The wines are San Giovese and Lambresco.
Spezzia
Not at Spezzia itself, but at Porto Venere on the promontory at the
entrance to the bay, will the gourmet find the _Zuppa di Datteri_, which
is the great delicacy of the gulf. The _dattero_ is a shell-fish which
in shape resembles a date stone. It has a very delicate taste, and is
eaten stewed with tomatoes and served with a layer of toast. The little
inn, Del Genio, is not too clean, but the landlord will tell you that
Byron and Shelley made no complaints when they lived there and that they
had a thorough appreciation of the dainty _datteri_. Byron is said to
have written most of his _Corsair_ in a grotto at Porto Venere, and
Shelley was cast up drowned on the sand across the gulf.
Florence
If you wish to be aristocratic in Florence you will lunch at Capitani's
in the Via Tornabuoni, and in the afternoon you will lounge about the
street until it is time to drink tea and eat cake at Giacosa's, or
Doney's, or the Albion, or Digerini's, and Marinari's venture, next door
to the library, after which you will look in at Vieusseux's to see if
there is any news a-foot. You will then have eaten a very fair lunch
cooked _a la Francaise_, and will have met in the course of the
afternoon all your fellow country-men and country-women resident in
Florence.
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