Day nine

Day nine. Sept. 16th

Today was originally supposed to be a free day to do whatever, but we were able to squeeze in an Italian cooking class! We were in a group of about 15, all english speaking this time. We started out with one of the chefs, Andrea (a different Andrea), who led us to this huge marketplace building. A nice girl with blue hair told us all about different balsamic vinegars, olive oils, and seasonings. We tried out each one in a little teaspoon and ended up getting some for ourselves! The market contained all kinds of freshly cut meats, cheeses, produce, and local goodies like Chianti wine and truffles. We met up with our other chef, Giovanni, who took us to the nearby building with the kitchen where the class would be. The first thing we made was tiramisu, allowing time for it to refrigerate. Next was bruscetta, then a full Italian salad with many vegetables, and that sweet balsamic vinegar we tried earlier. Last we made fresh pasta noodles from scratch without any machines, and got the ingredients for a great Tuscan meat sauce. We each got to roll out and cut our own noodles, and took turns simmering the sauce until it was just right. Our meal was so good, maybe the best we've had, but I think it tasted better because we made it. The pasta was fresh and filling, and the tiramisu was rich and creamy. After a small food coma, we headed to the academia del arté to see more Florantine and Renaissance art. But the main reason was to see Michaelangelo's 'David'. It is pretty amazing what he accomplished with a block of marble, and the level of detail and power in the eyes.

After the museum, which didn't take too long, we stopped back by the hotel before grabbing some dinner at Zaza's cafe. We also did laundry that night in a hot public laundrymat, getting in some good angry birds time. We headed to bed early.