I went to the Sant’Ambrogio market Tuesday. It is a bit of a hike from the apartment but I found it easily.

Outside of the market are mostly vegetable and clothing stands with one cheese stall and another with a guy selling cured meats and paninis.

Inside were quite a few meat and fish markets. All kinds of meats from beef to pork to rabbit to chickens. There were several kinds of chickens and they look nothing like the ones you get in the states. They leave the heads on so you know what kind you are getting and they don’t have huge plumped up breasts.

Proscuitto, anyone?

I didn’t buy anything since I was going to the other market on Wednesday with a woman and then doing a cooking class with her.

I also found the ‘antique’ market but hardly any of the stalls were open.

Antique/Flea Market

I wandered around the streets again and came across the back side view of the Duomo.

Duomo

The traffic around here is crazy! A lot of streets are closed to traffic but there are still motorcycles and delivery vehicles driving on them. The sidewalks are so narrow that two people can hardly pass on them so you are always stepping into the road to go around. The cars are smaller, of course, but the streets are so narrow that sometimes you feel like you are going to get nailed by a side mirror even when you are on the sidewalk!

Two Seater

I ended up going to a favorite restaurant of the apartment owner, Gabriello’s. I ordered pork chop and spinach. I really wasn’t very impressed at all and it was the first restaurant I have been to that charged a 2€ service charge. The service wasn’t good either, but I guess if they get an automatic ‘tip’ it doesn’t have to be. Tipping is not really done here. The waiters are paid wages that allow them to live. If you tip it is usually just leaving the coin change you get back. The credit card receipts don’t even have a place to add a tip.

Pork Chop

The spinach was supposed to be cooked in olive oil and garlic but I really couldn’t taste the garlic.

I am looking forward to the next 3 days, however. Wednesday and Thursday is visiting markets and cooking class with Francesca di Leonardo. Then Friday I am doing a Food Lovers Walking Tour of Florence.

And look what Courtney has been doing for me at home! Getting the garden ready!

Rototilled Garden