Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-16
In Florence.

III FLORENCE.
In Florence everybody drinks wine. It
is drank imsparingIy, even little children
carrying q small ''fiasco" to school TO
take with their lunch. 4 person who
drinks water is regarded as a barbarian,
bent on self -destruction. If one is known
to pay So high price as so cents for a
three-oUart 'fasco" of wine he is consid-
cred wealthy and extlavant; In fact q
grand signore before whom hats must be
DOTTED, and arodnd whom beggaFs flock
by the hundred. All kinds of cooked meats
and vegetables can be bought at the pro-
vision shops, hot and ready 20 eat, and
one can watch the roasts and fowls being
slowly turned over on long splits before a
blazing fire. These cook shows, with a
variety of other booths, are crowded to-
| gether in heterogeneous mass. Fritters,
little square cakes of crisp fried mUsh,
| chestnut puddin, fried minnows, and num-
| erous other eataoles are disposed of as
rapidly as prepared. Tiny birds no
larger than our English sparrows are
plucked. stuffed with sage leaf, But be
| tween two little slices of bread, and long
rows Of them strung On a spit and toast
| ed with their legs and heads on. To
! Judge from the frequency of the booths
! peasant must consider it a palatable
morsel. Very small purchases are made
and ofton an almost interminable amount
of bargaining, explaining, and gesticQlat-
| ing will precede the transfer of a few
slices OF mpsh. Wedged between the
| cooking booths may be seen carts or
stands laden with bright-colored, coarse
woOlens, toys, copper and red earthen
/ Ia Ill
wares. There are chickens, birds, and
puppies to be sold, and even q mature,
! sleek-IoOklng tomcat will occasionally be
thrust forward and offered for "soIdi."
| This motley mass presents particularly
! pretty picture at night, when the dark
! faces and various wares are brought into
! bold relief by the faring lights. Com
| paratlvely little cooking is done at home,
| hot dishes when wanted being Oftener
! brought from q neighbOring restaurant
or shop than prepared IN the house. The
| ordinary kitchen range is more cOnspicu-
Gus for it's pOnderuu5 bulk and crudity
t than its usefulness. Some queer combina-
! tons are found at these shops. Cold
| cooked caUiifoWers and spinach pressed IN
balls the size of ap orange are sold at the
! fruit-stal!s, and salt at the tobacco stores,
the sign swinging above the door invari-
ably reading; "Sale Tabacckj." The
streets, paved with various sized square
blocks of smooth stone, are kept scrupu-
lousy clean. Most of the imposing old
palaces and public structures are built of
dark brown stone, but the majority of
houses, especially in the less elegant
quarters, have plaster-covered brick or
stone exteriors, painted all shades of
light yellow or drab, some having fres-
coed designs over the door or windows,
and protection from evil by an an image
of the "Virgin and Child" sheltered in a
nook, before which a dim light burns.
J These street shrines are ancient and
neglected, showing the wear and accunlu-
lated dust of ages. Another picturesque
feature is the very broad caves, which
seem to protect the tops of the houses,
as tuscan straw hat does the face of a
pretty "conta6ina." In places these
caves so nearly approach each other
across the narrow streets that one could
step or jump across. The houses have
grated windows and massive iron doors
with ponderous bolts, while the interiors
are even more gloomy snd forbidding
with their long, bark passageways and
narrow flights of stone stairs.