BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 6

 

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

We rewarded for breaking our return visit rule.

Owner David Gardner himself happened to be in the house and the wait staff pointed us out as repeat visitors during our all too brief stay in Florence.

He was very concerned about wheelchair access and made sure that we knew one water closet was 100% barrier-free (we did, having used it a week before on our initial visit.)

Gardner chatted us up between fielding phone calls and quizzing his staff how breakfast went at his adjacent Cafe Baldobar -- which is one of prettiest and tastiest breakfast options in all of St. Croce.

Before bidding us goodbye, Gardner mentioned that his Villa Bordoni has wheelchair access.

Villa Bordoni is a small hotel, lauded by Travel and Leisure, in Greve -- a tiny town in the heart of the Chianti region know for famed Italian red wines.

Greve is halfway between Florence and Siena (a hauntingly beautiful and history hill town about an hour south of Firenze)

Villa Bordoni has a restaurant and cooking classes as well as barrier-free access.

Baldovino address: Via San Giuseppe 22r, next to Santa Croce Basilica
 

Phone: 055 241773
 

Website: www.baldovino.com

Website for small hotel in Greve:  www.villabordoni.com

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 5

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

Baldovino has wheelchair-accessible seating outdoors and a barrier-free entrance to its lovely indoor dining. 

The restroom is one of the most accessible in Florence.

We can report that on our last day in Firenze, we broke our own rule about patronizing the same place twice -- when there are so many fresh options to sample.

We went light.

Heidi noshed on a salad Toscana with mixed leaves, pecorino cheese, pear, celery, walnuts.

I went veg again with the fab Giardiniera pizza of fresh tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives in onions.

The red peppers really put it over the top, as I downed the whole pie, save for a small slice shared with my bridge.

I begged to disrupt the natural harmony of the Giardiniera pizza, asking them to hold the onions.

Two visits and two perfectly-prepared meals at Baldovino.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 26

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 4

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

The house red was the perfect accompaniment to both my meatless pizza and Heidi's hearty Papardelle with boar ragout.

Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get better, our flawless waiter asked if I would like to try some hot olive oil.

I like it hot and he delivered a succulent olive oil spiked with dried, crushed red peppers.

The fiery (but not damaging) oil was the perfect thing to dip my pizza crust in (whether that was breaking any Tuscan dining rules or not).

We didn't have room for more, but our brilliant server tempted us with word that Baldovino takes great pride in its baked goods.

Soon, we were sharing torta a ciccoloto con panna  -- chocolate torte with panna cotta (cooked cream).

Since Baldovino has an extensive wine list, we let are sharp server suggest an excellent  dessert wine to end our main courses and east our way into the delish chocolate.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 26

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 3

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

Hoummus Toscana -- cannellini, sesame and garlic dip served with Arab bread from Baldovino's wood oven  -- started ear evening out perfectly.

Heidi, wanting to sample Tuscany's famed game meat, went for Papardelle with homemade wild boar ragout, scented with juniper.

Certainly, boar tastes a bit wilder than beef, but the dish was an outstanding main course for a hungry traveler.

While Baldovino's menu has expanded far beyond pizza, I couldn't resist choosing from the dozens of fresh and inventive creations on the menu.

I settled on the Siciliana -- with mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, olives and melted parmesan.

The pizza was big enough to share, but I gorged on the whole thing down to the last bit of crust. 

The moz was brilliant and fresh.

The sundrieds were sweet, fruity, zesty.

The black olives earthy, briny taste were a perfect contrast to the sundried tomatoes.

Fearing too much of a good thing, I almost asked our outstanding and attentive server to hold off on the crispy melted parmesan on top of the pizza.

Too much cheese can sink an otherwise perfect pizza.

The parm was perfect -- divinely crispy and salty to play off the mild mozzarella.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 24

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 2

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

You can still sit outside at a lovely sidewalk cafe setting (the interior of Baldovino is even more beautiful), you just won't have a full view of Piazza Santa Croce. 

For that small trade, you will pay unbelievably low prices for amazingly authentic and straightforward Italian bistro cuisine.

Monolingual English speakers will also be rewarded by Baldovino's attentive and well-trained servers, who speak flawless English.  

That should come as no surprise as their boss, David Gardner, is a longtime expat from Scotland.

Gardner first molded Baldovino into a pizza and wine joint and the pizzas are still spectacular.

But over the years, he has expanded the menu to include Tuscan treats throughout -- whether it is a fresh salad made with ingredients from the countryside, pasta with local wild boar or a unique hummus made of Tuscan beans.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 22

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 1

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

The best advice I could ever give to a person seeking good food and a good price in Florence is to walk a beat off the beaten track.

There may be a couple good chefs still practicing within a perfect view of the Uffizi, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, or grand Piazza.

But far too many have gone the pre-fixed tourist menu, with barkers shamelessly luring weary visitors into a land of rotgut red wines and microwaved pasta.

You don't have to go far. 

Just a long block off the main piazza will do the trick.

Do a little research before the trip.

Look up Trip Advisor, Virtual Tourist, Frommer's, Lonely Planet and Zagat online.

You will be rewarded with a finding a gem such as David Gardner's Baldovino Trattoria & Pizzeria. 

It's located on a narrow street about 100 meters from the front of the art- and history-filled Basilica Santa Croce.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 22

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 10

SILVIA NESTI, MAKER OF FINE JEWELRY 

Silvia Nesti has a fabulous little ateller on the ground floor of an ancient building on Via Dei Velluti, just east of Via Toscanella in the Oltrarno.

A stone's throw from the famed goldsmiths, silver smiths and jewelers of the Ponte Vecchio, her stunning creations are 100 times more interesting and a fraction of a cost of the old bridge's shops.

She is interested in folded jewelery -- a kind of Florentine origami -- and sells handmade pieces for as low as 40 euro.

Nesti has exhibited her jewellery in Italy, at Inhorgenta; in Munich, Germany and in Aura2007 at Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire. 

She completed her Jewellery education at Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School in Florence, Italy in 2005.

"At the moment I am developing my personal research in contemporary jewellery, working with materials like silver, gold, precious stones, and Japanese paper for Origami.

My research is based on the concept of folding, using a very important quality of metal, flexibility," she notes on her website.

Nesti, who designs and makes her own jewels, was awarded a recognized diploma as a goldsmith.

She also practices with soft and hard wax and enamelling.

Nesti attended a metal-forging workshop with Giovanni Corvaja, a renowned Italian goldsmith.

To see Silvia Nesti's latest collection, visit her website at:

www.silvianesti.com

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 9

GIAMPIERO M. GALLO & THE FLORENTINE

When we were in Florence, we had the great pleasure of meeting Giampiero Gallo inside the historic Palazzo Vecchio.

Palazzo Vecchio has been the home of Florentine government for centuries and it also has priceless art treasures displayed throughout.

Mr. Gallo welcomed us to the city as a consigliere of the comunale -- basically, an elected city council member.

He is part of forward-thinking Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi's majority party, Gruppo Consiliare Partito Democratico.

We noticed that our new friend Giampiero was wearing a pin shaped like a bicycle.

It sparked a long conversation about walkability, bikeability and our favorite -- wheelchair accessibility.

A brilliant professor of economics, he speaks flawless English and understands that urban areas depend on being able to move people around without being car-dependent.

We found a great interview with him in The Florentine, the online site of the great English language newspaper of Firenze.

The article is here:

http://www.theflorentine.net/articles/article-view.asp?issuetocId=7522

Gallo's academic website is here:

http://unifi.academia.edu/GiampieroMGallo

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 8

PALAZZO MEDICI RICCARDI -- FIRENZE

In the words of its operators:

Medici Riccardi Palace is one the most important monuments in Florence, a prototype of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. 

Medici Riccardi Palace hosts temporary exhibitions and experimental virtual environment for museums and galleries.

As an added bonus, courtesy of PBS's outstanding Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance series, here is a reading list of excellent books about Florence, the Medici and the Renaissance period:

• April Blood - Florence and the Plot against the Medici - Lauro Martines
• Brunelleschi's Dome - Ross King
• Catherine de'Medici - Leonie Frieda
• Cosimo de'Medici and the Florentine Renaissance - Dale Kent
• Dynasty and Destiny in Medici Art - Janet Cox Rearick
• Florence and the Medici - J.R Hale
• Florentine politics 1502 - 1515 - Humfrey Butters
• Galileo - Courtier - Mario Biagioli
• Galileo's Daughter - Dava Sobel
• Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling - Ross King
• Patronage - Art and Society in Renaissance Italy - F.W. Kent
• The French wars of Religion - R. J. Knecht
• The Last of the Medici - Harold Acton
• The Lives of the Artists - Giorgio Vasari
• The Pope's Elephant - Silvio Bedini
• The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli
• The Renaissance Bazaar - Jerry Brotton
• The Rise and Decline of the Medici Bank - Raymond de Roover
• The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici - Christopher Hibbert
• The Rise of the Medici - Faction in Florence 1426-1434 - Dale Kent

 http://www.palazzo-medici.it

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 7

THE MEDICI ARCHIVE PROJECT

In the website's own words:

Since its foundation in the early 1990s, the Medici Archive Project (MAP) has been innovating new strategies for research in the Humanities. 

During the early stages of its existence, MAP’s mission was to merge archival research with technological innovations for data management. 

A pioneering group of scholars began to catalog in a rudimentary electronic database the letters of one of the most exhaustive and complete courtly archives of early modern Europe: the Medici Granducal Archival Collection (Mediceo del Principato).

This archival collection ― comprising over four-million letters distributed in 6,429 volumes and occupying a mile of shelf space ― covers a chronological span of two hundred years, from 1537 to 1743. 

It documents the political, diplomatic, gastronomic, economic, artistic, scientific, military and medical culture of early modern Tuscany and Europe.

http://www.medici.org/

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 6

MUSEO GALILEO

Formerly the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, this museum rightfully honors the name of one of Florence's most enlightened mind.

We all remember from school that Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution.

The Medicis not only were patrons to the great artists of Florence.

They also sponsored a great many scientists seeking enlightenment.

Galileo perfected the telescope and greatly advanced the study of gravity and buoyancy under the wing of the Medici.

Unfortunately, he was so enlightened, that he figured out that the earth revolved around the sun, not vice versa.

This ran afoul of the Catholic Church and he was silenced by the Roman Inquisition.

The Medicis could have gone out on a limb to protect him, but they needed the support of the Vatican to maintain their vast wealth -- so the great Galileo died a broken and silenced man.

Much of his works, along with collections of the Medici, are on display at his museum.

Located on the bank of the River Arno in the 11th century Palazzo Castellani, the Galileo museum is wheelchair-accessible.

http://www.museogalileo.it/en/index.html

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 5

TOSCANA PROMOZIONE -- PROMOTING TUSCANY

You could spend a month in the City Center of Florence and never tire of visiting endless museums, cathedrals, restaurants, plazas, shops, neighborhoods and more.

But Tuscany is so much more than the City of Florence.

The great walled city of Lucca -- Tuscany.

The great medieval town of Sienna -- Tuscany.

Maybe you've heard of the great hill town of Arezzo?, the seaside splendor of Via Reggio?, or a town with a faulty tower by the name of Pisa?

All of these and hundreds of other fabulous countryside villages are in Tuscany.

Toscana Promozione can help you find out where to stay, how to locate an authentic winery, where to eat with the locals and whether your perfect spot under the Tuscan sun can be reached by train or bus -- so you can leave the driving to someone else.

The organization also promotes Tuscany beyond tourism.

It can help you take the first step toward opening a business or buying a home in the famed region of Italy.

But we used it for visitor information, and the great folks at  Toscana Promozione linked us up with Tiziana Bacchioni.

Tiziana, pictured above in Plaza Michelangelo, knows the Uffizi galleries like she was raised in its hollowed halls.

She can plan for perfect wheelchair-access even in the hilly historic town of Fiesole.

http://www.toscanapromozione.com/

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 4

TURISMO SENZA BARRIERE (TOURISM WITHOUT BARRIERS)

On the day we celebrate our American Independence, this is the perfect time to heap praise on a group in Central Italy that is working tirelessly to break down barriers to travel by wheelchair in Tuscany and beyond.

Lamberto Tozzi and others at Turismo Senza Barriere have tips on transportation, accommodations and museums.

They don't just give a vague wheelchair symbol to a place to say it has some level of access.

They actually tell you what is the best route to get to the entrance by wheelchair.

The Pitti Palace, for example, has very steep passageways and more gently-graded routes to its various museums filled with Medici treasures.

Taking the gentler slope can make all the difference in the world in terms of safety and mobility for a wheeler.

The organization helped us find an English-speaking driver with a lift-equipped van to meet us at the tiny Florence airport.

The driver navigated throw Florence's maze of one-way streets and narrow alleys to bring us right to the doorstep of our accessible apartment in the Oltrarno.

This website is entirely in Italian -- but you do plan on brushing up on a little Italiano before traveling to Tuscany, right?

Surely, you don't expect every mom and restaurant and off the beaten path shop to speak perfect English? 

You don't want to come off like an Ugly American, so you're at least buying a Rick Steves phrase book, yes?

For what it's worth, Turismo Senza Barriere is in the process of translating its materials to English.

When you contact the group, it does have some brochures and other printed matter in English.

The more you support them, the more they'll be able to deliver their priceless information in multiple languages.

www,turismosenzabarriere.it 

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 3

THE DUOMO

The Duomo -- technically The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church in Florence.

Its fabulous brick dome, architecturally designed ad engineered by the great Filippo Brunelleschi, has dominated the Firenze skyline for more than 500 years.

The Duomo sounds like the English word Dome, don't be fooled.

Duomo is the name for every Catholic Church in Italy -- whether it has a triumphant dome or not.

The word likely comes from Domus, Latin for home -- as in the church is the house of God.

The Duomo plays heavily in PBS' excellent four-part documentary: THE MEDICI -- GODFATHERS OF THE RENAISSANCE, as th Medici were patrons of Brunelleschi's daring attempt to creat the giant dome.

  

It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.

The Duomo was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style.

Its Gothic Revival facade of marble in various shades of green and pink bordered by white dates only back to the 19th century.

The cathedral complex includes the Giotto's Campanile, the striking bell tower begun by late middle ages Italian painter and architect Giotto di Bondone.

The Baptistry includes grand doors modeled and cast by Lorenzo Ghibertia based on scenes from the Old Testament.

The complex also includes a museum about the construction of the Duomo.

The museum and main floor of the Basilica are wheelchair-accessible.

http://www.duomofirenze.it/storia/storia_eng.htm 

.

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 2

THE UFFIZI

The Uffizi has the greatest collection of Renaissance art on earth.

Housed in ancient Florentine government office buildings constructed by the Medicis, the Uffizi museum contains works by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli, Giotto, Raphael, Caravaggio and Durer -- to name a few of the hundreds of artistic legends showcased there.

The most popular museum in Florence also has a series of ramps, elevators, lifts and barrier-free restrooms to ease the access for wheelchair-using visitors.

It also has a touch tour tactile experience for visually-impaired visitors.

Visually impaired folks are allowed to put on protective gloves and touch rare marbles and other three-dimensional works usually off-limits, tactile speaking, to visitors.

The Uffizi's exhaustive website, with an English version, is at:

http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/en/index.php

GREAT FLORENCE WEBSITES -- PART 1

THE MEDICI -- GODFATHERS OF THE RENAISSANCE 

Before we ever went to Florence, we watched this amazing 4-part series on PBS.

When we got home, we again watched the vivid story telling and visuals of each one-hour segment.

Only, this time, it was more fun because the No. 1 authority -- quoted throughout the fabulous documentary about the Medici family's control on Firenze for multiple centuries -- was our new friend, Marcello Fantoni,

Fantoni directs Kent State University's program in Florence.

Both of us are Kent grads, so it was gratifying to be hosted by Fantoni when we visited Florence and it is gratifying to see he was the top expert for the Medici program (though at the time, he worked for a different university, so Kent is not credited in the program.

You can find THE MEDICI -- GODFATHERS OF THE RENAISSANCE on youtube.

Check out its site at PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici

FLORENCE WITHOUT BARRIERS

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE FIRENZE

Overall, we are very impressed with the amount of ramps and elevators for help with getting inside and around such ancient treasures in the historic city of Florence.

The biggest difficulty is the bumpy stones on the sidewalks and pedestrian parts of the Piazzas. 

It is a difficult merger of historic preservation that makes the wheelchair ride very bumpy and painful for Heidi's arthritic bones.

But the good access far outweighs the bad and one can use taxis and accessible city buses to cut down on the distance bumped over stones from point A to point B.

The City of Florence's website says it best, when it explains access and challenges this way:

"Like all historical places, also Florence, at first glance, presents objective difficulties for visitors with mobility challenges: narrow sidewalks, the old “sampietrini” pavements on many of the small streets in the centre, stairways and steps, all certainly picturesque but not very practicable."

The City's website, in pretty decent English translations, has "practical suggestions to help travelers with disabilities enjoy their vacation in safety and comfort, including hotels and restaurants, parking lots with reserved spaces, the museums and churches with easy access, as well as suggestions for visits in the city and in the surrounding territory."

Check out the website (and be sure to click on the "Getting Around in Florence" tab - it has a wealth of information):

http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/florence-accessible/florence-without-barriers.html

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS ITINERARY IN FABLED FIRENZE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS ITINERARY IN FABLED FIRENZE

The famous Ponte Vecchio (old bridge, pictured above lined with shops) is wheelchair-accessible.

But it is crowded, so watch out for window shoppers bumping into you as you bump along less than smooth sidewalks, or the less than smooth roadway (it's safe, no vehicles are allowed on the road.)

The Ponte alle Grazie bridge is less picturesque, but more wheelchair-friendly for commuting between the Oltrarno and Santa Croce's wealth of restaurants, markets, shops and art.

While the Ponte alle Grazie is east of the famed Ponte Vecchio, the Ponte Santa Trinita is a plain vanilla bridge west of the old bridge. 

It provides perfect barrier-free transport over the River Arno between the Oltrarno and central city attractions such as the Via Tornabuoni luxury shopping street, San Lorenzo church and Palazzo Strozi museum.

The fine folks at Turismo Toscana have put together a great one-day itinerary of  barrier-free exploring.

In their words"

"Some of Florence’s most beautiful areas and monuments that can be visited each day: here are the monuments and the beauties of the city that are accessible to disabled visitors.

Places that are accessible to the disabled:Palazzo Vecchio – Ponte Vecchio – Palazzo Davanzati - Duomo – Museo dell’Opera del Duomo - Palazzo Medici Riccardi – Museo di San Marco – Orto Botanico - Giardino dei Semplici - Galleria dell’Accademia."

For the full itinerary, step-by-step, visit their website at:

 

http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/intoscana2/export/TurismoRTen/sito-TurismoRTen/Contenuti/Itinerari/visualizza_asset.html_1107602141.html

LET ME TELL YOU A FLORENTINE SECRET

BARRIER-FREE BARGAINS IN FLORENCE

Here's a secret for disabled travelers in Florence.

Well, maybe it's not a secret, but it sure took us a long time to find out about this great deal.

The secret?  Just about every major museum allows disabled visitors and one guest to enter free.

Not only does this save you hundreds of euros over the course of a two-week visit, it also helps you cut the line.

Remember, in the busy summer, lines to get into the Uffizi can wrap around the gallery.

If you don't have a reservation, you might wait for three to four ours to get in.

But staff members have eagle eyes when it comes to wheelchair-using guests.  

Not only do they point you to ramps and accessible entrances, but they also bring you a pair of complimentary tickets in no time.

It's the greatest deal going. 

We used it at the Uffizi, Duomo, Acadamia, Duomo, Basilica Santa Croce, Pitti Palace and several smaller museums and historic churches.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY IN FLORENCE

THANK GOODNESS WE DIDN'T 

HAVE TO USE THESE CONTACTS

BUT IF YOU ARE A WHEELCHAIR USER, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN GET A WHEELCHAIR REPAIR 

OR SEE A DOCTOR WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH

Unlike some other trips, when stupid ground crews have tossed Heidi's lightweight wheelchair around like a loaf of bread -- and we've landed in an exotic local with a broken wheel, footrest or seat support -- our two weeks in Tuscany were uneventful.

But we did our research before flying overseas and here are some crucial contacts:

FOR WHEELCHAIR REPAIRS:

Ortopedia Dei Giovanni
Via Pisana, 71/r  50100 - FIRENZE  (in the Oltrarno)

They are open Monday-Friday 9.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturdays they are open 9.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
 

The phone is +39 055 224090 and the website is: www.ortopediadei.it

The email (and someone will answer you in English if you write to them in English) is:

ortopediadei@virgilio.it

FOR AN ENGLISH SPEAKING DOCTOR IN THE CENTRAL CITY:

Dr. Stephen Kerr
Office:    Piazza Mercato Nuovo 1, 50123 Florence; Tel and Fax: 055/288055
Cell: 335/836-1682
E-mail at website www.dr-kerr.com 

 
Office hours: Clinic by appointment: weekday mornings and afternoons
Without appointment: weekday afternoons 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Specialization: General practioner/Family physician trained in Britain.