January 30

What's that?! A secret bakery?! This photo was taken around 2am this morning. We had heard that secret bakeries existed in Florence and we finally found one--with our noses! The bakery is "secret" because it isn't supposed to sell directly to customers, rather sells wholesale to restaurants in the city and only bakes in the dead of night. Notice the "Be quiet PLEASE" sign? They won't serve you if you are being too loud. First, you have to knock on the door and wait for someone to come out to take your order. We asked for 4 chocolate croissants (one euro each!) and met a few other Americans doing the same thing in the meantime. The croissant was warm and so rich. I have to share with you something my Italian teacher, Luca, said today that I feel really embodies the Italian way. He was commenting on how Americans are always rushed in the morning, wielding coffee cups in their outstretched hands, rushing from one place to the next. Coffee shops here (called "bars") only serve drinks in glasses--there's no such thing as "to go." Luca said that after leaving a coffee shop, one should always "leave with a full stomach and empty hands." I love that!