candles, sweets and herbal products, which make unique gifts and at 5:30 p.m. most days, they celebrate mass with Gregorian chant. Carefully tended grounds and a cemetery with some elaborate tombs make this a pleasant, atmospheric place to spend an hour or so.

#travel #airlinetickets #airtickets #cheapairfare #planetickets #travelinsurance #travelquotes #travelblogger #traveller #travelling #travelocity #travelodge #vacation

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harryandmeghan0-blog · 6 years ago

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30 Recent Royal Weddings You Probably Forgot About

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30 Recent Royal Weddings You Probably Forgot About

1 of 30

Princess Anne & Mark Phillips

Princess Anne, the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, married Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey in 1973. The couple were together almost 20 years and had two children, Peter and Zara, before divorcing in 1992.