A night out

The day began with a stroll to one of Firenze's oldest flea markets. Although quaint, it was nearly deserted, so I did my usual and meandered the back streets, finding a lovely little shop with gorgeous Italian pottery. Now I just need to figure out how to get it all home! Most of what I bought is quite small, so I imagine it will end up in my carry on. I stopped for a cappuccino near the flea market, and noticed that a young man dressed in chef's garb, was bustling from the restaurant across the street to the cafe with trays of sumptuous pastries. Of course, I tried one. Bellissimoso! When I looked in the window of the larger restaurant, I discovered it was a supper club. Members only. The rules, posted outside, included "Be happy" and "Be open to new people and experiences". My kinda place! A little more research on line and I discovered that the chef who owns and operates the place is renowned, both for his culinary skill and his eccentricities. The after dinner show by his wife, a one woman comedienne act, was also favorably reviewed. Needless to say, I decided to become a member and join the festivities that evening! It would prove to be one of my better decisions! After lunch at the apartment and my daily siesta, I headed to the Boboli gardens. These famous gardens were built for one of the later Medici's wives, to escape the heat of the city. It's associated with (adjacent to) the Pitti palace, really a fortress, built to impress and intimidate! Florence has been experiencing a heat wave, along with high humidity. I strolled the gardens, keeping to the shade, but even so, I was ready to head back after an hour or so. Even though it is so hot, the streets and tourist attractions around Florence have been packed. The gardens weren't too bad, but I was still ready to head into some air conditioning. Back home, I rested, then took a cool shower, leaving myself enough time to walk slowly in the heat to the restaurant. They told me to arrive by 7, and that everyone seats themselves. It sounded like it would be a bit of a scrum, but it ended up being very civilized (read the club rules!). I chose a seat at a small table with two young women traveling to a wedding and a young couple having a last hurrah before settling down and having a family. The wedding guests were from Paris and the young married couple from Georgia. Other guests were from all over, but there were a fair number of Italians too. At Teatro de Sale you bus your own table, and each course is announced fortissimo by chef Picchi himself from his adjacent glass enclosed kitchen. Some courses he would serve you himself, passing the plates to guests in line. Others were placed on a table and served buffet style. Water and red wine was help yourself, or you could order a bottle. I ate and drank my way through 5 courses of fabulous food, including a lovely chicken meatball dish, fish in a very lightly seasoned oil, and homemade gelato. My dinner companions were delightful, and we all agreed the dinner experience alone was worth the price of admission. The entertainment that followed, however, topped the night! Of course, it was all in Italian, but she was so expressive, you could just tell what she was talking about. She mimicked the Italian gestures, and did a hilarious sketch of riding the bus and the various passengers reactions to a typically cute, high heeled young woman squeezing on the already crowded bus. We all laughed till we cried. It was all very Italian and a night I won't soon forget!