I went back to the hostel with a bad taste in my mouth (literally). I talked to a couple of people online to keep myself from passing out. I do not know what is with me these last couple of days! Anyway, I managed to stay awake and decided to look up times for the bus to Siena and am thinking tomorrow might be Pisa day. Anyway, I also looked up top places to eat and picked out a pizza and a gelato place that I wanted to hit up.
I wandered to the spot and found a cute square. I did not like how there were lots of those kids gone homeless because they decided to keep backpacking groups but there was a big one hanging out, with some older people too. Anyway, I headed towards a church and what do you know...it was free! No pictures were allowed but it was very very big and had beautiful vibrant paintings but not so many statues.
I headed to the pizza place and it was closed, what the heck? After looking at one sign then going to a second one, I finally saw that they were closed from 4-7...it was 4. I walked all around and tried to find something to do but I did not want to wander too far away as these streets did not feel as safe to me. Also, the sun was setting, now when I say the sun was setting I mean it was getting lower in the sky but of course I did not want to be stuck or get lost anywhere when the sun was down so I spooked myself into staying in the near area.
I headed to the gelato place and could not find it. I did find the one above which is right next to Ponte Santa Trinita and grabbed a strawberry and peach cone. These flavors were incredible! The strawberry was like sorbet it was so smooth and tasted like the fruit. You could see all the seeds and you knew it was fresh. The peach had little bits of peach in it and was just as good. I wanted them to put the peach on top so that I could taste it more but they did not and so the strawberry overpowered the peach a bit. I did try to eat as much peach as I could before the strawberry began to melt. Anyway, I sat and enjoyed my gelato on Ponte Santa Trinita (a bridge) looking at the famous Ponte Vecchio. It was nice to see the bridge and not be on it for once.
Anyway, I headed back to the church but they were closing and so I hung out on the steps for a bit. Then I walked down the streets and enjoyed looking at all of the paintings and sculptures of the nearby shops through the windows. I made it until seven and waited for some other people to go in first as I was a bit like a stalker outside of the pizzaria.
The name of it is Gusta Pizza and it is right near the Palazzo Pitti, which is where I went to the gardens today. I got a Margarita pizza for 5 euro (the whole pie, not just a slice) and waited for my take away. Let me tell you a bit about this place...it was pretty small and the guy at the register was nice, very Italian; the guy serving up the pizza was pretty funny, Italian, had a spark about him and a slight attitude (which I found amusing). There was Italian music on and he was shaking his hips to it. The guy making the pizzas (for those of you who went to college with me...) looked just like Dane (nuff said).
The guy made a pizza and put it in the wood oven and I saw him stick his finger on the side. It looked like he messed it up and I hoped it was not mine. Although, it kind of looked like it was shaped like a heart... anyway I got my pizza, thanked him and headed off. About one block later I opened my box and it was in the shape of a heart. It was really funny and I got some Irishman to take a photo of me with my heart shaped pizza in front of the Ponte Vecchio, classic.
My goal was to wait to eat the pizza at the hostel 1) no sit down fee 2) I would not have to walk home after the sun set 3) I could get a reasonable drink 4) maybe meet some friends. Anyway, I decided the walk would cool of the pizza and I needed to try it hot, so I did, it was SO good! The crust was a bit thicker than good NY/NJ pizza but tasted just as sweet. The cheese and the basil just made it perfect. Some guy stopped me in the street and rambled about something or other, I looked confused, he restated it, still nothing, he asked if I spoke English and voila! He said that a to go box is for home, I must be hungry to eat it before then.
I got to the hostel and enjoyed another slice. I was getting full but could not let it go to waste. I finished the second slice and the pizza was getting cold, I finished the third and I made sure the fourth went down as well. It was a wonderful wonderful food filled day :)
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