Jill spent a day in Florence on a “food crawl”. The tour began in the Ambrogio market where the aroma of fresh porcini mushrooms filled the stalls. The weather has been dry, hampering the availability of many mushrooms. Other highlights of the outdoor market included a huge array of tomatoes, eggplant, figs and other assorted greens. Indoors, there were outstanding butcher shops and bakeries. Of particular note were the pasta shops. Jill was so impressed to see that some vendors sold pre-cooked bundles of spinach, which would make filled pasta so much easier to make. After a tasting of assorted prosciuttos and breads, it was off to the famous Fratellini where people lined up for a panino sandwich. The bun was still warm and the filling included goats cheese, fennel and salami, washed down with a small crisp glass of white wine. Another stop was Carapina for pecorino ice cream. Next was Arte for Roberto Catinari’s fabulous chocolate confections. The finale was historic Procacci for a glass of prosecco and a truffle sandwich. Florence is a haven for the foodie!