Favorite tastes

Chocolate, vanilla

Several weeks ago in mid-January one of us was up early on a Sunday morning making coffee and listening to the local NPR station. The station was broadcasting a show from a German source, Deutsche Welle Radio. Though the hour was early, the title of the segment, “The Real Taste of Florence”, was arresting.

The reporter interviewed an American woman who leads tourists in Florence to places where they could sample some of the best that Florence has to offer. The guide took a group and the reporter to a couple of our favorite spots, the Sant’Ambrogio Market and the Vestri Chocolate shop. Here’s a link to the lede of the segment:

Deutsche Welle Radio

and here’s a link to the audio which is about seven and a half minutes long:

Vanilla, hazelnut

The Real Taste of Florence

We stopped at most of the spots mentioned in the story today, our first full day in Florence. The deli counter at the Sant’Ambrrogio Market still has piles of parmigiano reggiano rounds and stacks of various kinds of prosciutto and on and on. And samples of everything, of course.

Later in the day we took a trip down the street to the Vestri Chocolate shop. Most of their business is fine chocolates but they also sell their own gelato. The flavors change frequently. Last year they sold a gelato laced with rum that would have required proof of age if sold at home. This year Annette had a small cup that was half chocolate and half vanilla. Michael had a small cup that was half hazelnut and half vanilla.

It’s good to be back.