Celia Thaxter, the 19th century American author and gardener par excellence, said this and I couldn’t agree more.

And when my body/soul are fatigued, I need the beauty nature provides.  So, for you and for me, here is that beauty:

I had lunch outside today.

It was 60 degrees F in Florence!

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the city is decked out for the holidays and a friend and I decided to lunch at Cibreo Caffè .  I’ve been wanting to try this famous restaurant and I’m glad I had the chance today.

To sit outside, having lunch in the sun, on December 12.  Will wonders never cease?!

I did keep my coat on during lunch, but I probably didn’t need to really.

These aren’t my pictures, but I borrowed some from the web for illustrations.

To be completely honest, I didn’t love the food.  It was first quality and beautifully prepared and presented.   I know Cibreo has a great reputation, but I like the old classics better than the updated menus that are now found all over town.  I guess I’m quite old-fashioned!

For example, one of the suite of appetizers they shared with us was a scoop of fresh sausage, crudo.  In other words, a scoop of sausage meat uncooked.  My friend said it was good spread on Tuscan bread, but I just took his word for it. :-)

“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” – Italian proverb

The history of wine in Italy is as old as the culture itself. Its popularity is evident not only in its ubiquity at social events and family gatherings but also in the nearly endless wine-based proverbs in Italian and its various dialects.

A breakdown of Italian wine by the numbers:

48.9 million: hectoliters, harvested in 2015. The most of any country in the world.
20: regions. Each with its own unique character and flavors.
361: indigenous grape varietals catalogued by Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and that’s not counting all of the clones of clones and their clones (Attilio Scienza, a renowned professor of enology in Milan, claims there are over 800).
329: DOC (short for Denominazione Origine Controllata or “Controlled Designation of Origin”) regions of Italy. This classification system was modeled after the French AOC and implemented in 1963 to ensure quality control in the making of traditional Italian wine.
74: DOCG, or Denominazione Origine Controllata e Garantita and the highest Italian wine classification, regions of Italy. Piedmont, Veneto and Tuscany boast the most per region.

 

 

It’s great fun to look around Florence at some of the fabulous floral design that the city boasts. Here are some recent photos:

 

The garland around this doorway is beautiful in person.  It is so tightly woven that it doesn’t photograph well.  See the detail below.

By and large I would say I am not a people watcher.  For whatever reason, people just don’t catch my eye most of the time.  But, every once in a while, someone does!

And then I want to really look at them.  Like this woman:

Her hat attracted my attention to begin with, and then I noticed her and her husband (? I am assuming?).  What a lovely couple.

And best of all, they didn’t know they were being watched!

I hope to find her again another time!

 

I know where my dream came from.  Yesterday, as I was out shopping for a Christmas tree and ornaments, I had a quick caffè macchiato at my favorite bar, Gilli, on the Piazza della Repubblica. I felt like a child in toy land, surrounded by all manner of sweets and Christmas breads.  Let me show you:

How about some white or dark chocolates covered with candied violets and rose petals?

Or some cookies covered with milk chocolate and topped with a white chocolate snowflake?  Or, to the right, a chocolate decorated with the appearance of marbleized paper.  Perchè no?  We are in the land of the art of marbleized paper!

Or perhaps a cupcake? Or a sweet made to look like a snowman or a Christmas tree?

Those snowmen are cute!  Let’s have a closer look!

And did you see the Christmas tree cookies above?

But maybe to you Christmas means festive red or white poinsettias?  Fear not!  Gilli’s got you covered!

I think words are unnecessary when admiring the photos below.  I give you…a moment of quiet to savor the seasonal offerings of one of the world’s finest pastry shops.

Buon Natale!  

Auguri!

Season’s Greetings!

A Christmas tree made of macarons!  Delicious!

 

I am not really a sweets person to begin with, so I am craving something savory.  But I wanted an interesting and attractive vegetable, and what strikes those notes better than Romanesco!

 

Romanesco broccoli, also known as Roman cauliflower, Broccolo Romanesco, Romanesque cauliflower or simply Romanesco, is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea.

Romanesco has a striking appearance because its form is a natural approximation of a fractal. When compared to a traditional cauliflower, its texture as a vegetable is far more crunchy, and its flavor is not as assertive, being delicate and nutty.

It has been grown in Italy since the 16th century.  Of course it has! All the best things come from Italy!

 

Nutritionally, romanesco is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and carotenoids