Dinner

People walking by the stores on the Ponte Vecchio

The old cemetery at the church of Santa Maria Novella where many Medicis are buried. We weren't allowed to take photos inside the church which has incredible frescoes by Ghirlandaio

A fruit market we passed walking to Santa Maria Novella

Yesterday Marina Abramovic won an award at the Biennale and relayed her artistic manifesto to the admiring crowd. She is a conceptual artist and filmaker. While she spoke I sat at the free internet computers at the side of the theatre, answering your comments. It was the first time I've been able to get on the two computers available now for 650 artists, and it felt like a conceptual art piece to be answering comments while Abramovic spoke of the importance of supportive artist friends. I am not spending too much time on the blog, and I feel badly when I can't answer your comments. We were coming to the internet place at night before supper, but that meant we were extremely hungry when we went for supper, after walking around all day. So now we're starting the day with the blog, and as I sit here the sun pours in from the little garden behind the computer station store. I thought I'd tell you what I had for dinner last night in the Napaloni, a wonderful restaurant a few blocks from our apartment. By the way everything that matters (almost) is a few blocks from our house. So here's what I had. The server, Elam became our friend the first time we ate there, and she brought us celebratory glasses of prosecco. Then instead of the white house wine I was given a gorgeous Sauvignon Bianco. People don't worry about glass size here, something I noticed in Europe the last time I was here. The wine (both white and red) is served in large, graceful glasses. My salad last night was fresh artichoke, thinly sliced, lightly drizzled with a dressing with a bit of lemon in it, with parmiggiano cheese in wide thin slices covering the artichoke. Then I had zucchini stuffed with a meat filling mixed with cheese, tomato, and mushrooms. (Mushrooms here are like nothing you've ever tasted in North America -- they are beyond delicious). For desert Steven had Tiramisu, (another surprise, completely different than at home) and after I'd eaten half of his Elam brought us a thin slice of the most delicious dark chocolate cake I've ever eaten. That was dinner! We keep saying we'll cook in our apartment, and so far have had exactly one dinner there. Silly us. The Biennale continues to be amazing and inspiring. For those looking for the downside. Okay. I've banged my head so many times in the laundry room just under the roof, low, low ceilings with huge beams, that it is more bump than brain, but even so I am happy. What a hardship our own laundry room with a modern, beautiful Italian washing machine! There I hope that makes you happy. Now it's time for lunch, museums, markets, sitting the show, laughing with friends, and dinner again. A very tough life. I do this for you my dear artist friends. Have a sunny-days-are-beautiful-in-Florence-and- everywhere day