And so to home... Thanks for reading...

Thanks for all the messages of interest. We're glad you stopped by or followed along. It's been such a fun trip. I'll have some housecleaning posts to end the trip, some basic top 10 stuff, but that's mostly for the archives. Let me give you a quick rundown on what we saw in New York.

Last night Warren and I went to see The Little Dog Laughed, which has just moved to Broadway. (Ira decided to take a break and rest up for the return trip home.) It's broadly hilarious and definitely the play belongs to Julie White, whom you might remember as the predatory funeral home executive Mitzi from "Six Feet Under." She makes the play with her Mephistophelian Hollywood agent.

The night before it was Sondheim's "Company," a musical about a guy whose friends are all married and who's contemplating the big step himself. I thought the material was dated, but the production was top notch, with a tremendously sharp cast and the terrific production of John Doyle. He's the one who reimagined "Sweeney Todd" two years ago that we also saw and loved. Basically, his schtick is to play with a stripped-down stage and then give the singers instruments to play. This gets the stage closer to the audience, since there's no need for an orchestra pit. Plus, it gets rid of a lot of useless posturing by the actors. They have their hands full with acting, singing, and lugging around and playing a tuba! Of course, it doesn't work without an insanely talented cast. Luckily, this is New York!

Talk to all of you soon when we get home! Happy holidays to come. And we look forward to hearing about your vacations.

Across the Wild East River...

Made the leap into full hipsterdom by meeting Brad in Williamsburg, he and Joe's temporary HQ. Their railroad flat had all the initial charm of a Polish laundry, but inside it looks like home.

We saw some of the sights on a stroll around the neighborhood, pausing at the East River to admire the soon to be luxury-condo views. There were two examples of site-specific art there. One was the sidewall of a tire surrounded by a nimbus of discarded and sodden work gloves. Given the rampant construction going on, it was poignant and fitting.

Next to that was a small chainlink fence with plastic bags attached to the face, mostly the small types but with a few large trash bags. The breeze coming off the river made them swell and fill, kinda looking like the "East River whitefish" you might find just at the shoreline. Again, evocative of time and place. What more do you want in art?

Of course, I could have taken photos, but I've freed myself of the chains of my camera for the rest of the vacation.

We had lunch at a marvelous little cafe, whose name I will fill in when I nag Brad to go back. St. Helen Cafe! Its walls and ceiling are covered with pressed tin. The main attraction were the paired axes on the window. Nothing says fine dining like weaponry. Our waitress was charming and helpful, even when we skeptically asked to see the menu before committing ourselves. I had baked eggs with parmesan and red pepper, which was just about perfect. My cranberry and orange tea completed a perfect small meal on a cloudy day.

Hopefully I'll get to come back in the spring.

Last night we saw Voyage the first part of Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" trilogy of plays. Thoroughly dramatic opening, with a stunning special effect of waves crashing on the stage got me to sit up in my seat. It was long and wordy, no surprise for Stoppard, but I was mesmerized. It helps to have read some Turgenev, to understand how modern ideas of the self came to Russia really at just the wrong time. To our eyes and ears, the Russians seem almost laughably naive, but they were struggling against a thousand years of groupthink, and needed time to adjust to seeing themselves as individuals in a modern setting. I hope to get back to see parts two and three next year.

Tonight it's off to see the new David Hare play, "The Vertical Hour." Review to come tomorrow.

Arrivederci Roma and Hello US of A...

I've slacked a bit on the blog... and the trip. Yesterday was relatively lazy. I took some pictures, but you won't see 'em here till New York. We wandered around, looked at some churches, strolled across the Tiber.

Dinner was even a repeat. We went to our favorite place in Rome, Pancrazio, and ate almost exactly the same meal we had before. I substituted the Caprese salad (tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella di bufala cheese) because their bufala blew me away two years back. It's so good I'm thinking of stabling a bufala in the garage in S.F.

Travel day today. Through Heathrow. Should be fun. Manhattan tonight. More later.

Convivial Dining and the Appian Way...

First the food. Last night we had a white-tablecloth fine eatin' experience at Il Convivio Troiani.

First, the wine we chose was excellent. Ira picked an Ischian red because of a good summer he spent on that island decades ago, and it was a triumph of nostalgia, a 2000 Ischian rosso Casa d'Ambra, dedicato a Mario d'Ambra. Deep without being too strong for the fish and fowl we were to eat, it was tasty from beginning to end.

The waiter gave us an amuse-bouche of deep-fried mullet and artichokes, spicy and subtle at the same time, just a tiny portion to get us started. We then both ordered the same appetizer, mozzarella cheese layered with fried zucchini flowers. It was on a bed of anchovy paste, which really set off the blandness of the cheese. I'm going to add anchovies to the Caprese salad next and see if that works. Oh, and they gave us a sweet red-pepper sorbetto after that dish to reinvigorate the palate. It worked! I loved the slight hint of hotness and the slightly bolder but still light sweetness of the dish.

For our first real course, I had the mezze pasta, which is like a short, thick tube. The filling was quail and chicken and porcini mushrooms and it just got richer. The taste seemed to develop the more that I ate.

We split the last dish, a partridge cooked in citron sauce and then placed over a red wine sauce. It was the red wine sauce that added a delicious complexity to the game bird, but once again, the wild fowl was tasty. So far this trip I've eaten pigeon and guinea fowl, now partridge. A good year for the hunters.

OK, just quickly on to the art and culture. The picture you see at the top is of the Appian Way. We had a driver take us out there and the effect of someone's leaf fire was outstanding. You can still see the ruts in the ancient cobbles. The other photo was taken at night, of the Pantheon--certainly my favorite building in Rome.

In the morning we'd visited the Galleria Borghese, which is stuffed with statues from Bernini and a legendary Canova. You notice so many details you can't get from a picture when you can circle around a statue!

I've talked enough and I haven't even mentioned Rosetta, another fine meal that is literally two minutes from our hotel. The waiters were a bit too frenetic but the seafood is top notch. We ordered the special seafood appetizer, which is actually about 8 separate dishes. I'll leave it to your imagination, but imagine plate after plate of tender, succulent, often raw seafood, each tastier than the last. By the time we got to the main meal, it was really an afterthought, though I did get the scallops covered in bottarga. Delicioso!

Street Art and an Invitation to the French Embassy...

We're staying at the Piazza della Rotunda and so we go into the Pantheon when we leave the hotel and when we return. Here's the view from tonight. You can't really tell, but the sky was a lovely shade.

Our first trip was the Ciesa Saint-Louis, one of the French churches in town. It houses the Contarelli Chapel, with its lovely Caravaggio paintings. I've included a picture I took, but it might be more helpful to click on the link and see what Wikipedia has.

Our next trip was to the Piazza del Popolo for more incredible art in churches. (All the museums are closed on Mondays.) The first painting was a Nativity by Pinturicchio. It's not on anyone's must-do list, but it was so lovely. Packed with incident but with a calmness that kept drawing me back.

On the stroll back to the hotel, we ran into some terrific street art placed on the pillars surrounding the tomb of Augustus. I took pictures of all 33, but you'll have to wait for the wholeness of it. Here's a shot of the artist. He gave me one of his art works since I expressed an interest.

After lunch, we had an invitation to the Palazzo Farnese. OK, not an invitation, but we reserved a tour of the art. The building is gorgeous. You can tell why the French snapped it up for their embassy. (Hence the difficulty in getting in.) The best sculpture is huge, called the Farnese Hercules. It's almost grotesquely muscled, but somehow the sculptor makes it work. You're left with an impression of power in repose, as Hercules is deep in thought.

Our tour guide was charming. She was French but gave the tour in Italian. She struggled over some of the architectural terms, but there was plenty of help, which made her blush each time. Terrific tour, even if we didn't get an invitation from the ambassador!

OK, one note about food. We dined sumptuously last night at a place recommended by the Michelin. There's a reason this guide is so popular, as we found all three courses we had delectable.

Da Pancrazio has two dining rooms, one under Pompey's theater with an impressive classic barrel vault. We'd eaten there two years ago so we opted for the more modern 18th century room this time. Our food was exquisite. Ira had the prosciutto melone, followed by the spaghetti all bottarge, which is a salty fish roe that you will have this winter as we bought some to take home. For the final course, he had the vitello tonnato, solid as usual. I started with the prosciutto di cervo (deer) that was rich and spicy. I followed with the ravioli carciofi, which may have been one of my favorite dishes of the trip. I'll be eating a lot more artichokes this year!

My last course was a fritto misto of calamari and shrimp, which was terrific. Not as good as al Covo in Venice, but so crunchy and light you almost forget it's deep-fried. We will try to go back, it was that good.

Tonight we go to a fancy place, so stay tuned for that meal.

Roma, Roma, Roma and an Evening to Remember at Osteria Centopoveri...

We had a quick trip here on the train, going through some lovely farm country. The Senato is every bit as wonderful as we remembered. We didn't get the room with the balcony this time, but we still have a lovely view of the piazza and the Pantheon.

We arrived at 2 p.m., so just went for a quick stroll to the Ara Pacis, Altar of Peace. I believe it was Augustus Caesar who built it orignally. Mussolini moved it to its current location near the Tiber. This year, Richard Meier enclosed it in a rather gorgeous modern building. We read a scathing review of it in the Times, but we both liked it and thought it respected both the altar and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Hopefully we'll be able to find dinner tonight, as there isn't much open Sunday night in Roma... much that is good, of course.

Last night's send-off dinner in Firenze was an evening to remember at Osteria Centopoveri. We went out with Don, Alexa, and two friends of theirs, Amanda and Cheryl, who both work for a foundation run by an eccentric Italian count. I don't have his name at the moment, but he sounds really exotic. At first I thought Amanda--in her clipped British accent-- was talking about the "accountant," but then it became clear it was Count.

He's apparently quite rich. They all described the amazing features of his house in Rome. Apparently, when you drive into his driveway, a section of the cobbled drive sinks below ground where the garage is. The pool is covered with a glass grid that you can raise to walk on or lower to make the pool any depth. There were lots of stories, but I have to get out of here.

Let me just say one or two things about the meal. I ordered the deer for my main course and it was the best game I've ever had, rich and succulent. It was the chef's selection and my was it a good one. Unfortunately, the family is moving to Australia, Melbourne I think, so the place is closing in a month or two. If you live in Melbourne, let me know and I'll hook you up with amazing Italian food.

Alluvione and Art...

Today is the 40th anniversary of the flood that devastated Firenze. Today we saw a parade of rescue vehicles from the period, including jeeps, helicopters, amphibious vehicles. All this and people in period costume made the Piazza Signoria a festive place. Last night was more somber, with slides and video of the flood and its aftermath projected on the walls of the Loggia dei Lanzi.

We started the morning at the glorious Brancacci Chapel in the Santa Maria del Carmine church. We got there before it opened because typically you have to reserve a viewing. Luckily, we got in right away to view the frescoes by Masaccio. Besides their revolutionary depiction of everyday Florentines in religious art, they are rare because Masaccio died young at 27.

We saw another terrific Masaccio at the Santa Maria Novella church, a somewhat tamely composed Crucifixion, but with a few stupendous touches. First, he paints God the Father behind the crucified Christ, supporting his arms. Next, he puts the subject inside a renaissance arch, complete with precise diminishing perspective. And I'm not sure if this is due to fading or whether this was intended, but the arch is painted with a bright pink that completely dominates the painting, making it look like no other. The church also includes a termendously preserved and restored fresco cycle by Ghirlandaio, and my favorite, a chapel done by Filippino Lippi, which looks almost pre-Raphaelite in its modernity.

Sorry for all the art talk, but when confronted with such work, it's all I can think about. Even the food pales. Travel day tomorrow, then we'll be in Rome!

Locals Only...

This picture's crap, but it's a small indication of how beautiful the moon was as I walked over the Arno a few minutes ago.

Today we took a break from the traveler routine and hung out with Don while Alexa's in Milan. We took 35 pounds of books to the Mailboxes Etc. that is just around the corner from Via Porcellana and shipped 'em home. Yes, we are freaks. We got the special "Lucy" rate because Don brought in their dream of a dog, Lucy. To tell you how great Lucy is, even Ira likes her. Yes, that's right, even notorious animal hater Ira likes Lucy.

Then we went off to the market to shop for tonight's meal. Alexa's back from her work trip with a few colleagues, and Don's going to cook up a storm. Here's a picture of Ira and Don discussing the fruit. We ended up with four pears to go with the cheese and a lot of Sicilian bitter oranges that have to be eaten to be believed. We're going to be eating Guinea fowl stuffed with sausage and black cabbage. The real point of the meal is going to be the white truffles we brought back from the truffle shack. Don has stored them in rice, which he's going to turn into risotto. Yes, I hate us too!

And I haven't even breathed a word about our meal last night at Sostanza. Don arranged everything, of course, or we couldn't have pierced the bead curtain during the tourist rush hour. Not only did we get the end of a table, we got treated magnificently. There was banter. Don called the food horrendous, then the owner put a finger to his lips and said, "Shhh... it's going great here, don't let anyone know."

We started with the fennel sausage, which is just in from the butcher's so it's tender and moist. Then I had the tortellini al sugo, which is just a simple pasta in a simple meat sauce. It somehow manages to be a complete experience, however. Then I had the Petti di pollo al burro, which is the Florentine way of saying, chicken breasts in butter. Oh, but it tastes so much more like petti di pollo al burro, with an absolute apogee of flavor just in that simple a dish.

Since we were with Don, I got a metal dish with all the pan scrapings. The poor lady next to me got the same order on a simple plate, sans scrapings. You could tell she was wondering why I got special treatment. The answer is: I know people in low places. Luckily, it's still delicious no matter how it's served. Dessert was the wild strawberries in lemon. Ira had the meringue, which is delivered every morning by an old guy on a bicycle. I know this because we ran into the guy on the way to the market this morning, and he and Don had a chat.

Beccofino and a Tour of Tuscan Gardens...

We had another special meal last night, this time at Beccofino, a restaurant where a friend of Don and Alexa's--Robby Pepin--is the chef. Because of the relationship, our experience was a bit out of the ordinary. Robby sent out a porcini mushroom tossed with fresh walnuts and arugula. A perfect way to start the meal. Robby's a Scots/Italian, speaks with a heavy brogue. He chose the wine for us all meal and I neglected to write them down, but we went from a light to a heavy red that both went down like velvet.

My first was a gnocchi con funghi that may have been better than the gnocchi at al Covo in Venice. Both were so delicately cooked you could forget how basically bad it usually is. The secret is to be daring enough to cook it lightly, until it's just a solid. (Of course you have to hand-make the pasta in the first place!) Already, two courses in, and I was sold on the Scottish guy.

Next the chef sent out a tortelli di zucca (pumpkin) with parmigian that was appropriate for the season. Of course it was also delicately cooked and went down in grateful bites.

My main course was a rabbit, cooked in chianti with sweet mushrooms and black olives. I took a chance here because I'd just had rabbit for lunch. That chance paid off, as it was the sweetest, juiciest rabbit I've ever eaten. The cook told us the secret. Cook it at a low heat. (Just like the way I do chicken at Sonoma, but with a better meat, more attention, and genius.)

I drank too much, but luckily it was later in the meal. The chef seemed disappointed no one wanted an after-dinner drink, so I obliged with a whiskey.

This meal was one for the record books. Thank you Don and Alexa!

OK, on to today's tour. Alexa recommended a tour guide, Alessandro Tombelli, who used to be the gardener at i Tatti. He arranged for us to visit Villa Medici, La Balze, and the Villa Reale in nearby Castello.

The views from the Villa Medici are the best. We had a clear day, and if this damn connection ever decides to post a picture again, you can see them. We met the owner of the Villa on our way in. She was jetting off on a Vespa. (She's old, so it was pretty damn funny.)

Speaking of damn funny. When we got the rental car for the day, I slid behind the seat and had a moment of sheer panic. MANUAL. JEEZUS KEERIST! I had to drive through Firenze traffic and then on the narrowest, windiest, most impossible two-direction roads ever. There were some close escapes, but we are fine... including the car.

The highlight of the garden tour was meeting the head gardener at Villa Real, Paolo. They were in the process of moving all the potted lemon trees into the Limonaia. We watched them winching in some of the smaller ones. (The tallest was over ten feet high.) Paolo took us on a tour of some of the rarer varieties, and explained how they have the largest collection in Europe. He helped establish a Museum of Citrus north of the city in collaboration with Oscar Tintori. It was fascinating to watch the gardeners in action and to see just how many lemon trees they have to move twice a year. It takes about a month to load 'em all in.

Don and Alexa and... Sostanza

The heart of Firenze will always be via Porcellana for us because our friends Don and Alexa live there. We dropped by last night for some wine and entertaining chat. Our visit lasted too long, but that's because we were having so much fun. Even their dog, Lucy, is a treasure. When I say that even Ira likes her, you know that's a good dog!

The secondary reason for our love of Porcellana is our favorite restaurant, just down the street. OK, you shouldn't go there. The food is bad. I'm just making up these lies because I'm on the payroll. Unless we're not in Firenze. Then you should go.

They make the usual "thing on a plate," Tuscan style. It's perfect because you're not overloaded with food, just one or two pure dishes, made with great care and attention. I had the artichoke omelet, which doesn't convey the gentle swirl of egg that nestles the tangy and slightly crunchy artichoke within. Ira had the boiled beef, again, a translation that doesn't convey at all a tender cut of beef, well chosen for its flavor, accompanied by a salsa verde sauce that complements the flat taste of the beef perfectly.

I'll go on more about Sostanza later, but don't go there until we leave Firenze!

Holiday in Firenze...

I'm not sure what holiday it is here--Tous Saints perhaps--but most everything is shut down, except for all the tourist stuff, to be sure. We had plenty of fun, though pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

In the morning we strolled through the Pitti Palace. They had a special show on the court art of the Fierenze nobility from the 17th and 18th centuries. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but the craftsmanship turned out to be absorbing. There was this elaborate medicine chest that was meant as a gift. The bottles all had embroidered tops, along with the trays they were on. These trays then went into an ornate wooden box, which was shipped in a tooled leather case. Not even the elegant stores near our hotel can match that fine work.

The best painting we saw was a Giorgione. The "Three Ages of Man," which was a wonderful composition, lights its three faces delicately. There was also a brilliant Caravaggio, a sleeping Cupid. There are better works of his in the Uffizi, but we're not planning any waiting-in-line trips this visit.

Lunch was a quick visit to a terrific place just near our hotel, Le Antiche Carrozze. They're warm and welcoming. We've come in at the last moment twice now and each time they were unhurried. It was the first time this trip that I've had really good spaghetti carbonara. They make it with the egg yolk only, which makes all the difference, a much richer dish. Then I had the rabbit, which for the fourth or fifth time this trip was wonderfully satisfying. Relax chickens of the world! I'm leaving you for rabbit.

Garden tour tomorrow. Let's hope the weather holds up!