Oh my God, Florence

If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all.

I had a lot of trouble writing this post because I left Florence with so many stories and so much to say. I ended up with 5 and a half pages worth of raw material based off a very long series of notes in my phone. It took me a long time to decide what to leave in and take out and also how to tell it. If the final post is a tasty sausage, then this mind-numbing process of cutting, rewriting, condensing, and rearranging is the ugly process of grinding up all the nasty bits of the animal no one really wants to know about. Anyone who tells you writing is always easy and fun is either a bad writer or a liar.
          I originally wasn't planning on going to Florence, but my classmates who had visited absolutely raved about it, so I decided to check it out as a part of my trip to Bologna to see a baseball game. My day and a half in Florence can be summed up with the phrase "Oh my God, Florence." Why? Because, depending on how it's said, it can express either awe or frustration, both of which I felt a lot.

         The trip began when I realized I had bought a ticket to Florence's Rifredi station and not the main Santa Maria Novella one. The Rifredi station is small, run down, and in the middle of nowhere; 3 miles from the center of town. It was a 30 minute bus ride to get anywhere close to town. I walked through town and headed across the river to my hostel. As I walked down the street, I felt like I was in slightly cleaner version of Rome. I was a little disappointed because I expected it to be more different, but I obviously hadn't seen the main area of town yet, so I wasn't going to pass judgment.

          I walked past a gelato place called La Carraia with tons of "Best of" stickers in the window and absolutely no line. I hadn't had lunch yet, but I decided I need to do this. This was probably the best gelato I've ever had. I had Tiramisu and chocolate cookie flavor and it blew me away in both taste and texture. It was so light and creamy and flavorful. It more than made up for my day to that point.

          I then checked in to my hostel, which took a lot longer than I wanted, and went to get lunch at a place called Sandwichic that TripAdvisor rated the #1 restaurant in Florence. TripAdvisor was right. I ordered a sandwich with mortadella, caramelized onions, and cream cheese. I swear to you all, this was the best sandwich I’ve ever had. One bite and I was in heaven. This sandwich was able to reverse all the negative emotions I had from being tired and really hungry. If you’re ever in Florence, you NEED to go to Sandwichic. I cannot recommend it enough. This was the sandwich to end all sandwiches, in my eyes. 

           I then began to wander around town a bit and did some sightseeing and souvenir shopping. I eventually made my way to the town's big Cathedral and its famous dome. I was a bit of a bad traveller and hadn't researched the sights that well, assuming I'd just wander, so I didn't really know it existed. Imagine having no prior knowledge and casually turning a corner and seeing this:

Needless to say, I was stopped in my tracks. The Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore was one of the most amazingly beautiful buildings I've ever seen. Even coming off the immense high from Sandwichic, it amazed me. I spent the next 30 minutes slowly walking around this enormous building and taking in the art. The designs were so intricate, detailed, and colorful. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. This is the moment I finally started to feel Florence. I was like, "Yes, baby! THIS is art. THIS is Florence!" Sadly, by the time I got there, the Cathedral was closing for the day, so I didn't get a chance to go in, but my day had still been made.

I mean, just look at this thing. HOLY CRAP, MAN.

          Unfortunately, walking around the Cathedral was the high point of my day. My time in Florence was plagued by minor annoyances and bad luck, and my day went downhill from here.
           It had been raining on and off all day. I forgot to bring my umbrella, so vendors on the street would single me out and try to sell me one, but I kept stubbornly ignoring them and walking past with an attitude of “I’m a strong, independent tourist who don’t need no umbrella." It never rained hard for more than about 15 minutes and I didn't feel like it had gotten bad enough to spend my money on one, especially since I thought I had one back in Rome.

           You know how the old saying goes, right? "Pride comes before a fall." After seeing a couple cool churches, I crossed the river and headed towards Piazza Michelangelo. I took this picture while crossing the river: 

See that gray mist off in the distance? That should've been my warning. 
         I walked along a beautiful green parkway for a while, but couldn't find the entrance, so I decided to turn back and try again tomorrow because it was getting dark and I was hungry and tired.

"Mostly cloudy" my ass

I am perfectly ok with the
events that are unfolding

         It then started to rain. Since I was on a parkway and not in the city, there was no cover anywhere nearby. I found refuge under a tree, thinking I’d just wait out the worst of it, since it provided just enough cover to make it worthwhile. The rain only got harder. I got drenched to say the least. I finally decided the only way to get out of this was to leave and try to find some shelter. Thankfully, there was a bus station not too far away. I waited it out and eventually made it back to my hostel. 
          I dropped my stuff off and decided to go out for pizza. I was so tired and done with being wet that caved in and bought an umbrella from my hostel. It was really ugly, but I was beyond the point of caring.

           I got some pretty good pizza at a place called Gusta Pizza my classmates had recommended and returned to the hostel. I did some writing, showered, and got ready for a good night’s sleep, something I hadn't had in a few days. I came back from the shower and put the key in the door to unlock it and this happened:

Who does this even happen to?? This was the point I decided someone or something in Florence had it out for me. I can accept getting caught in the rain or arriving at the wrong train station, but this is too ridiculous to happen by chance. I told the manager and he said it wouldn't be a problem if the other half of the key wasn't in the door. It was. Of course it was. He explained that as long as the key was stuck in the door, it could only be opened from the inside. Since it was 1:20 AM, everybody was asleep. I was locked out. The manager offered another room, but a girl who was also locked out had an early train to catch, so we had to get into the room. We resorted to knocking. The manager insisted he do it because he was really concerned about waking up too many people. After a minute or two, a bleary-eyed guy with messy blond hair and pajama pants came and opened the door for us and went immediately back to his bed, even before we could thank or apologize to him. I felt so bad for the manager the whole time. He had this look of extreme guilt on his face and no one should have to deal with a crazy situation like this at 1 in the morning while trying to keep all the guests happy. When I checked out, he and I shared a glance of apologetic recognition.

The inside of SS Annunziando

         I got on the road by late morning and pumped myself up for the city. The rain was gone, it was beautiful and sunny, and I was going to go straight to the National Gallery and see some famous art and it was going to be great. Public museums are free in Italy on the first Sunday of the month, so I had intentionally put off the museums for the second day so I could see these masterpieces for free.
         Unfortunately, it was May 1st: Worker's Day, meaning all the public museums, including the National Gallery, were closed. "It'll be open tomorrow," they kept saying, but today was my last day in Florence. Just my luck.
          Though I was discouraged, I wandered around the neighborhood found one of my favorite churches in Italy, SS Annunziando, and a cool market to explore, so it wasn't all bad. 

         I resisted temptation to go back to Sandwichic and decided to try lunch at a place called Il Bufalo Trippone. It was incredible. It wasn't quite as good as Sandwichic, but definitely in the same league. The sandwich I had had salami, cheese, and dried tomato sauce. It was one of those meals where you take one bite and you nod your head and say "yep" several times because it's that much on point. I don’t know how Florence manages to make sandwiches so incredibly simple yet insanely delicious. I didn’t think this level of delicious was possible with only a few ingredients. I'd go back to Florence for a week if all I did was eat sandwiches and gelato.

            I then got in a big line outside the Cathedral to go up in the bell tower, which someone had recommended I do. I waited about an hour and as soon as I got in, I decided to cut the crap and head straight for the top. The bell tower has no elevator, so you have to take the stairs. A LOT of stairs. And you’re climbing up staircases that are dark, steep, and barely wide enough to fit two people. Often times, one person would have to stand to the side while another went the opposite direction. I'm glad I'm not claustrophobic and I'm also glad I'm in reasonably good shape because both those things would've otherwise made the climb up the bell tower absolute hell. 

           The climb was more than worth it though. I can’t stress how gorgeous the views were. You can see all of Florence and the surrounding countryside, especially on a clear day like it was when I was there. You also get a pretty much uninterrupted 360 degree view. The countryside was especially beautiful. It looked like something out of a postcard. I made my way around the tower 2-3 times just taking in the scenery and appreciating the beauty of the city. This was far and away the best thing I did in Florence. If you ever go, you need to do this regardless of how big of a line there is.

Actual city or Windows XP background with a city in front? You decide

          I came down exhilarated and since the ticket I bought got me into both the tower and the Cathedral, I was excited to go inside. I got in a line for it, but when I showed the security lady my ticket, she turned me away, saying it was closed. I didn't know enough Italian to argue with her or figure out how you could get in, so I decided to more or less call it a day. I got some more gelato, headed back to my hostel, and rested for a few minutes before catching a train back to Rome.

        Florence's final vengeance came after I returned to Rome. It started to rain when I was out exploring. Remember that umbrella I bought at the hostel? This is what happened to it in about 45 minutes on its second day of use. I call it "Degradation of an Umbrella in Three Parts," a comment on the fragility of the human condition:

This was the worst excuse for an umbrella I've ever seen in my entire life. Calling it a cheap, worthless piece of crap would be giving it far too much credit. I expect umbrellas to flip inside out when there's a decent amount of wind, but this thing legitimately flipped in a slight breeze and broke in the process. I could blame this on Rome because I was in Rome, but since I bought the umbrella in Florence, it was definitely Florence's fault.

         After getting home and and shaking off the exhaustion and frustration, I was left with mixed feelings about the city. On one hand, it's gorgeous, has some of the best art and architecture you'll find anywhere and has wine, sandwiches, and gelato worth dying for. On the other hand, the city is extremely touristy. Walking through Florence, I found myself wondering if anybody actually lived there. In Rome, Naples, and Bologna, if you leave the main streets, you find a residential neighborhood. with a local cafe, people's laundry would be drying on the railings, and you'd see people come and leave their homes in cars or on bikes. Florence wasn't like this. Even when I got off the beaten path a little, it seemed like the "residential" neighborhoods were mostly made up of hostels or student residences. The Italians in the town seemed like either visitors or workers and I got the sense none of them lived in town. I felt like for a city that has such a massive cultural heritage that it didn't seem to have much, if any, local culture. 

          This may not matter to some people, but it does to me. When I travel, I like seeing the sights and eating the food, but what I love is being in a place and feeling its history and culture flow through me by doing things that I can't anywhere else and trying to have an "authentic" experience (for example, when I was in Bologna, I made sure to get authentic Bolognese sauce). I didn't feel like I could do this in Florence. While I'll associate the amazing restaurants with Florence, the food and experiences didn't seem like they were part of the town's culture or heritage. The sights are beautiful and the food is incredible, but it felt like there was little to nothing beneath the surface. Looks dazzle, but I'm not going to fall in love unless there's something more there.
           Having said that, I'm glad I went to Florence. It was a beautiful, historic city and the food was great. If given the chance, I think I'd go back to Florence for a day to eat and to see the sights I missed, but I don't think I would go out of my way to visit. However, just because I didn't fall in love with it shouldn't discourage anyone from visiting. I know several people who did and loved everything about it, and even I think it's worth going just to see the sights and say you did.

Where to Eat in Rome

Rome is a great food city. If you're planning on visiting, I'm going to assume you know this. A good meal isn't hard to find, but some places are definitely better than others. Three things I used to find good restaurants were:

1. TripAdvisor: For those of you familiar with Yelp, it works in the same way, but in Italy. If you go on their site and search "restaurants near Rome," it'll give you a pretty good list of recommendations. That's how I found a lot of these places.
2. Watch for Stickers: If you see a restaurant with a lot of stickers in the window, that's an excellent sign. The more the better, I've found. Be sure to look not only for Tripadvisor stickers (make sure they say "recommended" or "certificate of excellence" and not just "review us") but also for any with dates on them, like "Roma 2014" or something like that. These are usually signs of good places to eat.
3. Who is there/When?: When you walk by a restaurant, do you see mostly tourists or a bunch of locals? If you see a lot of locals eating there, that's a good sign. This is especially true if you see the restaurant packed at like 2 PM or 6 PM, times that are less busy than the respective lunch and dinner rushes. A restaurant being busy or having a line all the time is a double-edged sword. It means you have to wait a bit, but it's also the sign of a great restaurant that's probably worth waiting for. This is a great way to find good restaurants anywhere, not just in Rome.

While it's hard to go wrong with food in Rome, here's a few of the places I tried and would recommend going. Keep in mind that these places are takeout restaurants or street food. If you're looking for a fancy, upscale meal with friendly waiters in a place that oozes luxury, this list isn't for you. I travel on a budget and I'm also a firm believer in the fact that you can get as good if not better food from downscale local places than any fancy 5-star restaurant. At all of these places, you can get amazing food for €8-9 or less.

The Essentials--Places I'd consider can't-misses and worth going out of your way for:

One of Biscottificio Innocenti's owners and their cookies

Biscottificio Innocenti, Via della Luce, 21 (Trastevere): Holy shit, these cookies. The bakery is tucked away on a side street. If you can find the street, the bakery shouldn't be too hard to find--not because it's obvious, but because you can smell the delicious sugary smell from a good distance. The bakery is a family business that's been going for 4 generations, so they know how to bake cookies. Every single cookie I tried was incredible. They somehow manage to give them all a perfect texture. Not too chewy, but not too crunchy either. I can only describe it as "just right" and every one is a heavenly sensation in your mouth. I recommend getting the assorted cookies. It's a little more expensive, but for €6 (300 g) you get a pretty full bag, and it's a great way to try all the types of cookies they have. A majority of them are sugar cookies, but a good number have chocolate, nuts, coconut, or raisins. It took a good deal of restraint to not eat the entire bag in one sitting. This place is definitely a must visit if you're in Rome.

Da Simo's sandwich with chicken, pork, lamb, and chicory

Da Simo... pane e vino, Via di Parione, 34 (near Piazza Navona): This is one of the places in Rome I'm going to miss the most. They have the best sandwiches I had in the city. Whenever I needed my meat fix, I went here. The workers are all extremely friendly and speak pretty good English, and they knew me by name by the last couple times I visited. The sandwiches are a little more expensive than other places in Rome (€4.50 for half, €6 for full), but you get what you pay for. They're big, they have a lot of meat, they're insanely delicious. I've had the one with chicken, pork, and lamb, the one with boiled beef, onions, and chicory, and one with meatball and artichoke and they've all been crazy good. They also have a nice selection of beers in the fridge, though I never really took advantage of that because I usually had class right after I ate lunch. The seating area is subpar (all outside and on cheap tables), and they do tend to take their time, especially when they're busy, but the sandwiches are more than worth it.

Gelateria Frigidarium, Via del Governo Vecchio, 112 (between Piazza Navona & Castel Sant'Angelo): Hands down the best gelato in Rome. I've had some very good gelato in Rome, but this place is consistently head-over-heels better than any other place I've been (the only better gelato I've had anywhere was in Florence). There is usually a bit of a line, but don't be intimidated. It moves quickly and the gelato is totally worth the wait. €2 gets you a small cup (2 flavors) and then you have the option to dip it in white or dark chocolate. Frigidarium, the namesake flavor, is the best in my opinion. It's yellow with a chocolate swirl and cookies sticking up out of it and it tastes like a buttery chocolate cookie. Other flavors I really liked were the dark chocolate (fondente) (which is especially good if you combine it with the caffé flavor) and cannolo (cannoli). You won't go wrong with any flavor though. I've made a point to try at least one new flavor every time I went and everything I had there was amazing.

Trapizzino's coda alla vaccinaria (oxtail)

Trapizzino Testaccio, Via Giovanni Branca, 88 (Testaccio neighborhood)- A trapizzino is basically a pocket made out of pizza dough and filled with a variety of things. I've had the chicken cacciatore and the oxtail (coda alla vaccinanara) and they've both been amazing, though I think I liked the ox tail more. I think the concept of a trapizzino is unique to this restaurant, which has two branches in Rome, though I've only visited the Testaccio location. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but around lunch, there's usually a line or a crowd of people around it, which is always a great sign. Just be warned that since it's street food, seating is limited.

Other favorites: A tier below "can't miss," but also incredibly good.

Bar Amore's cappuccino

Bar Amore, 41 Via dei Banchi Nuovi (between Piazza Navona & Castel Sant'Angelo)- I went here probably more than any other restaurant in Rome, for three reasons: 1). It's right next to the UC study center, 2). It's delicious, 3). It's a great value. This place is really easy to miss. The only thing that makes it place stick out from the street is a thin sign that says "snack bar," that you probably wouldn't pay attention to unless you knew it was there. There's usually a line when you go in, and there's two areas of the restaurant: one where you can order a panino or a pastry, and then the coffee bar. Their cappuccinos are truly some of the best I had in Rome. I didn't drink a cappuccino the last day I was in Rome because I wanted my last cappuccino in Italy to be from Bar Amore. Their paninis are also great. They have several different types of meat and vegetables to choose from as fillings, and the portions are also pretty big for Italy. It's a great place to get coffee and/or lunch.

Suppli'

I Suppli', Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, 137 (Trastevere)- Suppli', for those who don't know, is a fried rice ball filled with meat sauce and cheese. Yes, it's as good as it sounds, maybe even better. I about cried the first time I had suppli' because of just how good it was. I Suppli' is easy to miss. I walked past it a good 2-3 times without ever noticing it, but just look for a mob of people eating rice balls outside, and that should help you find it. They also have pasta and pizza, which I didn't try, but the suppli' is the main attraction, and at €1.20 a piece, it's a great deal. They're kinda small, but they're definitely filling.

Pasta e Vino's Fettuccine Carbonara

Pasta e Vino Come na vorta, 
Vicolo Del Cinque 40 (Trastevere)- Really good pasta place. They have some of the tastiest and richest carbonara (a Roman specialty made with cheese, pork cheek, cream, black pepper, and eggs) in Rome. They seem to have perfected "al dente," as the pasta consistency is perfect. This is probably due to how fresh it is. You can see the pasta being made right in front of you. The restaurant has a window in front of a cutting board where you can watch the owner knead the dough and then cut it into pasta-shaped strips and prepare it to be cooked. It's a little more expensive than some of the other pasta take away places in town, but not overpriced by any means (€6-7.5 per plate). Just be sure to plan ahead if you decide to go. Seating availability is limited and this place also likes to take its time making your food.

Fettuccine with Pesto

Pasta Imperiale, Via dei Coronari, 160, (Pretty close to Castel Sant'Angelo): I'm sad because I only got to visit this place once, on my last night in Rome. The pasta I had, though, was excellent--truly some of the best I had in Rome. I had the pesto and it was absolutely fantastic. I'm not sure if I've ever had such fresh, tasty, and cheesy pesto. I really regret not finding this place sooner. You can also get it in a combo meal, which is €8-9 and includes pasta, a piece of tiramisu and a bottle of water. The restaurant has a couple small tables, but not much. I didn't get to eat my food there at all, so I can't comment too much on it.

Cappuccino & mini cannoli 

Sicilia e Duci, Viale di Trastevere, 69 (Trastevere): This was a place I found on accident when I was walking somewhere and impulsively decided to get coffee. They have pretty good coffee and excellent Sicilian pastries. This was my favorite place to get a cannoli in Rome. They have mini cannolis that are delicious, only €1, and not so big and filling as in other places. They also have freddo, which is one of the only ways to get iced coffee in Rome. Like many cafés, they also have actual food, which I didn't try, but can only assume is delicious based off the quality of the other stuff they had. It's a great place for a mid-afternoon snack and coffee.

Solopasta's spaghetti carbonara & wine

Solopasta, Via della Vetrina, 1 (Between Piazza Navona & Castel Sant'Angelo)- Really good pasta place. I've had the carbonara and ragu' before and they're both excellent. The best part about this place is the deal you get: €5 gets you a big plate of delicious pasta AND a drink, which is pretty much unbeatable. They have Peroni, the standard Italian beer, red and white wine, and water to choose from. Just don't go if you're in a hurry. The place is small and it can take them a little time to get your order out, but it's worth it for the food and the value.

Honorable mentions: Pompi (Via Albalonga, 7, near the Spanish Steps), Il Pastaio di Roma (Via dei Coronari, 102/103, down the street from Pasta Imperiale), Caffe' Lungara 1940 (Via della Lungara, 14, Northern Trastevere)

Now go to Rome and eat like motherf'ing royalty.