Annamaria on Monday
The Prelude
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| Good-bye to my beloved NYC |
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| Hello JFK, where a Spanish couple brought this to check as luggage?!!?? |
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| Flight 94 to Madrid |
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| Arriving at Dawn |
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| Changing planes here's a snap |
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| A breakfast snack |
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| At home in Florence, Nicoletta has my tree all ready to greet me. |
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| A quick gussy-up and off to the St. Regis for afternoon tea to celebrate Christmas Eve |
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| Yum |
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| I met Nicoletta when I was her student in Italian in NYC. |
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| Her parents, Lilli and Marcello--my friends these 35 years! |
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| Walking home passed an archangel |
Christmas Day
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| Walk to morning coffee, a street-art Santa |
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| Late morning stroll along the Arno |
Torcibrencoli
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| A view from the road into the estate and Simone's house |
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| The view from his front door. The wine we will drink came from these vines |
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| Nicoletta's grandfather Bucciolini was a leading Italian playwright |
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| Simone and Gloria's grandsons |
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| L'albero di Natale |
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| Gli Antipasti |
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A New York friend once quipped that taking a picture of your food is the
Twenty-first Century equivalent of saying grace. |
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| Pizza di Scarola, a special treat for the Neapolitan in me |
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| The pasta course--PERFECT homemade tagliatelle alla bolognese. |
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| Treats of the Nonnas for the main course |
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| And Nicoletta's home-made NY cheesecake for dessert. OOOPS! All gone. |
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| And gifts! |
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| And cioccolatini. I wish I could offer you all one. |
Firenze in Evening
Wishing you all Comfort and JOY!!
