Update on the negroni:
After our dinner last night, we walked over to Atrium Bar. They are reviewed to make the best negroni in Florence. For those who don’t know, the negroni cocktail originated in Florence. Legend says that Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender friend to strengthen his favourite drink, the Americano, which had equal parts red vermouth, Campari, and soda water. His friend replaced the soda water with gin, and thus the negroni was created!
Atrium Bar is a stunning, high end venue with gorgeous velvet couches, a high stocked bar, and servers in suits. We sat down and were instantly greeted with sweet flavored nuts, a man playing the piano, and of course our negroni. I would have to say it was definitely the best negroni I’ve ever had!
Longing for a Florence sleep in, we took it upon ourselves to be alarm free this morning, and a glorious sleep we had! Waking up much past the breakfast hour, we headed straight to the central market to check out the lower level where all the locals buy their groceries. It’s open everyday until 2pm, and literally has everything you could imagine: fruit and veggies, cheese and meats, pasta, fish, olive oil, wine, and much more.
After wandering in awe of all the delicious looking foods, and feeling quite hungry ourselves, we ordered an insane charcuterie board with two glasses of red.
Strolling the streets around the market, we couldn’t help but see and smell all the amazing leather goods. They have everything: purses, shoes, belts, jackets. And they are just gorgeous in their quality. We decided to do a little shopping and I bought Daniel a beautiful leather belt, and he bought me some pretty great leather sandals.
Wandering to the main hub of Florence, we wanted to use our museum ticket purchased yesterday to get in a few more attractions. Our first stop was the Museo della Misericordia, which is dedicated to the worlds oldest voluntary associations. They have been active since 1244 and continuously and anonymously offer charitable help to the poor. The museum showcases their work, the ways in which they would help the less fortunate, and the many gifts and donations to the museum itself. The museum is quite small (but has A/C!), and we were given a free, private tour. The older man described all the details and artefacts in each room.
Leaving the museum, we wandered over to the baptistery to see if there was a line, and luckily we managed to see inside. The ceiling decor, marble columns, and tiled floors were beautiful pieces of work.
We completed our afternoon with a tasty gelato before refreshing prior to dinner.
Prior to dinner, we scoped out a little brew pub which only serves craft beers. Surprisingly, it has been hard to find craft beers anywhere we’ve been. This place even does flights, so we order two flights to try their entire list, except one.
Our dinner reservation for tonight was at a restaurant called Brandolino. We ordered a bottle of Chianti wine, the mushroom fettuccine, and the florence renowned meal, the Florentine Bistecca. It was incredible: so tender, so tasty, and just perfectly seasoned goodness. To end with, our server brought us a complimentary glass of dessert wine. It was the perfect way to end our Firenze trip!
Out With Erin 