Ultima giorno

This is it. The end of my last day in Italy. I have mixed feelings about this. But first, I'll tell you how I spent it...

I woke up early (I unfortunately seem to do that a lot) and hopped on a train to Firenze to make my 10:30 am appointment at the Uffizi Gallery. It was incredible, as can be expected. Botticelli has a certain way with eyes... the faces have expression, but the eyes themselves seem to be lost in the distance, as if they're forever looking through you to contemplate the vast sorrow of things. It's pretty spectacular.

There were a couple of paintings of Leonardo's, I really need to see more of those at some point. I'll have to negotiate some way, some day, to get to Milan, then Paris for the Louvre.

Michaelangelo and Rafael continue to awe. They also had a temporary Carvaggio exhibition, featuring a few artists from the 16-1700's, which was great, but I wish I could have spent more time in it. It's interesting to see the forms emerging and new techniques of lighting used. A lot of the subject matter was a bit brutal- more blood and decapitations and the like, but brilliant.

After that, I ducked around street corners until I found Dante Alighieri's house, which has a quaint museum inside. Again, I wish I had more time, but I did learn cool new things about merchant guilds, feudalism, the house of the Medici (I never get tired of saying "Medici") and saw some replicas of their crests that he refers to in the Inferno. I will try to finish reading it on the plane... I have such little time!

I of course, had to make time to eat at Il Latini again, and I swear it gets better every time. The restaurant just has an amazing, welcoming vibe, and the food is simple, but prepared perfectly and the ingredients are fantastic.

I had originally planned to order the caprese salad and the vitello, but the Australian guy next to me insisted "You can't come here and not eat the steak!" and his looked damn tasty, so I decided to give it a shot. Turns out that he goes to that restaurant every time he comes to Italy, about 5 times now. He was a cheesecake maker from Australia, funny old guy. The community table evokes interesting conversations.

Me: "So what kind of food should I eat in Australia? What's the national dish?"

Him: "Beef!"

Me: "I see."

Him: "Oh, and cheesecake!"

I promise if you repeat this out loud, alternating a stereotypical Australian accent it is much funnier.

Without Further ado, I present:

Bistecca alla Fiorentina. If you look in the background very carefully, this picture captures the very moment the lady behind me became exceedingly jealous that she had not ordered it.

The spinach was there merely to save my dignity. It was delicious, though.

Because LOOK AT THAT STEAK!!! They don't ask you how you want it cooked, this is how it's supposed to be, and this is how you get it. It's pretty fantastic. It was a damn kilo of grass-fed happy porterhouse perfection. Tender... fatty... perfect sear on the outside... beyond yum. Nirvana steak.

For the steer's sake, I wish I could have finished it. But he should rest happy knowing he died for my sinful ways. I'm pretty sure that gratis biscotti and Vin Santo are the norm here, and they're really into handing out a Moscato d'Asti they're proud of, and rightly so. I think they would be offended if you didn't drink- no teetotalers allowed. Note my 3 glasses of varying wine in the above pic.

I scored a shirt and a couple bottles of olive oil, then had to set out on my merry way back to Orvieto for our final dinner (not that I was hungry after that, LOOK AT THAT STEAK!)

But we got our certificates for the program, and some cool t-shirts. After that, I finished packing and hauled my HEAVY bags to the restaurant so they would be ready to go in the morning, early. I have some anxiety after the baggage debacle from the beginning of the trip, but I guess I shouldn't dwell too much.

Italy... has been a really big experience for me. I've seen and done things that I never imagined I could do, and somehow managed to travel a pretty extensive distance in a foreign country alone, and survived, prospered even. I can hang with a small but functional amount of the language, and I had some eye-opening meals.

I'm sure it will sink in later. I feel pretty changed for this, I know my cooking techniques will be changed, hopefully for the better. I really, really love the concept of seasonality here, it's not a buzzword tossed around for "foodies" sake, it the only way to eat.

While some of the best meals (okay, the best) I've ever eaten were in the U.S., there's something to be said for the simplicity of it all. Good raw ingredients makes good food, period. If you start with inferior product... well, you might as well not be eating, in my opinion.

I am definitely spending a lot more time at the farmer's market when I get back. And walking, everywhere, I love what it's done for my calves (he he!) and I get to eat multi-course meals twice a day and still lose weight. You can't beat that. I'm sure many more lessons will sink in later, after some reflection and introspection, but in closing, I have one overwhelming thought...

LOOK AT THAT STEAK!

~fin~