Spotted this scene in Florence and had to make a photograph. Not on film, or with a Kodak! 🙂
An Anachronism?
Tag Archives: 2018
Florentine T-Bone aka Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
To paraphrase a T-shirt I saw recently, “Steak is the reason I’m not a vegetarian.” 🙂
One of the “must-do” things for me during our visit to Florence was to have the Florentine T-Bone. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia:
“Bistecca alla fiorentina, or ‘beefsteak Florentine style’, consists of a T-bone traditionally sourced from either the Chianina or Maremmana breeds of cattle. A favorite of Tuscan cuisine, the steak is grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, seasoned with salt, sometimes with black pepper, and olive oil, applied immediately after the meat is retired from the heat. Thickly cut and very large, “Bistecca” are often shared between two or more persons, and traditionally served very rare, sometimes garnished with lemon wedges, if not accompanied by red wine, and accompanied by Tuscan beans as a side dish.”
We told our tour director that we wanted to have dinner at a place that is known for their Bistecca alla fiorentina, and he recommended Ristorante Buca Mario, which was a short walk from our hotel. We went with friends who, while not looking for the B-A (big a$$) steak, were looking for a nice meal with top service and good wine at a locally-owned restaurant.
Mine was fortunately cut for a “single serving” which, as you can see from the photo, would likely feed a family of 4 (except my family, who loves steak!). Italians put olive oil on everything, and mine was served the traditional way with Tuscan beans. Of course we had red wine and finished our meal off with an outstanding tiramisu. It’s not something I will likely get to do again, so I’m glad I did it right when I did it.
Randomness, Happenstance and (Sometimes) Luck
Making a slight diversion from working on and posting about Italy photos….
I first heard the term “stochastic photography” in a post by Ctein on The Online Photographer way back in 2010. It’s sort of a refined version of pointing your camera at something, taking a boatload of pictures and hoping some of them come out in a way that is pleasing or that somehow meet the intention of what you were trying to capture. As in “I’ll know it when I see it.” I don’t always remember to use that technique, although I often recognize situations where it might be appropriate. Sometimes I even have my camera with me. While I don’t generally care to make my photographs “about the technique, ” sometimes the technique helps to define the photographs. Post-visualization perhaps, rather than pre-visualization?
Kathy & I spent 4th of July week out in eastern NC, in New Bern and Belhaven. One morning we stopped at the Bell Island Pier, which is a fishing pier within the Swan Quarter National Wildlife Refuge, near Swan Quarter, NC. It was a beautiful day, with towering cumulus clouds and a deep blue sky. I noticed the reflections of the sky in the water and decided to see what I could get.
Over the course of about 4 minutes I fired off a little more than 100 shots. It’s a little hard to tell which ones are “successful” but I’ve put together a little collection of a few that I liked. The ones that “feel right” to me have a nice balance of light and dark, color and no color, with an interesting pattern. I may decide later on that there are others I like or some that I don’t like, but that’s part of the fun!
Thoughts on our Tauck tour – Venice, Florence & Rome
This is the text from a write-up I did for our travel agent and tour company describing our experiences with the tour we did our first week in Italy.
When Kathy & I decided to visit Italy, we elected to use a tour company primarily due to the logistics involved with driving there and because of the need to tour the major sights with some kind of group in order to avoid spending valuable vacation time waiting in lines. We chose to tour with Tauck on the recommendation of our travel agent because of Tauck’s reputation and expertise in Italy. Our travel agent indicated that Tauck provided a good mix of quality accommodations in good locations, a high level of food and service, with knowledgeable and expert local guides and a good mix of organized activities and flexible time. We found all those things to be very much the case.
From the time we stepped out of baggage claim at the airport in Venice, to the time we joined the line for check-in at the Rome airport, we felt like we were traveling with people and a company that cared for us and looked out for us every step of the way to make sure we had an excellent vacation.
Tour Director
Our Tauck Tour Director was Andrea Orri, an Italy native and obviously a seasoned travel professional. Andrea consistently amazed us with his ability to communicate details, answer countless questions and essentially herd 40 distinct personalities around without even a hint of difficulty. All we had to do was show up at the appointed time and everything just “happened” as promised. His descriptions and explanations were communicated accurately, clearly and with a fantastic sense of humor. We learned a number of “Andrea-isms” that we will remember and use for years!
We don’t have a lot of special needs or unusual requests, but I have an occasional problem with claustrophobia, especially in tight spaces. When we mentioned this to Andrea he very quietly and professionally made sure I had a comfortable location on the bus and in the van. It was great and I never had a problem.
Andrea was always available to answer questions or give input. He freely provided ideas and directions for places to visit and restaurants to go for lunch or dinner. He often would make our reservations and provide directions to the places for us. We know that a lot happened behind the scenes, but what we observed was nothing less than amazing. If Andrea is representative of the quality of people who work for Tauck – and we have no reason to expect otherwise – there is no question that we would make Tauck our first choice for future travel of that type.
Accommodations
We found the hotel accommodations to be outstanding. The hotels themselves are centrally located with good amenities, we could not have asked for better. Our hotel in Venice was literally steps from St. Mark’s Square. In Florence, we were an easy walk from the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo and other sights. We could have used taxis but decided to enjoy the walking. Our hotel in Rome was centrally located, with a number of sights, restaurants and shopping within easy walking distance. Because of the sheer size of Rome, we used buses a lot more there than anywhere else.
Itinerary
We knew going in that this was a “hit the highlights” tour, and that there would be a lot of things we would skim over or simply miss. It’s just not possible to see “all” of the things in any one city in an entire lifetime, but we saw all of the “important” things with ample free time for the things that we wanted to see on our own. In Venice, I wanted to get out early and photograph the canals before the tourists arrived. In Florence we wanted to visit the Galileo Museum, and in Rome we wanted to walk to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We did all of those things and more during the plenty of flexible time we had.
The after-hours visit to the Sistine Chapel was itself worth the price of taking the Tauck tour. To be able to spend 30+ minutes in that space with a group of only 100 people, fully narrated by our guides, was truly a special experience. To my knowledge Tauck is the only company with that kind of access, and knowing how the usual tours are herded through quickly and without any narration, I would not have wanted to do it any other way. To have that amazing visit capped off with a dinner on the grounds of The Vatican, the evening could not have been more special.
Overall, we felt that the pace of the tour was just right. It would have been nice to have more time in the places we visited, but by missing all the lines we actually had more time in each of the places we did visit than most people would have had. The only thing we really weren’t prepared for was the amount of walking we would do, and we thought we had prepared! There were just a lot of things to do and places to see. It was no problem to exceed 10,000 steps per day on a regular basis!
Local Guides
Every tour group has a guide, and most of them are good. But we were especially impressed with the local guides that Tauck used in each city. They weren’t just locals who speak English, but were degreed art professionals who knew and could explain in intricate detail the history and importance of the places and pieces we visited. Being able to learn about those things was an added detail that we hadn’t expected but were happy to have been able to experience.
Logistics
I mentioned earlier that things “just happened.” We never had to wonder about where to go, what to bring or what we were doing. On transfer days our luggage “disappeared” then “reappeared” at our destination. Transportation was always on time, restaurants were always ready for us and things were just right. I can’t imagine a more flawless experience.
Fellow Travelers
Most of our fellow travelers were similar in age and demographics to us – 50’s to 70’s, with a few older and some teen and 20-year old kids and grandkids. It was a group of seasoned travelers with an appreciation for the food, culture and experience. We were surprised at the number of first timers – both to Italy as well as with Tauck. As an introductory tour to both that was understandable.
Value
The perception of value is a very individual thing. Our Tauck tour appeared to be quite expensive, and it was, and many people would question whether it was worth the price. But when we consider all the things that were included, plus all of the advantages we gained in terms of time, access and experience, I personally would not have wanted to give up all of the positives to save a few dollars. I will say that the Tauck tour was an excellent product and that the quality lives up to the promise. Sometimes we pay more than we’d like for the experience we want. The “worth-it” decision is a personal one but one that we feel was appropriate for this vacation.
Other Considerations
While this tour is not billed as “all-inclusive” it does include a lot. But it is important to be aware of and understand the cost of things that are not included. All of that free time and meals “on your own” come with a cost, and while each traveler has a certain amount of control over their spending, these are not inexpensive cities and everyone should plan, and budget, accordingly. And that doesn’t take into account the SHOPPING!
It is possible to do A LOT of walking, with a lot of steps, bridges and cobblestone streets. Be sure you know what you are getting into before you book.
In summary, we had a fantastic week and look forward to an opportunity to tour with Tauck again!
Over And Out
Kathy & I finished up and walked away from work this past Friday. After 40 years – banking for me and accounting for her – we decided that our time was more valuable than making more money and that we were ready to move on.
I keep waiting for that “OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE?” moment, but so far I’m amazed at how right it feels. Of course we’ve just come off what would ordinarily have been a 3-day weekend, so maybe it will seem more “real” today. But then we leave for Italy in just 4 days so there won’t be a lot of time to sit around and think about it. Perhaps when we return home.
Living The So-Called Dream
There was a recent post on The Online Photographer titled “How to be a Professional Photographer” where Mike Johnston commented about how difficult it was to make a living as a professional photographer. There were a number of comments both in support of his post as well as lamenting the difficulty of the profession. There were also a few humorous comments.
The joke that I’ve always loved about being a professional photographer goes something like this: An amateur photographer is someone who has a good job so they can buy nice gear and travel to exotic places to take photographs. A professional photographer is someone whose spouse has a good job so they can buy nice gear and travel to exotic places to take photographs. Somehow that’s never worked for me – I couldn’t get the spousal support I needed to pursue my passion. I’m kidding, of course!
Kirk Tuck chimed into the conversation with a thoughtful comment and a post on his own blog. Most of Kirk’s post was his usual well-reasoned commentary. He is a professional photographer with a lot to be proud of. He has seemingly mastered the business side of the business while staying current with technology and changes in the marketplace. His is a voice to pay attention to when it comes to operating a photography studio as a business. The statement that got a little under my skin, however – probably because it is a bit of a sore subject for me – was when he said that “retirement is only for people who didn’t like their careers.”
Of course the publishing world is full of people writing about how everyone should be pursuing their passion/finding their North Star/determining the color of their parachute, etc., and that if they aren’t living their dream they need to (after buying the author’s particular book, of course) set off on their own path of self-discovery and do their own wonderful passion-inducing thing. Wouldn’t that be lovely? In my opinion, very few folks are fortunate enough to even figure out what they are passionate about, let alone have all the skills and (to a certain extent) good luck required to actually make a living from their work. And that assumes they figure out what they are passionate about early enough in their life to actually do something about it!
The rest of us get jobs. Even if it is banking or insurance or hospitality or something that isn’t terribly glamorous, hopefully our jobs provide enough of whatever kind of satisfaction we are looking for, pay enough to cover the rent and save with a little left over to spend on something fun. If we’re really fortunate we are able to keep our jobs long enough to call it a career while saving and investing responsibly so that at some point we can walk away from work and do something – anything – else. Not that our work sucks or that our careers have been a failure, it’s just that instead of “pursuing our passion” we found a good enough job that we were able to do long enough to finally be able to walk away. That’s not failure, it’s a different kind of success!
Retirement is a subject I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about and preparing for. I’ve had a great career and am proud of what I’ve accomplished over 40 years in banking. Even though I haven’t been “pursuing my passion” by someone’s arbitrary standards, I’m very happy with the direction things have taken and am looking forward to being able to explore the world with the person I love without the constraints and distractions of work. And that is something I’m very passionate about!
Last day at work – for both me and Kathy – is May 25! 🙂
A Touch of Spring
Here in the Piedmont of NC spring has been springing for several weeks, and we are almost into early summer. The dogwood have been out for a week and the hardwoods are unfurling their new leaves.
Several weeks ago Kathy & I visited South Mountains State Park for a little hiking and sightseeing. The park is west of Charlotte, about halfway to the “real” mountains, and a slightly higher elevation, so spring was a couple of weeks behind us here.
One thing I love about spring is looking through the woods and seeing just the hint of green. I think that “Spring Green” is a shade of color unique to new growth leaves, and to me it speaks as much about the seasons as the fall colors do about fall. Coupled with redbud and the occasional other early bloomers, they make for a hopeful sight after the gray of winter.
These photos won’t do much to show off my nature photography skills, but they do a reasonable job of showing the spring that we saw as we explored the park.
Galley Tour on Celebrity Summit
Another highlight of our recent cruise and part of our chef tour was a tour of the galley. We have done galley tours before on numerous cruises, but ordinarily they are held in the morning, and the most exciting thing you see is someone making gravy! For this tour we were taken through the galley during dinner service, and it was quite an experience!
It’s been a long time since I worked in any kind of restaurant environment, and I’m not sure I actually qualify to say that I worked in any kind of restaurant! But the things we found most impressive were how clean and organized things were, and how friendly everyone was, especially while they were busy. I took a lot of photos on this tour, and these are just a few, to give you a “taste” of the experience!
Chef Tour in Nassau
In my earlier post about the Conch Guy I mentioned that we had taken a tour in Nassau with one of the chefs from our ship. In addition to the fish market, we visited a roadside vegetable stand, a couple of guys cutting up coconuts for juice and meat, as well as a distillery. Here are a few more photos from that trip.
Our guide was Chef Stephen from Jamaica, and he explained a lot about the different things we saw and how they were used in island cooking. While we or the chef weren’t permitted to bring anything back to the ship due to health regulations and ship policy, Stephen used many of these same ingredients and themes when preparing the meal that we had back on the ship that evening.
In a separate post I’ll share photos from our galley tour. But unfortunately I was too busy enjoying the food to take any photos at dinner!
The Conch Guy
One of the ports on our recent cruise was Nassau, in the Bahamas. We did a shore excursion there that involved touring some of the island’s fish and produce markets with one of the chefs from the ship. One of the stops on our tour was at a roadside fish market where fishermen brought in their fresh catch. Coolers after coolers with fish of all types – including snapper, grouper, mahi and lobster.
Also at this stop was a tent where a man was shelling conch for conch salad. If you aren’t familiar, a conch is a sea creature that grows in those beautiful pink shells that everyone likes to collect. He used an ax to punch a hole in the shell in just the right spot, then dug the conch out of the shell with a knife. The conch was then chopped up, marinated and mixed with veggies for a salad. Delicious!
Watching the conch man work the shells was as interesting as eating the conch. Kathy asked him if he ever cut himself. He just smiled and said, “sometime, mon, but not in a long time!”
