#gocce di meriggio

[vintageeskimos]

Ahhh beautiful Florence. The time of Renaissance art, and the Medici family.

This post is the continuation of my trip with Ashley, Emily Mac., Emily D., Rachel, Mallory, and now Megan! If you haven’t read my first post about Bologna, I recommend you do so here.

We left Bologna and took a 30 some-minute train ride to Florence. I have always been in love with Florence. It is a city I could revisit over and over again. To be honest, this was my third time in this gorgeous city. Most of us girls have been here before as well: Ashley, Megan, Emily Mac., and Rachel. So it was only Emily D. and Mallory whom have never seen it’s beauty.

In short here is what I recommend:

Florence:

Yellow Bar – not a bar, but a restaurant that serves homemade pasta daily

Monkey Bar – awesome dive bar

Viktoria Lounge Bar – modern bar lounge w/ great cocktails & service

Ditta Artigianale -Best cafe/bar to grab a caffè, brunch, and/or breakfast 

50 Sfumature di Gusto – my favorite restaurant in Florence

Once we arrived, we found our way to our airbnb. Unfortunately, it was too early to check-in so we decided to find a place to grab a bite. Nearby we found a place called Yellow Bar.

I didn’t realize until we sat down and everything, but Ashley and I have been there before. Crazy thing is when we studied abroad in Rome, three years ago, we each had a class that brought us on a class trip to Florence. And both of our classes ate at this exact restaurant where they make fresh pasta daily. I can see why we ate here because it is good AF. The only downside is that it is always packed with tourists, but in a big and famous city, such as Florence, you will always see them roaming around.

I knew exactly what I wanted as soon as I saw them making the fresh pasta: Freshly handmade gnocchi con gorgonzola (potato pasta with gorgonzola cheese)

(Left: The amazing gnocchi con gorgonzola)

(From left to right: Ashley, Mallory, Emily Mac., Rachel, Emily D., Me)

(Left: Ashley and I fooling around on snapchat. Right: Drinking every last drop of my wine)

Yellow bar is the place to be when you are hungry in Florence. Nothing fancy in atmosphere, but super appetizing food.

As you can tell, Megan wasn’t dining with us because her train from Rome was arriving a bit later on. After we filled our stomachs with food, we made our way to our Airbnb.

Now let me tell you something, this Airbnb looked AMAZING in photos online, but the internet doesn’t do it justice. The place was HUGE and every window in the apartment had a breath-taking view.

I was obsessed and if I was a millionaire I would have bought that place right on the spot. Between the huge kitchen, spacious bedrooms, comfy living room, incredible views, and location, I was hooked.

The company that owns this apartment must have many within the city because they have a lot of people working for them. A guy named Nico checked us in and recommended a lot of places for us to go that weren’t swarmed with tourists

Here is what he wrote down for us:

Bars:

Mayday– ask for Marco

King Grizzly

Clubs:

Yab

Bamboo

Life Club

Restaurants:

Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco

Santo Bevitore

I Raddi

Sostanza

Antico Noé 

Gelato:

Vivoli– 100 years old

Procopio– try pistacchio (local “mercato di sant’ambrogio”)

Perché No

Leather Shops:

Mercato di San Lorenzo “Medici”– the famous leather market of Florence (I don’t recommend it because it is sketchy AF and contains hit-or-miss type of products. Maybe check it out and buy a leather wallet or pretty scarf, but don’t go big)

Borgo Dei Greci – on that street there are shops

To be honest, we didn’t stop by any of the places (besides the leather market) because we didn’t have enough time in Florence to see, do, and eat everything. But I still have this list in my possession and next time I return I will be sure to check them out! Feel free to as well and let me know what you think!

Once Vico cleared everything about the apartment we settled down and relaxed for a bit. Megan called me soon after letting me know she checked into her bed & breakfast. Megan planned to stay one night there and the second night at our place because Emily Mac. had only planned to stay one night in Florence so she could visit her friend in Germany.

Megan came over to our place and was amazed just as we all were when we walked in. Before we knew it, the sun was down and dinner was on our minds. We have been eating out so much that I thought of preparing a home-cooked meal to save some money. It also helped that our kitchen was gigantic and there was a grocery store literally below our apartment complex. I wrote down a list of things to buy and we made our way to the grocery store.

Thank god it was so close, but the steps leading up to our apartment were killer- at least we got some exercise in.

My menu of the night included:

parmigiana di melanzane

platter of mixed cheeses

platter of mixed meats

salad

olives

bread

a lot of wine & prosecco

I was really excited to start cooking, but like what I have said before in my previous post:  I love to cook but I am pretty bad at it (sometimes…well maybe according to Italian cooking standards). But THIS time, I got it pretty damn right…

(Left: Our antipasto Right: Megan slicing the bread)

(I mean LOOK at that beauty! It truly was a masterpiece)

I am getting hungry just looking at it to be honest. Once we finished dinner, we bought more bottles of prosecco to prepare for a night of craziness. I cleaned up everything as fast as I could, Ashley blasted a sick playlist of songs, and all us girls got glammed-up.

Another amazing thing about this apartment that it has this long bright vanity in the hallway where us girls can throw our makeup on our faces. Here are some drunkenly taken photos of us pregaming and prepping…

(Left to right: Rachel, Ashley, Mallory)

(Left to right: Emily Mac., Rachel, Ashley, Mallory, and Me)

Now this is where it becomes a bit difficult to remember (at least in the order of things). I am pretty sure the first thing was we met up with Megan because she went back to her apartment to get ready after we ate dinner. So we headed in that direction towards her place. From there I am pretty sure we just followed the crowd or maybe I looked up a bar on TripAdvisor near me, but regardless we ended up at this place:

Monkey Bar looked really cool from the outside. It is like a metal-rock-alternative dive bar where you can grab an awesome beer or down a few shots. We decided on shots (tequila of course) I can’t remember the bartender’s name, but he was really cool and we had an awesome conversation with him about politics and music- he even took a shot with us.

Before we knew it we were roaming along the streets looking for the next bar to hit up. I am pretty sure the following bar we ended up at was Viktoria Lounge Bar

It was filled with people and even had a DJ playing old-school songs (meaning songs we jammed out to in middle school). It is a really hip modern bar with friendly staff and yummy cocktails. I realized that this was the exact same bar Luigi and I went to when we were in Florence the last year.

(Left: I forgot the name of the cocktail, but damn it was lovely)

(Top right image-from top left to bottom right: Mallory, Emily D., Megan, Rachel, Emily Mac., me, and Ashley)

(Bottom right image- from left to right: Rachel, Emily Mac., and me)

We stayed there for a decent amount of the night. Many cocktails and shots later, we decided to walk back the way we originally came and stopped at a club that seemed pretty poppin’.

 The Red Garter was this Irish pub meets Live Karaoke club. We entered the bar to discover a sea of Italians and Americans all over the place. I also realized it was another place that Luigi and I also stopped at while we were in Florence the year before. It was so difficult just to reach the front bar. Once we got our drinks we walked around to the back where some random drunk Americans were belting out “Livin’ On a Prayer”. Quickly, we turned back into the previous room where the music actually didn’t hurt our ears. Don’t get me wrong, it was a nice place to dance, meet some people, or to get hit on by Italian men, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I knew I needed to be drunker to have more fun there.

(Photos provided by Google Images)

Once we had enough of sweaty people we took a breather outside and walked towards one of the bridges that connects Florence across the Arno river. It was so beautiful with all the lights along the waterside we took drunken photos of all of us.

After all the snaps and laughs, we made our way back to our apartment in search of food…Unfortunately some of the girls spotted this “pizza” place but it was the most disgusting pizza I ever saw. I mean they were hungry and drunk, so I don’t blame them for making the spontaneous decision of eating it. Afterwards, they all regretted it. Also, I am pretty sure they overcharged the girls knowing that they were drunk which really pissed me off. We finally arrived at the apartment and I reheated all the leftovers of the parmigiana di melanzane and stuffed my face.

The next morning I opened my eyes to a stunning view right outside my window:

(No exaggeration, also no filter)

I also woke up next to Emily Mac. beside me which was a huge problem once I looked at the clock. She was suppose to take a really early flight that morning to Germany, but overslept and missed her flight. Thankfully enough she was able to purchase a ticket for the next flight to Germany that day and was out the door before most of the girls were awake.

Rachel and Emily D. were actually awake when she left because they both preplanned and purchased tickets to see Michelangelo’s Davide. They invited me as well when they bought the tickets, but I already had seen him twice and figured I would save the 20 euros.

I am usually an early-riser because I sincerely appreciate an nice cappuccino and warm cornetto (croissant). I searched on TripAdvisor for a local bar I could grab some colazione (breakfast).

Little did I know, but I found one of the best bars there was for breakfast: Ditta Artigianale. This cafe/bar was top-notch coffee and food. Real artisan coffee beans and products used throughout their entire menu. Ashley, Mallory, Megan, and I had a very appetizing breakfast.

(My go-to breakfast: Cornetto alla crema & un cappuccino (Croissant with cream and a cappucccino)

We waited there for Rachel and Emily D. to show up so they could grab something as well and then we all went back to the apartment so Megan could settle in with her things. At the apartment we discussed about what we wanted to do for our last full day in Florence. Mallory was pretty tired from the night before so she wanted to stay at the apartment to sleep and would meet up with us later. So Rachel, Emily D., Megan, Ashley, and I strolled around the majestic streets of Florence with our first stop being the famous Duomo-Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. 

The cathedral and Duomo is unbelievable to look at. It’s so detailed and gigantic, it’s hard to believe how they constructed it thousands of years ago! It is really cool to see it in person again because I had just finished watching the first season of the new tv show, I Medici (Medici: Masters of Florence) which features the famous and handsome actor, Richard Madden as Cosimo Medici (previously known for his role as Robb Stark in The Game of Thrones). The show is set in the early 15th century and revolves around the Medici family and how they became filthy rich and legends of the Renaissance era. Cosimo Medici commissioned Donatello to help design and Brunelleschi to lead construction of the Duomo. It was a crazy idea back then, but with help from the Medici bank account (literally they invented the bank and owned everything), it became possible.

This leads me onto the next portion of our Florence stroll: The tombs of the Medici family and the San Lorenzo leather market. My friends- Ashley, Megan, Rachel, and Emily D.- all wanted to check out the leather market while I went to see the tombs of the Medici family. Thankfully, they were right next to each other so it wouldn’t be a problem meeting up later on.

Here is a lovely photo of the girls, standing on the steps just before the market, promoting their new single, “Meows of Florence” brought to you by a drunk night in this gorgeous city:

(Top left to bottom center: Emily D, Ashley, Megan, and Rachel)

And here is a lovely photo of me standing at the back entrance of the Medici chapel:

So we went our separate ways and I entered inside the tombs of the Medici Family. Inside the chapel there were treasures of gold, silver, and plaques of tombs everywhere the eye could see.

There were gifts from Popes, kings, queens, royal families, and so many more. In my head I was thinking, “Damn, how could the medici family put all this stuff in their house?”. When you walk upstairs you enter into the Marble-licious (yes I just said that) chapel of the extended Medici family, but while I was there most of the tombs and statues were going through restoration.

I was standing in the middle of the room with my face towards the ceiling just in awe of everything around me. Talk about resting in peace!

The best part of the chapel are the breath-taking tombs of Lorenzo il Magnifico (Lorenzo the Magnificent) and his brother, Guiliano Medici that were partially finished by the one and only, Michelangelo.

On Lorenzo’s tomb (shown in bottom left image) Dawn is depicted as waking up from a long night’s rest with Dusk about to pass out from tiredness. On Guiliano’s tomb (shown in bottom right image) Day is portrayed as a super jacked buff man just chillin’ there with an unfinished face with Night shown as a beautiful sleepy sleek woman you would see in some Venus razor commercial.

I know my descriptions are really bad, but I like to write how I talk and that is basically it. I would highly recommend to check out the Medici Chapel if you have time, but definitely do some research before you go or at least book a tour so you know what you are looking at. This was actually my second time here with my first time being with my Late Renaissance Art class when I studied abroad in Rome.

Afterwards I met up with the girls in the leather market (which they were surprisingly easy to find). Some girls bought some little gifts to take home to their families and we continued walking towards the classic Ponte Vecchio.

Ponte Vecchio is this gorgeous old bridge- and I mean OLD. But today it is filled with hundreds of expensive, EXPENSIVE, jewelry shops. So in other words, it was a great way to spend some window shopping time. I can dream right?

We made our way to the other side of the city and browsed around some random shops. A couple of the girls got some nice gelato while I was in desperate need of an Arancino (fried rice ball with mozzarella). Unfortunately, arancino is a classic food item from the south of Italy, not the north. So when I asked these random Italian girls in a shop where I could find one, they looked at me like I had two heads. It was getting a bit late and our stomachs were growling so we wanted to grab some lunch nearby, but something that wasn’t too big. That being said because we planned to go all-out for our last dinner in Florence that night.

Along the river we found a cute tiny restaurant with a spectacular riverside view:

Il Ristoro Dei Perditempo

(Photos not mine, but provided by Google Images- except for the top left photo of mixed meats- that one I did take).

This tiny restaurant was owned by a very sweet family and their food was delightful! (Especially the fresh cut meats). Nothing blew my mind about the spot, but I would take this restaurant as a nice place to catch up with an old friend (A solid 4-star rating).

The sun was setting on a beautiful autumn day so we made our way back to our apartment, but of course stopping at some shops along the way. Here is what we ran into on the streets of Florence:

We finished our last shopping spree by stopping at Zara, H&M, MAC cosmetics, and a street market with local artisans. It was a great day spent in this hypnotizing city.

The night was falling upon us and we had to figure out a place to eat for our last dinner together. I originally tried to reserve a table at two other restaurants but they were already booked for the night. I don’t blame them because it was a Saturday. I finally found this excellent hole-in-a-wall restaurant with pretty convincing reviews on TripAdvisor:

50 Sfumature di Gusto (50 shades of taste)

I swear I found the golden ticket when it comes to restaurants. The food was PHENOMENAL and a feast for the eyes as well!

This was by far my favorite restaurant in Florence. 5-star rating for food quality and accommodating service. If you want to eat there definitely reserve, and DEFINITELY eat their meat/filet. I ate the filet with gorgonzola and it was life-changing.

We rolled onto our stomaches out the door- we were so full. Somehow we got back to the apartment and since it was our last night, Megan, Ashley, and I decided to get drunk…again. I mean, I didn’t know when we would all be together again so I figured why not? All the girls (besides Megan and me) had to take an early train to Milan to catch their flight home so being hungover wasn’t the best option. Emily D. and Mallory got a drink at MayDay that was just below our apartment, but I was feeling more party-hardy that night. To make things easier on us, Ashley, Megan, and I just decided to hit up the two places we went the night before: Viktoria Lounge Bar and The Red Garter. It was a night of shots and endless snapchat videos and photos…

I totally woke up regretting those last rounds of shots, but I got up in time to say goodbye to everyone. It was so sad really. I wish I could relive those moments again in Bologna and Florence, but I have high hopes for another Europe trip this upcoming summer/fall. After Megan and I said our goodbyes to the girls and our apartment’s stunning view, we trucked our luggage and hungover bodies to my favorite cafe bar, Ditta Artigianale for another deserved cornetto and caffè macchiato.

  It was getting late and I needed to catch my train back to Naples. Megan had a train to Rome right after mine so we walked together through the historic streets of Florence one last time to say goodbye to all those beautifully sculpted booties.

What a trip…until next time, ladies! ;)

Florence Ahhh beautiful Florence. The time of Renaissance art, and the Medici family. This post is the continuation of my trip with Ashley, Emily Mac., Emily D., Rachel, Mallory, and now Megan!

[atomicwitchdreamer-blog-blo-blog]

“ Un'anfora di rame “ Le spine dei fichidindia sulla siepe, il tuo corpetto strappato appena azzurro e nuovo, un dolore al centro del cuore scavato, forse a Lentini vicino la palude di Iacopo notaio d'anguille e d'amori. Che cosa racconta la terra, il fischio dei merli nascosti nel meriggio affamato di frutta dura di semi viola e ocra. I tuoi capelli sulle orecchie in tempesta che non si svegliano ora, capelli d'acquarello, di colore perduto. Un'anfora di rame su una porta luccica di gocce d'acqua e fili rossi d'erba. #libridisecondamano #ravenna #booklovers #bookstore #instabook #igersravenna #instaravenna #ig_books #consiglidilettura #poesie #salvatorequasimodo (presso Libreria Scattisparsi) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEQmrLHqR_d/?igshid=14fx10r8hzk7j

[dominick-ferraro]

ALL’OMBRA NEL BOSCO

All'ombra nel Bosco

All’ombra nel bosco  seduto in silenzio , sotto i grandi alberi analfabeti  son  volato via   verso il cielo come un  angelo disperato , secco come la  morta pigna  appesa ad un ramo  .  Tra tanti dolori,lacrime mite , timide gocce di rugiada , languidi baci , al centro del caos , cosa ho  compreso  ,cosa abbiamo rincorso  tra mille interrogativi ,  ci siamo persi in questo gioco infausto in una  metropoli senza legge , catapultati  nel traffico delle otto che veloce , scorre  portandosi  via ogni dubbio,  ogni maledizione. Ed  ogni mezzo è  buono per giungere dove vorremo ma le soluzioni  sono tante ,tante le strade da percorrere per essere qualcuno.

Cosi in mezzo al caos dei versi , nell'ossesso di un sistema che trascende ogni cosa,  la mente erode  il debito contratto  , seduto al  sole che brucia la pelle,  la mente vaga nel bel meriggio,  nella legenda che ci conduce tra bassifondi , fondachi colorati  , sogni sotterrati fuori l'uscio di casa ,tutto è cosi difficile,rimbecillito  ,facile a dirsi, poi la nube di fumo  appare dalle cime del vulcano ed  un  mostro antico  emerge dal mare , emerge dalla memoria collettiva,  emerge attraverso una  generazione lasciva  nel  regolare metri non conformi alla logica borghese. Lontani  da ciò che siamo da ciò che rappresentiamo,erranti figure equestre ,espressioni volgari d’un  popolo  in rivolta , nella  parola  beata che aleggia nell'aria con tutte le sue miserie i suoi sistemi ippocratici ,ospedali, barelle, scale che salgono verso il cielo nel tempo percorso nell'ossesso di un senso che anela alla meraviglia , alla pace agognata,  cheta nell'acqua che scende e bagna  l’animo inquieto.

Tutto è  già  venduto , tutto ricomincia adesso o domani,  perduto nei  limiti  iperplastici nelle  tante  rime eclettiche , chimere arrostite  al fuoco di un altra estate . Immagini  perdute , baci rubati alla morte che non ha più nulla da dire , avulsi in  un incubo che esplode all’intrasatte  , un boato di sillabe rimbomba sulle labbra sporche di rossetto  che non ti aiuteranno mai a capire cio che sei, fregato dal prossimo , tutto cosi falso , tutto un inganno , senza senso , senza spine  intorno al capo per  sentieri d’altri tempi  in altri giorni ,spesi a comprendere quando  arriverà  una salvezza  che ti condurranno oltre tanta ipocrisia.

Ed il sole entra nelle ossa delle parole le rosica , le mastica , scopre il senso di ciò che  è poi tutto si  conclude velocemente , come in un orgasmo  tutto s’inchina al peccato commesso,  alle pagine  omesse alle varie questione filosofiche rincretinite ,  fregati dalla televisione dal bestemmiare per empi luoghi , veggo et imploro clemenza . Caduto  di nuovo in un incomprensione che ti lascia allibito,  in piedi incompreso in mezzo ad un prato con tutto quello che ho passato ,sofferto, tutto è vano,  tutto cosi poco ortodosso, senza un alibi , un abito da indossare per stasera , passa e il vento verso valle ,  soffia la   bella canzone tenebrosa tra le ossa dei morti uccisi ieri.

Tutto cosi disonesto , tutto cosi strano come l’eco del  colpo di pistola esploso in un vicolo oscuro,che ha  colpito   per mano ignota il cuore  di un orco , i passi  seguo  della donna chiatta che guarda attraverso gli occhiali una vita tradita , senza ragione , senza denari, senza una nova gonna, senza quel perché che ti rende simili a milioni di persone in marcia in fondo ad una strada senza uscita che balla,  bella,  folle .  Fatto ,tutto cosi futile, fino a notte fonda  la donna canta la sua canzone , canta la sua vita , canta il suo amore carnale,  tutti ascoltano con orecchie di coniglio tese sul senso , tese sul sentire sul dire rime meretrice per temi vari  morire,  eremita ,migrante  lungo  la strada che ti trascina oltre una nuova avventura.

E non aggio capito niente , me sò montato a capa,  me sò fatto nu miezzo bicchiere di  vino,  sona ,sona questo  strumento ,sona ,sona a campagnola li consigli , ed io  nun credo chiu a niente , nun parlo, nun tengo manco l’uocchio per chiagnere , altro sono,  cosa m'importa quando sarò morto , quando nun c'è sarò chiù con tutte le mie stronzate , i miei turbamenti imbottiti di  stroppole e sunetti , atterateme vicino a Virgilio , vicino a Vincenzo,  senza sapienza , estate nà bella esperienza , fatta  ad immagine di un mondo che non esiste più . Arrampicarsi sopra gli specchi ,dentro una  logica di un uomo  ferito , contro a mille ragioniere,  contro gendarmi, dirigenti , religiosi, contro la sinistra, contro la destra . Fatta a là , mettiti cà,  statte zitto , roseca adderete le spalle ,  longa , longa , st’anema in pena ,appise cielo ,me so cresciute  le scelle ,  mò son Vincenzo,  mò  so Gabriele ,  mò son  muorte accise , sento ancora a gente  sepolte sotto a terra , sotto un  cielo  stellato,  sotto a chiavica , sotto a mille domande senza risposta che proseguono all'infinito con tutto quello che non ho  imparato, compreso , cercato tutto è una gran pigliata per lo culo. E se seggo contro ogni legge,  seggo contro una logica che non salverà mai la mia anima,  ne mi condurrà ad una perfetta conclusione ad un equilibrio tra il dare e l'avere che trascende nella sua bieca antitesi una salvezza  utopica , spergiura, malvagia , sparagna  che non t’inganni , fatti nù  bello bagno a lido mappatella beach.

Dolce cosi dolce nel silenzio che aleggia nel  piccolo sentiero ove siedo  ed ascolto  il mondo ,che ruota intorno a me , tutto è  nulla,  tutto è come ho immaginato  fosse , come il mondo di ieri che mi ha reso fesso  tra i fossi ,  taccio,  ora son folle  tra la folla , tra molte vite,  tra molte madri , tra molti giorni ,tutto è  all’incontrario,  forse come il mare che giunge su spiagge affollate in cerca di pace ,  in cerca di un posto al sole ,  in cerca di un immagine ,di una esistenza diversa   ed   il mare ruggisce  e porta a riva altre vite ,  altre nenie , altri amori sedotti da duce pan degli astri  che c'attende  dietro l'angolo , dietro ciò che noi crediamo se sia giusto o meno , se sia tutto  vero ,quello che abbiamo creduto, per tutto quello che abbiamo veduto,all’ombra nel  bosco .

[vesevum]

Cantico dei Cantici

1Cantico dei cantici, che è di Salomone.

2Mi baci con i baci della sua bocca! Sì, le tue tenerezze sono più dolci del vino. 3Per la fragranza sono inebrianti i tuoi profumi, profumo olezzante è il tuo nome, per questo le giovinette ti amano. 4Attirami dietro a te, corriamo! M'introduca il re nelle sue stanze: gioiremo e ci rallegreremo per te, ricorderemo le tue tenerezze più del vino. A ragione ti amano!

5Bruna sono ma bella, o figlie di Gerusalemme, come le tende di Kedar, come i padiglioni di Salma. 6Non state a guardare che sono bruna, poiché mi ha abbronzato il sole. I figli di mia madre si sono sdegnati con me: mi hanno messo a guardia delle vigne; la mia vigna, la mia, non l'ho custodita. 7Dimmi, o amore dell'anima mia, dove vai a pascolare il gregge, dove lo fai riposare al meriggio, perché io non sia come vagabonda dietro i greggi dei tuoi compagni.

8Se non lo sai, o bellissima tra le donne, segui le orme del gregge e mena a pascolare le tue caprette presso le dimore dei pastori.

9Alla cavalla del cocchio del faraone io ti assomiglio, amica mia. 10Belle sono le tue guance fra i pendenti, il tuo collo fra i vezzi di perle. 11Faremo per te pendenti d'oro, con grani d'argento.

12Mentre il re è nel suo recinto, il mio nardo spande il suo profumo. 13Il mio diletto è per me un sacchetto di mirra, riposa sul mio petto. 14Il mio diletto è per me un grappolo di cipro nelle vigne di Engàddi. 15Come sei bella, amica mia, come sei bella! I tuoi occhi sono colombe. 16Come sei bello, mio diletto, quanto grazioso! Anche il nostro letto è verdeggiante. 17Le travi della nostra casa sono i cedri, nostro soffitto sono i cipressi.

2

1Io sono un narciso di Saron, un giglio delle valli. 2Come un giglio fra i cardi, così la mia amata tra le fanciulle. 3Come un melo tra gli alberi del bosco, il mio diletto fra i giovani. Alla sua ombra, cui anelavo, mi siedo e dolce è il suo frutto al mio palato. 4Mi ha introdotto nella cella del vino e il suo vessillo su di me è amore. 5Sostenetemi con focacce d'uva passa, rinfrancatemi con pomi, perché io sono malata d'amore. 6La sua sinistra è sotto il mio capo e la sua destra mi abbraccia. 7Io vi scongiuro, figlie di Gerusalemme, per le gazzelle o per le cerve dei campi: non destate, non scuotete dal sonno l'amata, finché essa non lo voglia.

8Una voce! Il mio diletto! Eccolo, viene saltando per i monti, balzando per le colline. 9Somiglia il mio diletto a un capriolo o ad un cerbiatto. Eccolo, egli sta dietro il nostro muro; guarda dalla finestra, spia attraverso le inferriate. 10Ora parla il mio diletto e mi dice: "Alzati, amica mia, mia bella, e vieni! 11Perché, ecco, l'inverno è passato, è cessata la pioggia, se n'è andata; 12i fiori sono apparsi nei campi, il tempo del canto è tornato e la voce della tortora ancora si fa sentire nella nostra campagna. 13Il fico ha messo fuori i primi frutti e le viti fiorite spandono fragranza. Alzati, amica mia, mia bella, e vieni! 14O mia colomba, che stai nelle fenditure della roccia, nei nascondigli dei dirupi, mostrami il tuo viso, fammi sentire la tua voce, perché la tua voce è soave, il tuo viso è leggiadro". 15Prendeteci le volpi, le volpi piccoline che guastano le vigne, perché le nostre vigne sono in fiore. 16Il mio diletto è per me e io per lui. Egli pascola il gregge fra i figli. 17Prima che spiri la brezza del giorno e si allunghino le ombre, ritorna, o mio diletto, somigliante alla gazzella o al cerbiatto, sopra i monti degli aromi.

3

1 Sul mio letto, lungo la notte, ho cercato l'amato del mio cuore; l'ho cercato, ma non l'ho trovato. 2"Mi alzerò e farò il giro della città; per le strade e per le piazze; voglio cercare l'amato del mio cuore". L'ho cercato, ma non l'ho trovato. 3Mi hanno incontrato le guardie che fanno la ronda: "Avete visto l'amato del mio cuore?". 4Da poco le avevo oltrepassate, quando trovai l'amato del mio cuore. Lo strinsi fortemente e non lo lascerò finché non l'abbia condotto in casa di mia madre, nella stanza della mia genitrice.

5Io vi scongiuro, figlie di Gerusalemme, per le gazzelle e per le cerve dei campi: non destate, non scuotete dal sonno l'amata finché essa non lo voglia.

6Che cos'è che sale dal deserto come una colonna di fumo, esalando profumo di mirra e d'incenso e d'ogni polvere aromatica? 7Ecco, la lettiga di Salomone: sessanta prodi le stanno intorno, tra i più valorosi d'Israele. 8Tutti sanno maneggiare la spada, sono esperti nella guerra; ognuno porta la spada al fianco contro i pericoli della notte. 9Un baldacchino s'è fatto il re Salomone, con legno del Libano. 10Le sue colonne le ha fatte d'argento, d'oro la sua spalliera; il suo seggio di porpora, il centro è un ricamo d'amore delle fanciulle di Gerusalemme. 11Uscite figlie di Sion, guardate il re Salomone con la corona che gli pose sua madre, nel giorno delle sue nozze, nel giorno della gioia del suo cuore.

4

1Come sei bella, amica mia, come sei bella! Gli occhi tuoi sono colombe, dietro il tuo velo. Le tue chiome sono un gregge di capre, che scendono dalle pendici del Gàlaad. 2I tuoi denti come un gregge di pecore tosate, che risalgono dal bagno; tutte procedono appaiate, e nessuna è senza compagna. 3Come un nastro di porpora le tue labbra e la tua bocca è soffusa di grazia; come spicchio di melagrana la tua gota attraverso il tuo velo. 4Come la torre di Davide il tuo collo, costruita a guisa di fortezza. Mille scudi vi sono appesi, tutte armature di prodi. 5I tuoi seni sono come due cerbiatti, gemelli di una gazzella, che pascolano fra i gigli. 6Prima che spiri la brezza del giorno e si allunghino le ombre, me ne andrò al monte della mirra e alla collina dell'incenso. 7Tutta bella tu sei, amica mia, in te nessuna macchia. 8Vieni con me dal Libano, o sposa, con me dal Libano, vieni! Osserva dalla cima dell'Amana, dalla cima del Senìr e dell'Èrmon, dalle tane dei leoni, dai monti dei leopardi. 9Tu mi hai rapito il cuore, sorella mia, sposa, tu mi hai rapito il cuore con un solo tuo sguardo, con una perla sola della tua collana! 10Quanto sono soavi le tue carezze, sorella mia, sposa, quanto più deliziose del vino le tue carezze. L'odore dei tuoi profumi sorpassa tutti gli aromi. 11Le tue labbra stillano miele vergine, o sposa, c'è miele e latte sotto la tua lingua e il profumo delle tue vesti è come il profumo del Libano. 12Giardino chiuso tu sei, sorella mia, sposa, giardino chiuso, fontana sigillata. 13I tuoi germogli sono un giardino di melagrane, con i frutti più squisiti, alberi di cipro con nardo, 14nardo e zafferano, cannella e cinnamòmo con ogni specie d'alberi da incenso; mirra e aloe con tutti i migliori aromi. 15Fontana che irrora i giardini, pozzo d'acque vive e ruscelli sgorganti dal Libano.

16Lèvati, aquilone, e tu, austro, vieni, soffia nel mio giardino si effondano i suoi aromi. Venga il mio diletto nel suo giardino e ne mangi i frutti squisiti.

5

1Son venuto nel mio giardino, sorella mia, sposa, e raccolgo la mia mirra e il mio balsamo; mangio il mio favo e il mio miele, bevo il mio vino e il mio latte. Mangiate, amici, bevete; inebriatevi, o cari.

2Io dormo, ma il mio cuore veglia. Un rumore! È il mio diletto che bussa: "Aprimi, sorella mia, mia amica, mia colomba, perfetta mia; perché il mio capo è bagnato di rugiada, i miei riccioli di gocce notturne". 3"Mi sono tolta la veste; come indossarla ancora? Mi sono lavata i piedi; come ancora sporcarli?". 4Il mio diletto ha messo la mano nello spiraglio e un fremito mi ha sconvolta. 5Mi sono alzata per aprire al mio diletto e le mie mani stillavano mirra, fluiva mirra dalle mie dita sulla maniglia del chiavistello. 6Ho aperto allora al mio diletto, ma il mio diletto già se n'era andato, era scomparso. Io venni meno, per la sua scomparsa. L'ho cercato, ma non l'ho trovato, l'ho chiamato, ma non m'ha risposto. 7Mi han trovato le guardie che perlustrano la città; mi han percosso, mi hanno ferito, mi han tolto il mantello le guardie delle mura. 8Io vi scongiuro, figlie di Gerusalemme, se trovate il mio diletto, che cosa gli racconterete? Che sono malata d'amore!

9Che ha il tuo diletto di diverso da un altro, o tu, la più bella fra le donne? Che ha il tuo diletto di diverso da un altro, perché così ci scongiuri?

10Il mio diletto è bianco e vermiglio, riconoscibile fra mille e mille. 11Il suo capo è oro, oro puro, i suoi riccioli grappoli di palma, neri come il corvo. 12I suoi occhi, come colombe su ruscelli di acqua; i suoi denti bagnati nel latte, posti in un castone. 13Le sue guance, come aiuole di balsamo, aiuole di erbe profumate; le sue labbra sono gigli, che stillano fluida mirra. 14Le sue mani sono anelli d'oro, incastonati di gemme di Tarsis. Il suo petto è tutto d'avorio, tempestato di zaffiri. 15Le sue gambe, colonne di alabastro, posate su basi d'oro puro. Il suo aspetto è quello del Libano, magnifico come i cedri. 16Dolcezza è il suo palato; egli è tutto delizie! Questo è il mio diletto, questo è il mio amico, o figlie di Gerusalemme.

6

1Dov'è andato il tuo diletto, o bella fra le donne? Dove si è recato il tuo diletto, perché noi lo possiamo cercare con te?

2Il mio diletto era sceso nel suo giardino fra le aiuole del balsamo a pascolare il gregge nei giardini e a cogliere gigli. 3Io sono per il mio diletto e il mio diletto è per me; egli pascola il gregge tra i gigli.

4Tu sei bella, amica mia, come Tirza, leggiadra come Gerusalemme, terribile come schiere a vessilli spiegati. 5Distogli da me i tuoi occhi: il loro sguardo mi turba. Le tue chiome sono come un gregge di capre che scendono dal Gàlaad. 6I tuoi denti come un gregge di pecore che risalgono dal bagno. Tutte procedono appaiate e nessuna è senza compagna. 7Come spicchio di melagrana la tua gota, attraverso il tuo velo. 8Sessanta sono le regine, ottanta le altre spose, le fanciulle senza numero. 9Ma unica è la mia colomba la mia perfetta, ella è l'unica di sua madre, la preferita della sua genitrice. L'hanno vista le giovani e l'hanno detta beata, le regine e le altre spose ne hanno intessuto le lodi. 10"Chi è costei che sorge come l'aurora, bella come la luna, fulgida come il sole, terribile come schiere a vessilli spiegati?". 11Nel giardino dei noci io sono sceso, per vedere il verdeggiare della valle, per vedere se la vite metteva germogli, se fiorivano i melograni. 12Non lo so, ma il mio desiderio mi ha posto sui carri di Ammi-nadìb.

7

1"Volgiti, volgiti, Sulammita, volgiti, volgiti: vogliamo ammirarti". "Che ammirate nella Sulammita durante la danza a due schiere?".

2"Come son belli i tuoi piedi nei sandali, figlia di principe! Le curve dei tuoi fianchi sono come monili, opera di mani d'artista. 3Il tuo ombelico è una coppa rotonda che non manca mai di vino drogato. Il tuo ventre è un mucchio di grano, circondato da gigli. 4I tuoi seni come due cerbiatti, gemelli di gazzella. 5Il tuo collo come una torre d'avorio; i tuoi occhi sono come i laghetti di Chesbòn, presso la porta di Bat-Rabb��m; il tuo naso come la torre del Libano che fa la guardia verso Damasco. 6Il tuo capo si erge su di te come il Carmelo e la chioma del tuo capo è come la porpora; un re è stato preso dalle tue trecce". 7Quanto sei bella e quanto sei graziosa, o amore, figlia di delizie! 8La tua statura rassomiglia a una palma e i tuoi seni ai grappoli. 9Ho detto: "Salirò sulla palma, coglierò i grappoli di datteri; mi siano i tuoi seni come grappoli d'uva e il profumo del tuo respiro come di pomi".

10"Il tuo palato è come vino squisito, che scorre dritto verso il mio diletto e fluisce sulle labbra e sui denti! 11Io sono per il mio diletto e la sua brama è verso di me. 12Vieni, mio diletto, andiamo nei campi, passiamo la notte nei villaggi. 13Di buon mattino andremo alle vigne; vedremo se mette gemme la vite, se sbocciano i fiori, se fioriscono i melograni: là ti darò le mie carezze! 14Le mandragore mandano profumo; alle nostre porte c'è ogni specie di frutti squisiti, freschi e secchi; mio diletto, li ho serbati per te".

8

1Oh se tu fossi un mio fratello, allattato al seno di mia madre! Trovandoti fuori ti potrei baciare e nessuno potrebbe disprezzarmi. 2Ti condurrei, ti introdurrei nella casa di mia madre; m'insegneresti l'arte dell'amore. Ti farei bere vino aromatico, del succo del mio melograno. 3La sua sinistra è sotto il mio capo e la sua destra mi abbraccia.

4Io vi scongiuro, figlie di Gerusalemme, non destate, non scuotete dal sonno l'amata, finché non lo voglia.

5Chi è colei che sale dal deserto, appoggiata al suo diletto? Sotto il melo ti ho svegliata; là, dove ti concepì tua madre, là, dove la tua genitrice ti partorì.

6Mettimi come sigillo sul tuo cuore, come sigillo sul tuo braccio; perché forte come la morte è l'amore, tenace come gli inferi è la passione: le sue vampe son vampe di fuoco, una fiamma del Signore! 7Le grandi acque non possono spegnere l'amore né i fiumi travolgerlo. Se uno desse tutte le ricchezze della sua casa in cambio dell'amore, non ne avrebbe che dispregio.

8Una sorella piccola abbiamo, e ancora non ha seni. Che faremo per la nostra sorella, nel giorno in cui se ne parlerà? 9Se fosse un muro, le costruiremmo sopra un recinto d'argento; se fosse una porta, la rafforzeremmo con tavole di cedro. 10Io sono un muro e i miei seni sono come torri! Così sono ai suoi occhi come colei che ha trovato pace! 11Una vigna aveva Salomone in Baal-Hamòn; egli affidò la vigna ai custodi; ciascuno gli doveva portare come suo frutto mille sicli d'argento. 12La vigna mia, proprio mia, mi sta davanti: a te, Salomone, i mille sicli e duecento per i custodi del suo frutto!

13Tu che abiti nei giardini - i compagni stanno in ascolto - fammi sentire la tua voce. 14"Fuggi, mio diletto, simile a gazzella o ad un cerbiatto, sopra i monti degli aromi!".

[vintageeskimos]

Sarah in the Boot - NEW Youtube channel!

Sarah in the Boot – NEW Youtube channel!

Hey everyone! So I have decided to start a youtube channel about my life in Italy called Sarah In the Boot I will be discussing the challenges and differences I experience as an American living in the big boot! I also will be posting updates about my daily life and recommendations for Italian cities for those hoping to travel here in the future! Expect some interesting comparisons between the two…

[vintageeskimos]

Wow. What a time with wine, friends, and traveling.

A few months ago, in November, I traveled to Bologna and Florence, Italy with some of my closest friends from Philadelphia.

To make things easier to understand, I will explain each one of my friends in a short description so you can get an idea.

So there is….

Ashley– Ashley and i go wayyyy back. Out of all the girls, she is the one I have known the longest. She is the one who I studied abroad with then traveled to Sorrento for the summer afterwards which led me to meeting Luigi, my boyfriend, and the rest is history. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. She is super sweet and incredibly friendly. She is literally so nice that she is able to always look for the good in people and become friends with practically anyone. Her laugh is so contagious. Straight out of Philly suburbs.

Rachel– Rachel is one of the three girls on this trip that I met through rooming at Temple University. We are known as the “Boobier bitches” long story short, it is a play off of the name of the street our house was on and the fact there was six of us girls living in this giant house during the time. Rachel is crazy in the funniest way. She brings out the weirdness in me and I love it. She also can be fairly organized so that was a huge help on this trip. She looks the most Italian out of all of us but she is actually Jewish. We have both pointed out that Israeli culture and Italian culture actually have a lot of similarities. New York born and raised.

Emily D.– Emily D. is the second girl I lived with at Temple University as part of the “Boobier bitches”. She is this funny sarcastic girl who just goes with the flow of things. From experience, I know she hates to clean things and can be very disorganized, but that is just what makes her so funny. Sometimes she will say the most wittiest comments and I have to give myself a second to wonder how the hell she comes up with them. She has never been to Europe before, but I can tell she wants to come back ASAP after this trip. From suburbs of Philly.

Emily Mac.- Emily Mac. is the final girl out of the 3 of the six that all lived in the “Boobier” house. She is this tiny little ball of energy who is down to do anything at any moment especially when it comes to spontaneous traveling. She is the one who got me to go on this trip. Originally Ashley wanted to surprise me (again), but it would have been too tough to organize it that way. She studied abroad through Temple University’s London campus while Ashley, Megan, and I were studying in Rome at the time. She is also the girl that traveled to Lisbon and Barcelona with us for our spring break. From suburbs of Philly like the most of us.

Mallory– I first met Mallory on this trip. She is a friend of a friend of Ashley’s from work. Ashley invited her to join us on this trip because she has never been to Europe before. She seemed a bit shy at first but she is very kind and understanding about our craziness. Although I have only known her for a short amount of time, she is really sweet. It is always hard to travel with a group of girls whom have known each other for so long, but it all worked out in the end. Originally from Lancaster, PA.

Megan– Megan is this tall beautiful blonde with bright, hypnotizing blue eyes. Everywhere we go Italian men are literally ALLL over her. But she is so sick and tired of it. Even though she is strikingly beautiful, she is a simple humble girl who doesn’t want to be drooled on. I met Megan through Ashley because they roomed together at Temple University’s Rome campus. She then actually fell in love with an Italian boy and transferred to John Cabot University in Rome. Unfortunately things didn’t work out with the boy but she fell in love with someone else: Rome. It is nice that I have a friend from home living in Italy with me and only an hour train ride away. Raised in the Philly suburbs.

This group of girls are some of my best friends and they all decided to plan a Europe adventure together. Their first stop was in London then onto Paris, and on the last leg of the tour, we all met up in Bologna and Florence, Italy (Except for Megan- since she lives in Rome, she planned to meet us in Florence).

Although the girls were in Europe for a week, we decided to spend two nights in Bologna, and two nights in Florence. So this is where I’m going to write about Bologna with my second article about my Florence experience. Enjoy!

Bologna, Italy:

In short, things I would recommend:

Impero (Caffe bar, pastries, aperitivo)

Trattoria da me (My favorite restaurant)

Via San Felice (street w/ Artisan/local shopping/authentic restaurants/bars)

Piazza Maggiore (Big central square with Churches/Palazzi/shops)

Basilica di San Petronio (Beautiful gothic church)

Via Pescherie Vecchie (street w/ local market/shops/bars)

Camera a Sud (super hipster/stylish bar/cafe)

Le Stanze (elegant classy bar great for date night)

Va Mo Là (amazing local food/atmosphere/service)

Bar L’una (nice pitstop bar with the coolest couple)

Most of us girls have never been to Bologna including myself. Bologna, Italy is a small city filled with an alternative-homey culture. From what I saw, it reminds me of a city where the habitants are a mix of college students, graduates, and young families. The reason behind that is that University of Bologna is located right on the outskirts of the city. Since us girls were only staying two nights and we had to catch a train to Florence afterwards, we decided to book an Airbnb located close to Bologna’s train station. I found an adorable apartment called MyG*flat with an even more adorable host, Monica. I arrived in Bologna in the early afternoon by train and Monica was right there waiting for me. She was extremely sweet and helpful when it came to the apartment and gave me tips where to buy food, and places to drink, eat, etc. The apartment itself was really cute.

The girls were flying into Bologna from Paris and they were planning to arrive pretty late that night so I wanted to cook them a nice meal. I headed to closest grocery store (which was literally right around the corner) and bought the ingredients I needed to make a classic dish from where I live in Campania: spaghetti alla Nerano (spaghetti with zucchini).

La ricetta (The recipe) includes:

Spaghetti (600g) -100g/person

4 or 5 zucchinis (you need to cut up the zucchini first and fry it)

Butter

Parmesan cheese

Sunflower oil

It was fairly easy to make. I love to cook, but my problem is that I am bad at it and I am a very impatient person sometimes. In other words, I ruined the spaghetti and turned it into gum.

But the girls ate it all anyway with the cheap wine I bought from a local alimentari.

For dessert, I bought a piccola pasticceria (a small assortment of pastries) from one of the best bars/pastry shops there is in Bologna: Impero.

(Photos provided by Google Images)

After we ate and drank everything in sight, we decided to head out into the center of the city and see what it had to offer. Keep in mind by the time the girls arrived and we finished eating and catching up it was about 2am on a cold November night. Most bars and places were closed due to the fact it was late, and also a Wednesday night. We began walking to the center of city and I stopped some young local Italians and asked them where we could find a drink at this hour. They recommend to keep walking straight to this street where a small bar and a late night to-go food place was still open and occupied with people. We grabbed some beers and cocktails and right next door some to-go pizza. There was nothing really happening that night, but it was just nice to catch up with everyone and absorb the fact that they are all in Italy with me. After stuffing our faces again, we began walking back home while scoping out some shops we could hit up the following day.

I woke up fairly early the next morning even though most of the girls were still sleeping. I really don’t blame them though because traveling is exhausting. By time everyone got up and ready it was already lunch time. I, of course being the leader/type of person I am, found a really cool restaurant called Trattoria da me with great reviews located on the other side of the city in this beautiful authentic hipster, but stylish, quarter of Bologna. The street of Via San Felice itself holds many unique spots to eat, window shop, and purchase a whole new wardrobe. I found a list of some great shops along this street:

But let’s talk about Trattoria da me. First of all their food was delicious and they gave us so much to eat- especially with the antipasto. For the second course most of us got the Spaghetti alla Bolognese which is a typical spaghetti meat dish from this region of Italy. The service was spectacular and treated us like family (all six of us).  I even stroke a conversation with the waiters about the US election and how we all despise Trump and can’t believe he won and is actually our president. They were really hospitable and I would definitely eat there again. The atmosphere was that of a homey-pastel hipster cottage with beautiful framed artwork hanging along the walls. I would live there if I could.

The interior decorations and table settings.

(From left to right: Ashley, Emily D., and Rachel)

(From left to Right: Emily Mac., Me, and Mallory)

We were so stuffed it took us so long to actually leave our seats. But I give trattoria da me a easy five-star rating.

(Left: Mixed Meats antipasto. Right: Panzerotti- fried dough)

(Left: Ashley enjoying our wine. Right: Spaghetti alla Bolognese)

( Left: pickled vegetables. Right: Mixed meat antipasto with amazing cheese)

The girls and I made our way down Via S. Felice checking out some shops here and there and stopping at this tiny bar that offered artisan homemade espresso. Continuing along this street we saw graffiti and artwork that reminded me a lot of Brooklyn, NY.

And of course we stopped at some cute clothing stores. Emily D. has recently been obsessing over faux fur jackets and she found a stellar faux fur vest that had these rocker red stars on it. We all said she had to get and the rest was history. Some of the shops we browsed were H&M, Zara, and local clothing stores. After we shopped until we dropped, the sun was nearly setting so we made our way back into the center. We arrived at Piazza Maggiore that holds beautiful buildings, towers, palazzi, and more. We entered the beautiful Basilica di San Petronio. It was huge and breath-taking as one can imagine a gothic cathedral to be with 22 chapels.

We were all in-awe of this church as we exited. You don’t see things like this in the States often. The girls and I continued through the piazza down one of the busiest streets in Bologna: Via Pescherie Vecchie. Along this street are local markets with produce, small bars, restaurants, shops, and a lively nightlife.

  (Me and Emily Mac. along Via Pescherie Vecchie)

Our shopping continued and I found a great place to have an aperitivo before our dinner: Camera a Sud.

(Photos NOT taken by me, but provided my Google Images)

Camera a Sud was the most hipster cafe I have seen since anything in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. Although tiny, it was very charming and unfortunately I learned the hard way that I need to a reserve a table beforehand. It was packed with people (which I assume because it is a hotspot with locals) so in the end we decided to go somewhere else: Le Stanze.

(Photos NOT taken by me, but provided from their website, Le Stanze)

I found this place by searching on my phone and I saw costumers who posted photos of the interior that looked like a beautiful cathedral with massive tall ceilings. We were hooked and decided to grab a spritz there. But when we arrived, I was fairly disappointed to realize that the gorgeous beautiful interior architecture was only paint. The photos online were very deceiving. Le Stanze itself had a great atmosphere between class and elegance and date vibe. Their aperitivo buffet had great options although the prices can be a bit expensive.

After our deserved drink, all of us headed back to the apartment to rest our arms from all our shopping bags. I whipped out my phone and in search of a restaurant for dinner. I browsed through TripAdvisor and found a restaurant called Va Mo Là.

Inside Va Mo Là the atmosphere consisted of a rustic alternative wine bar library-type feel. We were sat downstairs in a nice quiet area. The food was marvelous, but something that stood out to me was their impeccable service. We had a bit of a problem because Mallory didn’t feel that well and she needed to go back to the apartment. We all understood so Ashley and Mallory left just before the antipasto arrived at the table. The girls said they would return as soon as they could and we told them not to worry. So Emily Mac., Emily D., Rachel, and I enjoyed our portions of the antipasto which included a nice mixed cheese plate. We made sure to put aside some for Ashley and Mallory. Both of the two girls ordered their main dish before they left, but I wanted to tell the server that there was an emergency so if they could hold off on preparing their food that would be amazing. Our server had no problem with that and all was good. Soon after, us four girls got our main dishes and enjoyed every bite. Once we finished, we realized it was getting late, and I tried to contact Ashley and Mallory to see if they were on their way back hoping they remembered which way to go.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to reach them. The server came to our table and politely asked if they could bring out their food because the chef had to leave. I felt so bad about holding them up, I just told them to box it to make it easier for the girls when they arrive so they can just eat it at the table. The server seemed kind of confused as to why not just eat it from the plate instead of the box at the table, but I didn’t know exactly when the two girls would arrive. I didn’t want their food to get cold either so I explained to him it would just be easier for you and us just to box it-no worries. Maybe he was right about presenting it- in Italy it is very strange to box food, and especially to eat boxed food at a restaurant. Since it was so late and everyone else in the restaurant had already eaten their meals and left, I thought the presentation wouldn’t matter. But with every question and request I asked (There were a lot) the server was so understanding and polite that I would have to give them 5 stars for hospitality. They were incredibly accommodating.

In relief, Ashley and Mallory finally made it back to the restaurant and ate their antipasto and main dishes. Once the girls finished, we paid the bill and made sure to tip our server (which I feel so bad that I can’t remember his name) a good percentage. We thanked everyone as we walked out the door and once we exited, we met these other Americans just out front whom we asked to take a photo of us girls in front of the restaurant.

After the lovely photo, we began to walk away, but we were stopped suddenly by the server rushing out the door calling us back. I was confused I thought maybe we forgot something at our table or underpaid (which I know for a fact we didn’t). But he kindly asked “Would you guys write a review for us, please?” It was so sweet and of course we said yes. I would highly recommend Va Mo Là if you are ever in Bologna.

The girls and I began walking back to our apartment and stopped at a local bar called Drogheria to grab a drink.

All the seating outside was full but the servers literally grabbed a table and chairs out of storage just for us. He even pulled the heater closer to us to stay warm. We each grabbed a drink, some cocktails, and some beer. The drinks arrived fairly quickly to our table except for mine. I waited a bit longer just to see that maybe they are still making my Moscow mule, but it never came. I asked another server to grab me one because the other guy must have forgotten. I waited again, and it still didn’t come. I was so confused. After a solid 20 minutes, I talked to my original server again-he apologized and finally brought me my cocktail. Thankfully, my drink was free and he discounted the other drinks as well on the bill. I would say their service in the end was nice although they made a mistake on my order. But that’s life, mistakes happen sometimes.

It was getting fairly late, and since we had to check out early the next morning from our Airbnb, we decided to call it a night in Bologna.

The next morning we woke up, packed our bags, and made it out the door. But in the morning, I am grumpy AF before I get my caffè (espresso). Luckily enough, there was a bar just below our apartment complex . I am pretty sure it was called Bar L’una. I am not 100% positive, but it is located on Via Antonio Gramsci just before the roundabout. Some of us got a caffè or a cappuccino and some small pastries. The older couple who own this bar served us and they were a riot. The woman would play this cute little singing toy and joke around with us. The man was exactly the same and you could tell this couple was a match made in heaven. They were the crazy aunt and uncle you actually wanted in your family-so humble, and welcoming. After saying grazie mille (Thank you very much), we made our way to the station and hopped on the next train to Florence…

Bologna Wow. What a time with wine, friends, and traveling. A few months ago, in November, I traveled to Bologna and Florence, Italy with some of my closest friends from Philadelphia.

[vintageeskimos]

Buon Halloween!

  Happy Halloweeeeen, everybody! Although it has been three days since Halloween has passed, I felt the need to post a little something about my Halloween experience in Italy! Some of you may know that Halloween’s origin goes back to the being of the gaelic festival, Samhain. This celtic celebration took place that is now part of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France. It was believed…