Woke up early to another wonderful breakfast buffet. Lauren and Shannon met us at the hotel for a tour of the Uffizi museum where we saw wonderful paintings by Botecelli, Donnetello and others.
Shannon stayed on at the museum and Dad and Lauren and I went in search of the Trattoria Anita. It was pouring and the Trattoria wasn't open yet, so we walked toward the square. Back at the restaurant, we ordered lunch and waited for Shannon. Dad and I shared a roasted chicken with a asparagus risotto. Wonderful! Lauren had pasta with pesto and Shannon just had a caprese salad because she had already eaten before.
Lauren and Dad in the hotel lobby
After lunch, Dad shopped for another bag because our suitcases are getting too full of great finds from our travels. Shannon and Lauren and I shopped the Mercado Centrale where I found a nice leather purse and some gifts. Lauren found a cute dress and bargain effectively with the shop owner - she was so proud of herself. Shannon got a cute skirt. The Italian men were checking the girls out and I kept them at bay. The streets were crowded with a car race - they blocked huge portions of the streets. It was a reenactment of a car race they had back in the late 1920's through the '50s; a lot of antique cars and slick looking Italian men.
It was a busy day. I wanted to see Pitti Palace, the Medici families residence but by the time we got there, it was closed. Well, I guess I need to plan a return trip to Italy to see every thing I missed.
Pitti Palace
We met up with dad and had a great dinner at the Osteria Giovani - Giovani himself was quite the character and loved chatting us up. He told us that cod was essential to his very life! The dinner was good - Osso Bucco for dad and I and we split a spaghetti. Giovani's wife is from the U.S. and made the desserts and they were wonderful. I had warm apple cake with vanilla ice cream, Lauren pears in red wine sauce with chocolate ice cream (weird but delicious), and Shannon had a great chocolate cake.
Tomorrow Venice.
Tomorrow Venice.
