Spring Sprang Sprung

I know, I know, long time no post. Bad blogger, bad! But I come with pictures! LOTS.

I don't know how or why, but on Wednesday I slept until 1. PM. I did NOT see that coming! It was literally like someone just hit me over the head with a hammer. It was sooo good though - I haven't slept like that in months. After all, what would a real vacation be without some great sleep? After a little get-together with Minerva the yoga mat and some breakfast, my roomie and I decided to try our luck with the Uffizi.

Note to self: Do NOT expect to just saunter on in to the Uffizi Gallery at 3 in the afternoon. Ain't gonna happen. In my defense, there is a reason I thought this was feasible: my study abroad program gave us each an "Amigli degli Uffizi" card that gives us free admission to all state museums in Florence. We were told that with these card, we had to enter the Uffizi at entrance #2 (yes, there are multiple), so I figured there was a special entrance reserved for people with the magic card. Well, the card may be great, but it is not a miracle-worker. There are 2 entrances to the Uffizi - the one for those with reservations, and the one for those ignorami without. So, you say (at least I did),"well why not make reservations for tomorrow?" Because you are reserving a ticket, not just an entrance time, and the magic card means we don't pay for the ticket, and thus no reservation. I realize that this has not been the most enthralling story...sorry. I like to rant.

SO, Plan A up in smoke, we improvised and visited an old friend - Dante. As in, Alighieri. As in, the Divine Comedy and Inferno. As in, the brilliant poet who lived in Firenze for a good chunk of his life. His "house" is now a museum (read: tourist money suck), and we being the diligent English majors we are just had to see it! It was kinda blah, but this was pretty cool to see:

Firenze ca. 13th century.

Notice anything?

NO DUOMO! Not built until 1476. Thank goodness it was - that thing has saved me from getting completely lost many, many times.

All this tourism shtuff really works up my appetite...what better a reason for gelato?

Mango + strawberry mousse

The mousse had a little of that artificial "cool whip"-y taste to it, but the mango was deeeLISH. 

Dinner was a bit of a re-run:

My vegged-up bruschetta!

Toasted bread with spinach, basil, garlic and tomatoes baked along side the bread on the oven, spinkled with pecorino romano. Bruschetta rock my socks.

So do gorgeous sunsets from out apartment window.

Frida doesn't like it when I turn the flash off. But the colors are perty!

Thursday was significantly more eventful. It was a gorgeous Spring day - perfect for my first trip to the Boboli Gardens!

But first, lunch at Sergio's since I didn't make it Wednesday:

Paste e fagioli! The real deal. 

I want to put this restaurant in a box and take it home with me. So. Good.

On to Boboli! It's a huge park behind Palazza Pitti (Pitti Palace), where the Medici lived when they were in power. It was absolutely beautiful. I could totally get married here. You know, with my millions.

back of Palazzo Pitti

My favorite part. I. Love. Tuscany.

Do you see this house? It's turquoise. I have no idea what it is/was...but it's more important what it will be: my house.

Cutest little spot. Good for reading/napping, I'm thinking.

Old (serious understatement) vineyards

The stone work looked like melted candle wax...no idea how that happened.

Check OUT this bathtub. Maybe the horses used it.

No words.

On the trek back, I, being the bottomless pit that I often am, was feeling some gelato. A neighbor from home told me about this gelato place across the Arno, which is where the Gardens were, and this was the perfect opportunity!

After-eight (as in, the most amazing dark chocolate covered mint candy ever. If you haven't tried them before and like the mint-choc combo, seek these out. They leave York patties in the dust.) and yogurt & nutella.

The yogurt-nutella was ok; I have discovered I don't really like the "yogurt" flavor of gelato after 3 tries. It's tangy in an odd way. But the After-eight....WHOA. Yum-my. I know that the green color means they added all kinds of artificial crap (nautral mint ice cream is white)....but I don't really care. This was amazing.

BUT - I still think I like Perche No! better. I guess I will have to go back to confirm...;)

If you want to see the rest of my Boboli pictures (or the rest of my pictures in general), check out my photobucket @ http://s32.photobucket.com/home/NorbertsShiksa!

Stay tuned for my solo adventure...where in the world is Carmen Sandiego Gillianasana???