PIZZA! PASTA! WINE! BREAD! MORE PIZZA! DID I MENTION PASTA?
No surprise that Italy was full of carbs.
& I loved every second.
Because nothing is more fun than eating pasta & pizza…and walking everywhere. I actually came back 5 pounds lighter. Cool.
Besides carbs, Florence was full of BEAUTY. The vineyards, sights, & architecture was absolutely breathtaking!
Really, I am already dying to go back.
ALSO! We ran into four Skinny Confidential readers which made my life! Running into TSC readers around the world blows my mind…they even called Michael “Susan.” So good, so good.
Straight from Venice we took the train to Florence. It was a whole different vibe but very MUCH welcomed. Michael planned his itinerary down to a T but of course I had to shake it up & give him extreme anxiety. The hotel we stayed at provided us with a list of restaurants………..let’s just say they were all WAY too, eer, hmm, much?
I mean when the waiter tells me they’re known for their quail? It’s just not my thing. YOU KNOW, quail.
So I ask him as nicely as possible while batting my eyelashes & trying to push up my cleavage “what other options are there?”
He tells me “yes, of course- don’t worry!”
…Worried though.
“There’s also deer, frog, & PIGEON.”
::crickets::
Have any of you eaten pigeon?
I feel like pigeon just isn’t my thing. Like, it’s fine if it’s someone else’s thing – but for me… pigeon sounds about as appetizing as POO.
Ended up with the salad with olive oil & vinegar. ROOM SERVICE, PLZ.
Immediately after the pigeon situation, I went STRAIGHT to the lovely concierge & said, “I understand you’re trying to send us to nice places but I would much rather prefer where YOU & your friends go when you’re off work. Give us the real deal, hole in the wall spots!”
He totally got our vibe & totally hooked it up from there on out.
PHEW, no more quail.
Of course we will do a full-blown itinerary for you but I just wanted to showcase some pictures of the trip. Florence is a must-see. Highly recommended.
SO! That’s all.
Need to get some rest because we’re recording TSC Podcast tomorrow with The Nanz. She’s going to be FIRE. Hopefully she’ll provide more relationship tips. I feel like her smothering tip needs to be gold foiled & hung in a thick black lacquer frame in my office.
See you tomorrow! lauryn
How amazing!!! Great timing, I’m heading to Florence on Saturday and cannot wait. Do you mind sharing some of those restaurants he recommended?i love going to places where the locals eat but can never find them so any suggestion would be great. Thank you ?
Sure! E-mail me and we will send a list over babe. x
Florence just looks stunning! I’m with you all the way when it comes to restaurants…don’t recommend one just because it’s fancy or “cool” tell me about the hole in the wall with 2 tables with the best food on the planet.
YES!!! 2 tables gets me too.
Florence is such a stunning town. I’d go back in a heartbeat!
What was your favorite spot in Florence?
xx
I’m still obsessed with those striped pants, you look so fab!
XoXo,
Tamara – LoveofMode.com
They’re by Tularosa! : ) thank you girl
That blue/white pant and white crop combo is to DIE for. Love love love!
Aw thanks Laura! They’re by Tularosa : )
xx
umm pigeon? i wonder where they source it from..the idea of a pigeon off the streets makes me want to throw up.
my husband and i do the same thing when traveling..asking the concierge where THEY eat, not where they recommend we as tourists eat. it rarely steers us wrong!
Isn’t that weird? Maybe I’m prude but I’ve never heard of it! x
Oh my… I ACTUALLY ate pigeon once in Egypt. I figured what the hell, “When in Rome”, right?
Italy though… That was all about pizza for lunch and pasta for dinner. Every. Day.
After experiencing both… Carbs win, every time! Looks like you had an amazing trip!
Oh my god! How was it Jen!?
xx
Ha! Too funny about the pigeon! That is a great travel tip btw to ask the concierge for the REALLLL real. Those hole in the wall joints are just the best. ALWAYS! Back to the pigeon – once my boyfriend, out of nowhere, planned the most random, impromptu date night. It was at some Michelin starred restaurant here in SF that he was able to snag last second resos for. We get there, and it was all very cool…. until the main course: SQUAB {aka apparently the chic way to say baby pigeon} wrapped in truffle. And the dish came out with an alienpigeon claw-talon-like grasping for something – I can’t even make this up…. and safe to say I was NOT a fan. I gave it to my boyfriend (who at the time didn’t know what squab was lol). Who would of thought – PIGEON! that just sounds dirty to me! Pizza > Pigeon always! 😉 x
PS – those purple flowers are soooooo so so pretty!
AGREED! Pizza > Pigeon! LOL.
xx
Ha! Too funny about the pigeon! That is a great travel tip btw to ask the concierge for the REALLLL real. Those hole in the wall joints are just the best. ALWAYS! Back to the pigeon – once my boyfriend, out of nowhere, planned the most random, impromptu date night. It was at some Michelin starred restaurant here in SF that he was able to snag last second resos for. We get there, and it was all very cool…. until the main course: SQUAB {aka apparently the chic way to say baby pigeon} wrapped in truffle. And the dish came out with an alienpigeon claw-talon-like grasping for something – I can’t even make this up…. and safe to say I was NOT a fan. I gave it to my boyfriend (who at the time didn’t know what squab was lol). Who would of thought – PIGEON! that just sounds dirty to me! Pizza > Pigeon always! ? x
PS – those purple flowers are soooooo so so pretty!
Oh my goodness, yum!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Quail are actually really tasty and easy to prepare (saute on the stove top a little bit and then put in the oven). They are a light bite and kind of cute like mini chickens!
Good to know! Does it taste like chicken?
Hello Lauryn,
First of all I have to tell you that Love your blog since i start reading it 3 years ago 🙂 and is kind of funny but it was when I was working at Four Seasons Firenze. I m Swiss (from Geneva) but work 4 years in Italy (Firenze and Milano). I have to admit that i download the app of snapshat just for you are my morning bus delight.
What I like about you it’s your american way of seeing things and your honesty, I really really like it (I never been to america and except tourist I never had chance to meet some). In europa people are not that straight so I will write this comment as honest as you are in your post 🙂
Sorry in advance for the pain in the ass of my comment but keep in mind I really really like your blog.
Now let’s talk about food 😉 you are american?? do you eat only burger peanut butter and fries? I guess no does Italian only eat pasta and pizza???? definitely no I live there for 4 years and you have much more like you do in america.
From what I experience (work, experience ….) and also to defend the concierge if you go to whatever concierge in a 5 stars hotel ( i worked for fours seasons, kempinski and Mandarin) they will automatically send you to a posh restaurant so you have to specify what you want casual family or gastronomy but I m sure that you know.
The suggestion he gave you are more of gastronomy. And yes in Europe we have in our gastronomy stuff like pigeon partridge frog quail …. it s just gastronomy you dont have anything in the plate and you will remain starving after it. oh and it does taste like chicken except that you have small tiny bones……….
I dont really like the part when you wrote that you ask the concierge where he will go, because everything depend on the situation. Italians does also go to gastro restaurant where they sell quail but day to day of course they will go first to a trattoria. The first suggestion from the concierge was just an answer from what he thought you were looking for ( and you were staying at a four seasons) and he was just wrong.
And next time you go to Firenze try the local specialty damn you are in Toscany not in Napoli or Roma where you have to eat pizza but you should have take ribollita or la pappa al pomodoro or la porchetta or any pasta with funghi porcini or pecorino and the most and best ever le bistecca alla fiorentina 🙂
🙂 you are great and i m really looking forward to your next post
have a nice day
you should do packing list.. Im going to Italy for ten days and need to pack light but chic…. HELP!!!!!! Also I would love the towns you visited
I’m working on one right now Heather! Stay tuned : )
xx
Love these pictures, Lauryn! That pizza looks so good!
It was even more delicious than it looks! LOL. Thanks Heidi : )
xx
Quail, pigeon, no. Amazing street panini and all of the best steak Tuscany is know for? Yes!
L’Antico Vinaio for street panini
La Giostra – the dimly lit restaurant owned by Hapsburg princes with the to die for pear ravioli
Family style steak and pasta at Il Latini followed by Perche Non – arguably the best gelato in all of Venice.
Florence is the best!
And I clearly meant best gelato in all of Florence 🙂
Florence was BY FAR my favorite place in Italy. it is so romantic, and beautiful, and magical to walk around in at night. This makes me want to go back so so badly.
Looks like such a great trip! Oh man, pizza and you lost 5 lbs??? That’s a dream!