Thurs May 1 - Bargello Museum, Mosaic Museum, Teatro del Sale

Today is International Workers Day - a big holiday - many museums are open and free.  

We went to the Bargello Museum known for it's collection of Tuscan Renaissance sculpture. This is a large museum in a very old building (circa 1250) that used to be a prison (and the site of executions) and the office of the "bargello" which was like a Chief of police.  The walls of the courtyard (see photo) are decorated with the coats-of-arms of the city administrators who worked here.  Lots of sculptures - early Michelangelo, Donatello.  I liked this one of Mercury by Giambologna.  We didn't get to see all of it because they closed early. 

Next we walked over to the mosaic museum, Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure, which was fabulous.  The work is so detailed.  There were portraits, scenes, flowers and birds, table tops, as well as a display of some of the tools and workbenches the artisans used. Loved it.

Then home for a very brief rest before we headed out to the Teatro del Sale.  Lise had told us about this place.  It's kind of a dinner club - you have to become a member (7 euros).  They have 100K members from all over the world!.  We had a very unusual and wonderful dinner and show.

There is a chef who loves to cook for people.  They make a big meal several nights a week, with many courses, set out on a big table buffet style.  We were warned that there would be a LOT of food and it was true.  

The first 10 dishes were all vegetarian except for some tripe (a Tuscan specialty) [yes I did try one little piece - the flavor was very good but the texture and the idea were not very appealing].  There was beet salad, cooked carrots, lentils, potatoes, swiss chard, roasted peppers (pepperoncini?), cauliflower, a rissoto, greens/salad.  

Everyone said to pace yourself, go slowly.  I took very small portions but I admit I went back twice because these dishes were so yummy.  The kitchen is right there, behind glass, and someone (the chef?) would come to the window and yell out in a very loud voice what the next dish was that was coming in just a few minutes.  I think they hired him for his voice which was booming and clear.  

Next was a pasta fusilli with pork which I did not try.  Next came a bonito (tuna) dish, also good.  Then they cleared away the vegie dishes and the last dish was roasted chicken and pork and potatoes that I skipped but everyone said was good. Lastly was dessert: strawberry gelato - the BEST ever.  I would have had seconds but I was so full!  Also little squares of a truffle like chocolate cake with powdered sugar on top cut in little diamond shapes and you thought it would be too small but it was exactly right and so delicious I had a couple of those.  

But there was no more time to eat because next they cleared off the tables (everyone helped) and moved the chairs to one end of the room where there is a stage and a different performance every night.  Tonight it was two young Italian men who played guitars and sang, kind of blue grass, light rock, folk.  The music was very nice although of course we couldn't understand the lyrics - except for one Crosby Stills & Nash song (which one?) and another one in English.

When we first arrived, one and then another young woman sat down by herself at a table near us and they spoke English so we struck up a conversation eventually getting a table all together.  Deanna is probably in her 30's, former school teacher from Florida on vacation by herself because a friend couldn't go at the last minute.  Liz is probably in her late 20's, an engineer from Houston working in "oil and gas" in Norway.  Both very nice.  Both travelling alone.  I'm impressed.   All in all a very fun evening.

On the way home we went by the Palazzo Vecchio and the museum was still open and quite a few people still hanging around. someone playing music who had been there since we went by earlier in the day.  We went into the museum briefly but we were too tired and museumed-out to see anything really - even the Pollock exhibit which I would have liked to see but just too tired.