Firenze, Davide and knock-offs

Ahhh, Firenze. So beautiful and charming (see the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio above and David's butt left) and sooooooo full of tourist groups!!!!
UGH!
I wish it wasn't so. After Bologna - tranquil, genteel, NO tourists (just a few full-time and part-time expats), the historic centre of Florence was like an open air museum.
Nevertheless, I will persist.
We are to return next week to discover quieter waters and eat and drink at the Marchesi Antinori and Marchesi de' Frescobaldi wine bars. Stay tuned.

And now for one of my pet hates - knock-offs! What is it with the EU that tolerates the plethora of immigrants displaying their copies - Gucci, D&G, Burberry and the list goes on - only for some to attempt to restrict imports from China to protect the incumbents. Now that's inconsistent.
No-one is going to believe you spent $2000 on a handbag when they see what kind of shoes you're wearing - it's inconsistent. And we wouldn't want to be that. What is the point? It's just another uniform.
Stay tuned for more pet hates.......

Godot Wine Store #2

The bad news.....After being so keen on Godot Wine Bar earlier - we have now discovered that it's closed down!!!
The good news.....They have another, better one where you can actually have a proper meal as well as the great selection of wines by the glass. Via Cartoleria 12 - the web address is the same.

Italian Made

Click on the title link to check out this great website on the food and wine of Italy. Much to explore.

My Palate loves Godot Wine Bar

Latest discovery is the Godot Wine Bar just off the Piazza Santo Stefano in Bologna (my favourite piazza). Wines by the glass that change weekly - sometimes daily. We are recently indulging in some fabulous whites and reds from Alto Adige. For instance, a Franz Haas Manna '03 - an interesting white blend as well as a crisp and perfumed Müller-Thurgau. You can have a simple dinner there but we have not yet. We have had a platter of affettati e formaggi with bread and grissini so the wine doesn't go straight to your head. YUM!

Here we are in Bologna!

Finally got a chance to update. We are now in beautiful Bologna in the region of Emilia Romagna in the north of Italy. We'll be here until February - a long sojourn with plenty of time to explore and partake in the delicious mountains of pasta fresca. This is the Piazza Santo Stefano - my favourite in Bologna. We take an aperitivo at the bar in this piazza.

Tsé and Longchamp

A quick update on our Longchamp excursion.
Well, our day at the races is over - what we lost in cash we made up for in calories at the generous brunch at Tse in the porte d'Auteuil in the 16th arrondisement.
We met our friends at noon at Tse and, for 20 euro a head, we had way too many carbs and saturated fat - but alot of fun - in a very cool restaurant designed by Jonathan Amat. We walked off the calories (dreamer, I know) through the Bois de Boulogne on our way to the hippodrome.
We didn't back a single winner but a few that placed.
The free area is the place to go if you don't want to be too precious about clothes, shoes and hats. It was very comfortable and surprisingly not crowded. The barriers only ever got about 2 deep. Large screens made watching the progress easy and food, drinks and bookmakers were on standby. Some were dressed up and others - like us - wore 'neat casual' attire.
Compared to some race meetings I've been to, the general atmosphere was very gentil.
A thoroughly recommended day out if you find yourself in Paris when the race is on.