Pistoia Pt. II

Pistoia is known as “Little Florence”. Indeed, the city of about 90,000 has its own charms, ancient churches, medieval fort, museums, and tons of shops. And it’s just a 30-minute train ride north of Florence (Firenze). I have been here for fifteen days (Will joined three days later). We’ve both enjoyed ourselves in a place that doesn’t even feel like a city.

Reminders of Home

Pistoia is the equivalent of Gardiner, Maine in terms of how it feels like home. Pistoia even has this stream near my Airbnb that looked like the Cobbessee at a glance. The city has just a few grocery stores, but tons of pizzerias and ristorantes. Perhaps that’s where the similarities end. Pistoia’s Fortezza di Santa Barbara held against a siege in the 1640s, and the churches are all from the 700s-1600s. So Pistoia has a little more medieval history, but it feels comfortable. And you can walk around the city in a day’s time if you want to. There’s a common here surrounded by a church and the town office, similar to Gardiner. The bar below us is frequented by the same crowd nightly.

Pistoia is a break from city life, which I’m returning to when I visit Rome, Naples, and Pompeii in the next week. I love seeing the mountains all around Pistoia. Visiting Georgia and the locals at the bar makes my night. Georgia has shown me that not all gin is the same. I used to hate it. Now, I enjoy her gin & tonics, especially with the Nordes gin. She throws in tabasco or black pepper to spice it up sometimes. I’ve learned more Italian with the help of Georgia, her daughter, Erica, and the others who visit often. I feel a little guilty leaving Pistoia.

Spots in Town

One of my few disappointments in Pistoia and Florence was having 3/3 fortresses closed when I visited. That’s really about it. The prices in the supermarket are less expensive (except for meat). The food is delicious. The wine is ridiculously cheap (besides in the restaurant). And the people are extremely kind when you get to know them (or maybe it’s when they know you better).

Days in Pistoia have been spent walking the city, fetching groceries, and learning Italian. I am surprised that the air quality is quite bad, but otherwise, nature is lovely. I spend hours walking along the water. I love the old walls, though I’m not sure how old they are. Of course, the city itself is fascinating. I’d love to look at a map simulation that showed the expanse of the city from Roman times to today. But you can’t go wrong just wandering the streets and finding a bite to eat and a park to swing in. There’s also a neat underground museum that has the old Roman roads intact. The only hard part is listening to the tour guide. He tried to speak English, but with the accent and echo factor, it was difficult. Still really neat!

Will and I are heading to Rome, where we’ll stay near the Colosseum for the weekend. Will is leaving after the weekend and I’ll have a few more days to explore solo. I’ll miss Georgia, who’s the Italian mom I hoped to meet. She’s full of energy and kindness. I’ll miss our host Alessandro, who has given us rides to the train station and even a bottle of wine. He’s been super helpful. We’re not leaving the Airbnb early because of you, Alessandro. I promise!

Quest for Pizza

Lastly, Will and I continue our quest for the best pizza. Thus far, Master Pizza has won. We have other contenders, though, who have taken second and third place. Those places were in Florence. We have Mister Pizza, which I put in second place, and Will placed at third. Our last is from Trattoria Del l’Angelo. I honestly preferred the black truffle penne pasta we had there. Delicious! Of course, we have more pizza to eat, especially in Rome. But so far, Pizza Master is still in the lead.

Arrivederci, Pistoia. Ci vediamo presto!

Pistoia Part I