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Category Archives: Italy

A Perfect Day in Florence

6 / 18 / 1311 / 29 / 18

I saw the David when I was 12, and I remember it like it was yesterday. A 17-foot-tall marble statue of a nude man with perfectly chiseled abs and biceps? Yeah, that one was seared into my preteen brain for sure. So on my return to Florence last week, I didn’t need to see it. In fact, since we only had about five hours, we decided that it was better to spend it walking around absorbing the city than in lines for museums. If you like to shop vintage, enjoy neighborhoods where locals hang out, and can get down with home cooked fare, here’s my advice for a perfect day wandering through Florence:

Assuming that you arrive via the train station, here’s where to start:

-Stop to admire the Bascillica di Santa Maria Novella and then head to La Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella, by far one of the most elegant stores I’ve ever set foot in, and possibly one of the oldest.


First opened in 1612 by Dominican monks, the store still houses the original showroom and salesroom, as well as a museum. I can’t say that the quality of the products are that much better than what we have here (we overheard the salesperson talking to a tourist about cellulite pills), but buying a burts bees moisturizer will never feel like this. When I spray their perfume at home I think of high ceilings, soft amber lighting, and dangling chandeliers, ornate wood shelves filled with illuminated glass bottles bearing handwritten gold labels, and the scents of rose, lilac, and gardenia that waft around the store. You’d probably just smell perfume, but don’t tell me that. My favorite products are the Angels of Florence perfume, and the Rose-Gardenia Body Milk. The soaps also make great gifts. Products range from $30 eur and up.

-Head to lunch at Tratorria Mario.

At first glance this may look like a tourist trap, the door and windows are covered in travel guide stickers and reviews. Luckily, the food hasn’t absorbed all the hype. The menu, written on brown paper on the wall, has dishes ranging from 5 to 10 euros, all described by their main ingredient and nothing else: bean soup, fried chicken, beef stew, roasted rabbit, etc. The servers turn around communal tables fast, but they are courteous and there when you need them. While so many of the restaurants we went to called attention to their pricey foie gras, the miniscule bits of pig cheek in a carbonara, or the fresh fava beans (that ended up tasteless), the walls at Trattoria Mario say something different and refreshing: here is the food. You don’t need me to tell you that they’ve been making the same family recipes for more than 50 years, you can taste it. I would have their tuscan bean soup every week if I could; all I can assume is that it must have been made with really good beans, really good olive oil, and a really good piece of toasted garlicky bread that surprised us at the bottom of the bowl. The beef stew fell apart in a wine reduction sauce, and I ate more of it than I thought possible. They don’t take reservations, so plan on waiting 10-15 minutes.

-Cross the bridge and head to Piazza Santo Spiritu for a coffee. On the way, just before you hit the plaza, stop into Roberto Ugolini, an artisan shoe store with killer men’s shoes and cute salesboys. The Santo Spiritu church is a stark contrast to the Florence duomo, its shape is humble, the walls are a soft yellow, and the cement steps look like somewhere I would want to sit and people watch. This is the quintessential piazza for me: art students paint on their easels, several cafes have outdoor seating, and the tourists with their gelato cones and their cameras strapped to their limbs seem very far away. I’ve read that there are local markets here on Sundays. Down Via delle Caldaie there were a few cute bakeries and cafes.

-For some vintage shopping walk down Via del Serragli and head to Albrici and Recollection (in the same building).

This is a treasure chest of antique furnishings and vintage clothing, some of it repurposed into new forms. My friend picked up a sparkling purse that was supposedly made with a countess’s dress. I got some fabulous red snake skin pants, and almost got a tiger-print ballerina dress but luckily someone stopped me.

-Finish the day off by following Via del Serrgali over the bridge and head to check out the Duomo. It doesn’t have chiseled arms, but it’s still memorable.

Check out the map for location details:

View Larger Map

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A day in Rome: Three must-try bites (and a few things to do in between)

6 / 13 / 1311 / 28 / 18

Last week I had a very short time in Rome during which I shamelessly abused the phrase “when in Rome…” When in Rome eat six meals a day. When in Rome stop for a pizza dinner before dinner. When in Rome fuck it have gelato for dinner. Call me a cornball but at least I’m a well fed one.

Here are the three things I loved eating in Rome, with a couple non-food related stops to enjoy while you’re wandering:

Trapizzino at 00100 – CLOSED

00100rome

I was sitting at a tiny counter in this hole in the wall restaurant when I realized how far I’ve come since the times of burning my tongue on cheap public school cafeteria hot pockets. The trapizzino is the pizza spin-off snack I’ve been waiting for. Soft pizza bread is cut into triangles, toasted and filled with sauces and meat. We chose the polpette (meatballs) with sugo. The sugo was one of the best I’ve had— bright in color, savory, buttery, surprisingly not messy, and after every bite of the sandwich I wanted more.

We also tried their most popular pizza, the Greenwich: a rectangular slice topped with mozerrella, blue cheese, and drizzled with reduced port. Not my flavor profile, but blue cheese lovers would probably enjoy.

We came here around 6 pm and it was dead, however I would guess that it gets busy at night. About a 30 minute walk from the centro historic along the river.

Almost everything at Pizzarium

2012-05-21 11.22.13

This place doesn’t need anymore publicity; from a block away we could spot the crowd hovering outside. It’s located in a residential neighborhood somewhat (but not really) close to the Vatican, and still absolutely worth the trip. Here people get in line and choose their slices at the counter. Slices are square-shaped, thick but soft, and toppings change throughout the day. Our favorites were the spinach and white bean paste, and the sausage and porcini pizza — it was earthy, but subtle, and the sausage was divine. Ugh I know I just used the word divine to describe sausage, but I can’t help it.

There’s no seating inside and a few benches outside. I suggest coming at lunch or a random time of day to avoid the crowd.

Gelato at Fatamorgana

2012-05-21 18.23.31

Sometimes when I start researching where to eat I find myself (many clicks and hours later) on a very far away tangent — in this case, it was an article about the amount of artificial ingredients in your common scoop of gelato. So, of course, I made us walk past tens of gelato shops before I found one that I read prioritized natural, real ingredients. Patience is indeed a virtue, and sometimes it gets you amazing pistachio gelato. It’s worth noting that pistachio isn’t even one of my favorite flavors— I just thought it would pair nicely with dark chocolate, which was probably the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had. I had the Bronte pistachio (there are two types, each named after the region when the pistachios are sourced from, of course). Research pays off— this gelato was so damn real it smelled like the shells had just been cracked.

Wandering:

-Neighborhood: Monti

monti

I’m not sure if it was the economy, but I found Rome to be kinda dead. Seems like all the young folk are sitting around a fountain in a cute neighborhood tucked behind the coliseum called Monti. Monti is “up and coming” with a few vintage stores, designer boutiques (mostly unimpressive to be honest) and some good restaurants, cafes and bars. The piazza della Madonna dei Monti (where the fountain is) is totally charming, especially at sunset. I would recommend sitting down for a coffee in the patio of Bottega del Cafe, situated perfectly on one side of the piazza, or grabbing a drink at a somewhat confused but harmless juice/cocktail bar called Full Monti, kitty corner from the cafe. Hang here with the rest of Rome till the sun goes down. Gelateria Fatamagora is a few blocks from the plaza, just walk down Via Degli Zingare. Most of the clothing shops are along Via del Boschetto, starting from Via Nazionale, down to the piazza.

-Shopping destination: Betulla -CLOSED
betulla
This was the only boutique I liked in Rome. Walking down a quiet street, we smelled the lavender from around the corner. Apparently it was a special day so they were selling flower bouquets up front, and had a beautiful array of cookies, cakes, and teas for customers in the back of the store. In between there was a well-curated selection of women’s clothing from European designers, and a lovely salesperson. We stumbled upon this by walking on Via Delfini (which intersects a main street in the Centro Historico, Via delle Botteghe Oscure) and following it until it becomes Via de Funari. At this point we made a lunch reservation at Roscioli (good place for burrata, prosciutto, and other starters, I wasn’t thrilled with my pasta) and wandered towards Roscioli Bakery (beautiful!) and then found Betulla. Clothes are on the higher end of the spectrum, and be sure to check the hours (most stores close for siesta). Map of our walk here, (stop B is Roscioli, C the Bakery, and D the boutique).

View Larger Map

00100
Via Giovanni Branca 88, Testaccio

Pizzarium
Via della Meloria, 43

Gelateria Fatamorgana
Multiple locations, but the one in Monti is Piazza degli Zingari 5.

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About Me

Hi! I'm Ferron Salniker. Storyteller, consultant, and tour guide.

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This date last year was the first day of our @mezc This date last year was the first day of our @mezcalistas Michoacán tour with a bunch of friends in the industry from across the country.  We drank snake mezcal and ate carnitas and followed the light up the hills for inaquidens agaves. How things have changed for all of us. Putting tour dates on the calendar for the end of 2021 makes me feel hopeful (stay tuned!) In the meantime, sipping my copita pretending like it’s from the still and scrolling through the memories captured by @renecervantes. 
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#michoacan #travelgram #instatravel #traveldeeper #travelmexico #pasionxmexico #tasteintravel #livecolorfully #instacolor #igtravel #whereitravel #mezcal #mezcaltour #mezcalovers
Taiwanese breakfast today is daikon cakes, dan bin Taiwanese breakfast today is daikon cakes, dan bing, fan tuan with purple sticky rice, red bean mochi with osmanthus, Taiwanese breakfast sandwich, and dou hua with ginger syrup. Remember to support your local restaurants & makers if you can this weekend and always❤️
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#picnicbreakfast #brunch #picnic  #feedyoursoul #tasteintravel #foodphotography #foodwriter #instafood #taiwanesefood #shopsmall
🌊Family day🌊 🌊Family day🌊
Doin so much social media consulting these days I Doin so much social media consulting these days I get exhausted by the screen and don’t really get on my own gram. Plus this quarantine is an emotional roller coaster and I’m setting hella boundaries on and off the screen so I can stay grounded and grateful. But then I miss seeing all my friends’ work and all the art & activism & community that everyone is making happen. So hi friends, keep at it, also here is one of my favorite quarantine creations - an agave bandanna from @tuyo_nyc 🖤🤍⚡️
When missing breakfast in Istanbul🌹 . . . . . # When missing breakfast in Istanbul🌹
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#turkishbreakfast #brunch #picnic  #feedyoursoul #tasteintravel #foodphotography #foodwriter #instafood
New article up on Life & Thyme as part of a series New article up on Life & Thyme as part of a series on institutional racism and agriculture, link in bio • repost @lifeandthyme "Most of the country’s 2.5 million farmworkers are of Mexican descent, and at least half are undocumented. Wages are generally low; in 2019 farmworkers earned less than what workers with the lowest levels of education in the U.S. labor market earned. They typically endure long hours, face occupational health and safety hazards, lack health coverage, reside in crowded housing, and many of them live below the federal poverty guidelines. At least six percent of farmworkers identify as Indigenous, and for those without English or Spanish fluency, accessing medical care or information can be even more difficult. And while immigrant farmworkers are some of the most vulnerable to Covid-19 due to these circumstances, they have been deemed essential workers. ⠀
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This inequity of including people in an economy for their labor and skills and yet excluding their humanity in narrative and policies is part of maintaining racial and economic power structures—and the nation’s food system was built on it." -- L&T Contributor @ferronlandia⠀
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Today on Life & Thyme, Ferron Salniker explores how a history of immigration, trade and discriminatory economic policies have made U.S. farms dependent on exploitable labor mostly by Latinx immigrants. Read, "How Immigration and Trade Policy Have Shaped U.S. Agriculture" at the link in our bio.⠀
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#lifeandthyme
Been resisting social media, submitting to water a Been resisting social media, submitting to water and California. Plumas County to Topanga Beach this week 🐬🌊
New piece up on the women behind the Black Chef Mo New piece up on the women behind the Black Chef Movement, who are fueling protesters in NY. Repost from @lifeandthyme: 

“McCallum and Davis are responding to a singular moment in history, facing the combined hardships of an economic crisis, increased hunger, the Covid-19 pandemic, and swelling protests across the country demanding transformation of our political and economic systems. Black Chef Movement is meeting the needs of this moment in its own way, continuing a tradition of Black activists showing up to nourish communities while organizing for liberation.” — L&T Correspondent @ferronlandia
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Honoring a historic tradition, New York chefs Kayla Davis and Rasheeda McCallum founded the @blackchefmovement to feed and fuel a movement. Read the full story at the link in our profile.
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Photos by L&T Photographer @jonvachon
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#lifeandthyme #blacklivesmatter #nyc #ny
Tres Colibrí is a cooperative owned by eight fam Tres Colibrí is a cooperative owned by eight families who make mezcal with agaves endemic to the two regions they are located in, Chontal and Sola de Vega, Oax. The pandemic has been messing with them hard- while permanently moving out of her bodega in Oaxaca, the founder maestra @sosimaoliveraaguilar’s truck was stolen! I love this project, their sustainability practices and their brand of mezcal, @fanekantsini. I wrote more about them on @mezcalistas (link in bio),
if you want to support you can buy some mezcal in advance to pick up later in Mexico (info in the article). 
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#mezcal #mezcallover #agave #agavelover #mezcalartesanal #oaxaca #oaxacamexico #cooperative #mezcalera
‪Hey friends, the origin of this social media ch ‪Hey friends, the origin of this social media challenge comes from Turkish women standing in solidarity with women lost to femicide, whose photos are often shown on Turkish outlets in B&W.‬

‪Femicide has long been a problem in Turkey, and has increased in the past years, with the pandemic adding an additional outburst of violence. ‬

‪Posting in solidarity with our Turkish sisters, please swipe to learn more and see how you can support women in Turkey. For my friends here, whether you post a pic or not, I see you and I love you for being in the daily fight against white supremacy and the patriarchy. Info slides from @auturkishculturalclub, please share their posts, not mine. 

‪#kadınaşiddetehayır‬
‪#istanbulsözleşmesiyaşatır‬
‪#challengeaccepted‬
‪#womensupportingwomen‬
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