Florence: File Under "Sometimes Other Places"

One of the things one goes to Italy for is to eat - and also to look at things to eat...

Herewith my first hot chocolate at Milan Station - with all the frisson of 'being abroad'.

The first day we wandered through the market near via de Macci and saw porcini mushrooms

and clementines

and pomegranates

and glittering fish.

Not to mention persimmons....

and artichokes.

On the other side of the Arno I had another hot chocolate.

More Italy photos here elizabethwix.co

The Russian Tearoom

My birthday was last month but I'm quite happy to celebrate it indefinitely.

Most recent stop - on a bitterly cold (almost Russian?) Tuesday - was legendary Russian TeaRoom which was founded in 1927 by members of the Russian Ballet.

The decor is warm:  red and gold and green - almost over the top with red Christmas tree balls and bright samovars.

Champagne and caviar with tea? Of course!

Not sure what you are meant to do with the cherries... smoked salmon sandwiches (the caviar eaten already). The waiters wear retro costumes

A birthday? Well, of course

and cakes and more champagne.

On the walls all sorts of Russian art

and for sale rather elaborate nesting dolls.

Brooklyn Sunday Afternoon

Took the 'L' train to Bedford Street in Brooklyn

where cool cafes abound.

Walked down to the newly refurbished waterfront and gazed back at Manhattan

 --such a lovely warm afternoon with everyone relaxing on the lawn....

 which was right next to a flea market selling flea market type stuff...

which, unlike lots of people, I find more depressing than thrilling, anyway

 there were lots of stalls selling snacks. Here porchetta rolls -- beautiful roast pork with crackling --

and people selling drinks too.


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This last picture just for fun. Apparently you can buy a book by
Fiona Goble called "Knit Your Own Royal Wedding".
What will they think of next?

Moroccan SnapShots

Before we lived in New York, we lived in Marrakesh for two years.

See here

We are now back there for a short while...

enjoying mysterious doors....

... pastilla....which is flaky pastry with nuts and chicken and powdered sugar.......

 ...not to mention the fruit juice......

 ...the pot pourri

 and the lanterns.

last of all, a cat in the fruit market who is about to produce lots of little cats any minute...

this photo is for Joan Rundo who makes super cat calendars every year!

Round Things

Before hibernating, before indulging in the long winter's nap,

animals need to put on a nice little layer of comfortable fat.

An excellent plan.

Herewith my suggestions........

a lemon tart from Bergamot on 9th Avenue.

A mini pumpkin pie from Once Upon a Tart in Soho

 where I went with Frances to discuss knitting and other things.

In an attempt to be virtuous, I include an asian pear,

 an odd fruit, not as good as a real pear, but interesting.

For  the Jane in Winter story go here

Chelsea Market/Fruit and Bread

The Old Nabisco Biscuit factory is now home to lots and lots of food shops. Excellent for food snobs and if you aren't one already you will soon become one. An excellent fruit market where everyone goes from restaurant chefs to just plain people....

...and firemen who, when not fighting fires, seem to do a lot of cooking. A handsome, helpful crew held in high esteem by New Yorkers.

They keep the fruit market very chilly, so the check-out girls wear sweaters even in June.

The front door of the same...

Just across the way are the bakers at Sarabeth's busy making the most delicious  bread, cakes and cookies. The nearest to home-baked you can get round here.

Yum!

They even provide a table to sit at to enjoy it all........

My main blog is here 

Wandering Round London

The weather very dreary for May, so an umbrella a useful item to tote about.

 Instead of a brolly, I carry my camera to observe: people walking to work

on Morocco Street near London Bridge......

 ....three business types round the back of St. Martin-in-the-Fields passing

 a woman who looks as if she is camped there for the day.....

....four people in rain jackets emerging out of the Underground at Paddington Station....

(The roof of the station still gives me a sort of sinking feeling

 that reminds me of going back to school from here several million years ago.)

.....Five workmen (one partially obscured) doing important things to the refurbishment

 of the splendid public baths in Kentish Town......  

Such absurdly ornate architecture!

Yesterday evening we followed a woman and her two little dogs as walked to supper. 

And, yes, I did gawp, tourist-like, at Tower Bridge before we ate.

And it was very splendid.

And it was still splendid after I had eaten yummy steak and kidney pie.

Lots and lots more pictures (of course).......

Caffe Roma

I don't think there is anything in New York to compare with the sorts of coffee shops and cafes Merisi  shows us in Vienna but Mulberry Street in Little Italy has Caffe Roma.....

.....where we wandered on Saturday night....

...and looked at all the canoli and biscotti and Napoleans...

This is what I ate.
My main blog is now here