Today I am going to talk a bit about food and fashion. I simply must. Who is surprised?

Dining in Italia is great fun. It is like having permission, a license, if you will, to eat pasta. I feel like an indulged child. It's everywhere; it's what everyone eats, there are so many varieties and unlike Italian food we usually see at home, most of it is actually light, and not covered in heavy red meat sauce. My favorite is penne pasta with pomodoro, which is as basic as it sounds, made with fresh tomato and pasta cooked perfectly al dente. And the pizza! It's thin, chewy and made with only the freshest of ingredients -- and meant to be eaten with a knife and fork, although it's tempting enough to be grabbed by hand and chomped into like we all do at Pizza Hut.

We usually have lunch each day at an outdoor cafe. The Italian primo of pasta, first course, and second of meat or fish plus a contorno of insalate is sometimes too much for even Stan and me to share, but it's the typical menu offer. Yesterday, in Fiesole, we each simply ordered pasta, penne with pomodoro and tortelli Bolognese. The tortelli was ravioli stuffed with potato and cheese and covered with a light meat and tomato sauce. It may sound a little peculiar, but as always, the meal was scrumptious and maybe even more so, served street-side, under a ceiling of umbrellas, shielded from the bright Tuscan sun and overlooking the city of Florence. My God, pinch me, please; I have to be dreaming. The bread, of course, is unbelievable too. Never served with butter, but oil instead. We've noticed that since we have been in Florence, all bread is unsalted. We learned there's a reason for that. I'll have to be refreshed on the exact details, but somewhere in history, imports of sodium chloride was blocked. The Tuscans simply adjusted and made their bread without salt and continue to do so today! Some recipes actually depend on (unsalted) Tuscan bread.

In the evenings, we are usually so happy to be off our feet and in the cool of our air conditioned apartment that we usually make a simple dinner at home. Last night we had insalate made with the freshest lettuces and deepest red peppers and tomatoes imaginable, and what I deem as Tuscan Pasta, penne with a sauce of chopped fresh tomatoes, a bit of onion, a bit of chopped ripe olive, and cannellini beans, sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with basil. I've found my Italian roots!

Fashion! It's a puzzle to me. First, it is hot, hot, hot here. Who wants to wear anything? And they eat bread and pasta. How do they do it and still fit into great looking clothes? While the streets and walks are rough and cobbled, yet they wear nothing but fancy sandals with platforms or heels. Even the old ladies wear fancy shoes although they may also be using a cane. Mostly we've seen women in sexy but loose fitting dresses with a soft flow. Many women and girls are still wearing leggings and jeggings with cool off-the shoulder tops in layers in beautiful colors. But in total the look is very creative. For example, an attractive woman on the bus yesterday was simply and attractively dressed in a sleeveless, fitted top in a color I'll call pumpkin or butternut. Her pants were sea blue and fitted around the waist and hips, but featured soft gathers mid-thigh to the ankle where the fullness ended in a soft cuff. On her feet she wore gray suede wide strappy platform sandals. The look was perfect, and she seemed to be cool and comfortable. But comfort is definitely not the priority. Style and fashion is utmost to Italian women, and if nothing else, shoes are the most important accessory. Men wear great looking jeans, and guys, if you have not picked up your pair of brick red pants or jeans, you must. They are hot!

As sweltering as it is in summer, apparently it is equally as cold in the winter especially if the store windows give any hint. All you see is beautiful fur wraps, real and fake, and soft knitted cashmere and wool dresses and sweaters. And boots and shoes! Very nice and very expensive! But where else should they spend their money? Wine and food is cheap, there is good public transportation, no one builds new houses and who wants a car in these streets?

As I mentioned earlier, we visited Fiesole yesterday, a city overlooking Firenze. It was magnificent and we loved being there, but I'll talk about that tomorrow. Today, we plan to meet Pam and Art at the Pitti Palace. It features a famous museum, the Museo della Specola, but I am most interested in touring the Giardino di Boboli, the grounds that surround it.