Monday 5-15-06
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, the timing of this trip and the cities we visited was based on when the Florence Iris Festival was to be held.
We had visited the Iris Festival briefly on the day we arrived, but we went back up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see it again today. The garden is open only 20 days a year when they have the iris competition, and I timed our visit to Florence to coincide with those dates.
The flowers were quite beautiful, and the garden has a spectacular view. It is well worth doing if you are ever in Florence in May.
We had lunch at a place called San Benitore and had really good chickpea soup, spaghetti with tomato sauce (Bill) and duck on spinach (Nancy). A yummy lemon dessert and cafe - can't find the receipt though, so don't know what the cost was.
Late dinner that same night at Cavolo Nero Trattoria next door to Residenza Il Carmine. Actually only Bill ate a complete dinner while I went to the computer place to do my first trip report. I joined him for a wonderful chocolate dessert and a glass of red wine. Bill had a salad and a really good monkfish. Total cost was 48E.
Comments (11)
The irises look stunning among the olive trees. I love the informal feel of the gardens.
Posted by María I. | March 19, 2009 9:06 AM
Posted on March 19, 2009 09:06
Those iris are gorgeous. We have friends that have a mail order iris business up in Fort Bragg. What beautiful colors. Don't see them in the desert. : (
Posted by Palma | March 19, 2009 11:50 AM
Posted on March 19, 2009 11:50
Beautiful flowers,Nancy.
Posted by candi | March 19, 2009 1:29 PM
Posted on March 19, 2009 13:29
Nancy, simply beautiful!! I have never heard of this festival. I wish we had known of it while we were living there.
Posted by Jane | March 19, 2009 3:29 PM
Posted on March 19, 2009 15:29
Palma,
We have lots of irises up here. In fact, Bill bought a lot of them up in Oak Glen at an iris farm. The iris festival up there is the middle of May.
During June, of course, is the lavender festival in Beaumont. Want to go?
Posted by nancyhol | March 19, 2009 5:10 PM
Posted on March 19, 2009 17:10
Oh, Jane, that is a shame that you didn't get to see it. Maybe it isn't publicized too much since the garden is only open 20 days a year. It sounds like it is a pretty big competition, though.
Posted by nancyhol | March 19, 2009 5:12 PM
Posted on March 19, 2009 17:12
Nancy, those are so beautiful. I love irises! Sometime I must try to catch this festival -- it must be lovely.
Posted by sandrac | March 19, 2009 6:35 PM
Posted on March 19, 2009 18:35
What wonderful timing, to be there for an Iris festival! Love your photos.
Posted by Annie | March 20, 2009 6:22 AM
Posted on March 20, 2009 06:22
Hi Nancy, the iris are very beautiful and you captured them so well in your photos. That must have been so great seeing them in person. Amazing that this festival started 52 years ago. Your dinners sounds delicious also.
Thank you so much for sharing the information about this wonderful iris festival and for sharing your experiences and photos.
I enjoyed reading your post this morning.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | March 20, 2009 7:06 AM
Posted on March 20, 2009 07:06
The iris festival is on my list. So gorgeous!
Posted by jgk | March 22, 2009 4:01 AM
Posted on March 22, 2009 04:01
I love these photos. It must have been incredible to see them in person. I have never heard of this festival before. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by girasoli | March 25, 2009 11:43 PM
Posted on March 25, 2009 23:43