From Rome, I took a bus to get to Firenze (Florence) and it was technically supposed to take about 2 1/2 hours, but we actually ended up stopping in a small city called Arezzo in eastern Tuscany. Arezzo is believed to have been one of the twelve most important Estruscan cities because of the certain evidence that represent Etruscan history (i.e. walls, necropolis, and bronzes). We had a two hour break to kill before we left for Florence, so I spent the time exploring this beautiful city. It was like a real life Beauty and the Beast setting with a gorgeous square to walk around and people to watch just going about their business. There was even a well, come on, how much more perfect could it get. In the Piazza Grande, some of us stopped in a restaurant called, Logge Vasari. It was a cute little place for some traditional Italian cuisine. I ordered this ravioli filled with parmigiano and topped with porcini mushrooms and parsley. It was unbelievable. The moment you took a bite the cheese completely melted into your mouth. It was glorious.
Yes, I know i'm being overly dramatic, but you seriously had to have been there because it was the best pasta i've ever had in my life. The crazy part was the fact that there was this signora that was making pasta next to our table and I asked her in Italian what she was making and she told me, "Sto facendo quello che hai appena mangiato" (translation: I'm making what you just ate). My mouth dropped, I was freaking out a little bit inside. I was in awe so I asked her what was inside the ravioli and she told me the recipe. So now i'm excited to see if i can remake it at home. After the most impeccable meal, I explored all around Arezzo, met some locals and they showed me a popular place to get some gelato. I ordered stracciatella of course and afterwards I went into a few shops to see what cool new things I could find. There were a few antique shops and it was pretty interesting finding all of the little trinkets that were being sold in the different stores. After a few hours of just admiring this beautiful small town, we stopped in a small park near one of the cathedrals and took a bunch of beautiful scenic photos like typical tourists. Then we got back onto the bus and headed to Firenze.