Going to market

I really lucked out. I think I live in one of the best parts of Florence. I enjoy being able to walk to the market each day for fresh fruit and vegetables, so much more flavorable than even the homegrown vegies we had in Lawrence this year. I've become a big fan of the small pears that they sell here...the perfect size for a snack with cheese.

I rarely spend more than 5 euros, yet come home carrying bags laden with riches: zucchine, peppers, grapes, olives, melon, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, figs, pears, and more. There is also freshly made pasta, meats, cheeses, lettuces at the mercato aperto (open market) ; too many things to recount with ease.

La frutta e verdura dal mercato
(fruit and vegetables from the market)

And then there's the indoor market, with every imaginable kind of fresh fish, meat or cheese. There's even one counter that sells only cuts of horse meat, often eaten in Italy. I'm not a big meat eater, so don't usually frequent this part of the Sant'Ambrogio market, but it's a hopping place with the locals.

One of my Skype friends, Massimo in Bologna, gave me several lessons on shopping at the market during our language exchange meetings this summer. It's been very helpful to know the colloquial way of interacting with the vendors, even though they seem eager to speak English in return.

Mb: Mi da' un etto di quello? (Can you give me 4 ounces of that?)
Vendor: Certo. Eccolo. (Sure, here it is.) Altro? (anything else?)
Mb: Altro! (that's all). Grazie! (thanks)
Vendor: Grazie a lei! (back at ya)

Simple enough, eh?

Borgo degli Albizi
outside my front door

I've noticed that this week many of the shops on my street are offering gli sconti (discounts) on many things; slashing prices up to 70% on items like shoes and leather coats. Amazing bargains! I've seen many expensive summer shoes on sale for 10 euros! But maybe that's only for sizes they have trouble selling...I'm not really in the market for shoes, so I haven't checked further then looking at them in the shop windows.

One of the odd shoe designs I've seen a lot of lately is the sandal that looks like a boot from the back of the foot. You see a sandal from the front, and a boot from the back: this was especially evident in Rome. I'm often amazed by the incredible variety of shoe designs worn by women here, from sandals to four-inch stiletto heels. Ouch! It'll be fun to see how the shoe designs change with the seasons.

Firenze apartment photos

I'm enjoying my apartment more and more and realizing how fortunate I am to have found such a gem. It's a rare thing to have a terrace and abundant sunlight, not to mention having a sense of tranquility and privacy in the centro storico (historical center) of Firenze. Since I have access to another apartment to take showers for a few days, I can compare my place with another one that I had considered renting from the same agency.

view of morning sky from my bedroom window
(please ignore the antennas, etc.)

The other apartment is darker, with only north windows that face the street. No sunlight will ever stream in through the windows! It's on the second floor, so the street noise can be heard through the windows. It has the same amount of space, but more furniture (unnecessary for me). It does have a nicer bathroom, with a bathtub, but I'd rather have the terrace, quiet and lots of sun! I chose the place based on a few photos... I sure feel lucky!

Here's a link to an album of photos of the apartment:
Firenze Apartment

I'm on the fourth floor, with easy access by an ascensore (elevator), another unusual convenience in this part of town. There's a supermercato (a glorified convenience store, with all the essentials) one block away, a gelateria (with gelato made fresh each day) across the street, and the open market at Sant'Ambrogio is only a 5-minute walk. I can also easily walk to the Duomo, the train station, Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, and other famous sites within 10 minutes.
I've been walking at least an hour each morning, and go out again for the passeggiata, or evening stroll that is common in most parts of Italy, walking a different route each time.

Last night I strolled over to Piazza Santa Croce, where a woman was singing arias in the center of the square, and those of us privileged to be there were enthralled by the power and beauty of her voice. Incredible acoustics! Now I understand why so many concerts are held in that piazza...the sound reverberates off of the buildings that surround it, including the magnificent church, Santa Croce, where the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Dante reside (though Dante is actually buried in Ravenna, where he died in exile).

Santa Croce

La Vita Nuova

Front door of my apartment building in Firenze

Starting a new life takes a period of adjustment. I felt disoriented for the first two days, which was compounded by some problems with the apartment I'd rented. The main one: no hot water. Also, the wifi connection was inconsistent. Other problems of less importance: the tv didn't work, there were no blankets for the bed, some of the light fixtures didn't work, etc. But once I emailed the agency, they sent over two young men, Mattias and Nic, to help resolve the problems.

For the next few days Mattias came and went, and while he worked, we had some great chats. Nic brought his dog along when he came to figure out the computer connection, and brought grapes to share with me. Both men were very laid back, attentive, apologetic, eager to keep me in the apartment by making sure everything is working properly.

No hot water! After both men fiddled with the caldaia (hot water heater), they decided they would need to have a tecnico (technician) look at it. But that won't happen until next week. In the meantime, they've given me the keys to an empty apartment two floors down, so I have access to a shower (and a bathtub!).

In other respects, my apartment is absolutely marvelous! It's quiet, private, with a view and lots of sun coming in through large windows. Tile floors throughout, and vintage furniture that suits me. The bed is queen size, though it lacks good support for my back. The bathroom is basic, but sufficient. I've enjoyed making the place more homey...buying petunia and basil plants for the terrace, and a few things for the kitchen. I can hear other tenants now and then, and it seems that they are mostly Italians, but I've not yet seen any of them in the building.

About the FLOW meeting (Florence Writers) that I was eager to attend...I was unable to find the cafe it was being held at, even though I walked right by it THREE times! There was no sign, I did not see a number for the address on the building, and I finally gave up and called it a loss. I met the group leader, Melinda, the next day for un caffé, and she recapped the meeting for me.

Oh, the other night Leonard Cohen gave a concert down the street from me, in the Piazza Santa Croce, part of his World Tour. I saw the stage being dismantled and asked what it was for. It's only a few minutes walk from my apartment....if I'd known about it, I'd surely have walked by. Al Pacino was in the audience, I hear.

I wonder what else is happening here.....guess I need to find out!

Roma

Backtracking to my arrival in Italy, I was met at the exit of the airport in Rome by Lidia and Carlo. Fiumicino airport was a zoo that day, as it was the last day of the Italian holiday season and Italians were coming home from all over the world. I was glad to get out of there! The Spighis whisked me away and dropped me off downtown at my B&B, though we made plans to meet the next day for dinner. Perfect! I was very pleased with Little Italy, a B& B situated near the Termini train station, within walking distance of many Roman sites and access to the subway.

littleitaly

Run by Rene, an attentive Dutch man who's been living in Rome for 20 years, I was very pleased with the comfy room I was given. I settled in and then walked to familiar tourist sites: the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish steps, etc. For dinner, I tried a trattoria near the B&B that Rene had recommended. I was eager to try bucatini all'amatriciana, a Roman dish that is best served in Rome. The waiter neglected me in favor of tables with more people, and I started getting peeved. After an hour, I received the antipasto, bruschetta ai carciofi (grilled bread with artichoke topping) and a glass of wine. Still no pasta.

Two Italian couples sitting nearby, who arrived after I did, asked if I'd already eaten. When I told them I'd been waiting for an hour, they were not happy, knowing their food would be coming after mine. We waited nearly another hour, then the two couples simply got up and left. I followed them, leaving enough money to cover the bruschetta and wine. Uffa! By this time, it was nearing midnight, and I was no longer hungry for pasta anyway. When I told Rene about it the next day, he was appalled. Not a typical experience, I was happy to know. Perhaps the kitchen staff had not yet returned from holiday?

The next day, I got up early to explore Gianicolo, a park I'd been wanting to see since last year. I needn't have bothered. I took the Metro (subway) to the Vatican, walked by the long lines of tourists waiting to get in to St. Peter's (already seen it), and over to the park, which was a big disappointment. Great view of Rome, but it was dirty, crowded with cars, and there was no real sense of open space like Pincio, a lovely park on the other side of Rome. In addition, I had underestimated how long it would take me to walk back to Termini, where I'd made arrangements to meet my friend Deborah for lunch at noon. I'd hoped to have time to meander through Trastevere, my favorite area of Rome, but instead I rushed to take a bus over to Termini. I arrived just in time for our meeting.

Colosseo

We walked back the way I'd just come, past the Colosseo and Foro Romano, working our way towards the "ghetto," stopping to visit some interesting churches along the way. Deborah led the way to a great sidewalk cafe, where I had the pasta I'd missed out on the night before, along with alici fritte (fried anchovies), an antipasto that Deborah recommended. Quite tasty and not what I expected at all. The only anchovies I've known about have an intense flavor, because they've been cured and canned (they also have a different name: acciughe). Fresh anchovies don't have the fishy taste or smell, and are quite delicious. Deborah and I had a good visit, and I enjoyed hearing about her recent travels to Sweden and Finland, to see the midnight sun. We have similar travel aspirations, but different destinations. On the way back to Termini, we passed Torre Argentina, the famous Roman cat sanctuary, near some ancient ruins. Deborah is an avid cat lover and it was interesting to see this unique home to many abandoned cats.

We parted at 5 pm, and I returned to the B&B to grade final essays for my online class, finishing just in time to meet with Carlo and Lidia at 8:30 for dinner. (Typical dinner time in Italy). They picked me up and drove me to a small restaurant nearby. I was not hungry for pasta after my lunch with Deborah, so I ordered prosciutto with melon and grilled vegetables, while they both had pasta dishes. Lidia ordered a special dessert invented by the chef, a kind of chocolate brulee, over a syrup made from clementines. Squisito! (Yummissimo!) It was too rich to eat much of it, and in Italy, you NEVER ask to take home what you don't eat, so I left half of it there, uneaten. Ah well, there's always more opportunities to eat chocolate in Italy!

Lidia and I at Villa Borghese, 2009

I got back to the B&B about 10:30 and was ready to crash. I got up early the next day to buy my ticket early at the train station, then walked back a few hours later, my two heavy bags in tow (grazie a dio for wheeled luggage!) I rode the Eurostar, a fast train that takes only 1 and 1/2 hours to arrive in Florence. Very comfortable ride....across from me was a woman traveling with a cat, and it sat in its container on the table between us. Another Roman cat, it seems....

When I arrived in Florence, I called the agency that I rented the apartment from, and they agreed to meet me at the apartment in 15 minutes. The streets were thick with tourists, but I made my way, hauling my bags behind me along the cobbled streets, and arrived just as Mattias, a young man from the agency showed up to check me in. Unbeknownst to either of us, we'd be seeing a lot of each other in the next few days.

First day in Florence

La terrazza

I'm sitting on the terrace of my apartment in Florence, Italy. It's a cool September evening, and the resonant sound of bells from a nearby church fills the air. I have a view of the hills to the east of town, and I can see the sky from my bed in the morning, as the sun rises. Otherwise, the view from the terrazza is of the roofs or walls of adjoining buildings. But I have a very private, quiet space, so I can hang out on the terrace whenever I like. I have many large windows in the kitchen and the bedroom. The glass-paned door to the terrace also serves as a window, opening into a small space which serves as the "living room," with an antique love seat, a wicker chair and a small table.

On the terrazza there's a table, an umbrella to shade it and a variety of chairs and chaises. I'll be looking for plants to decorate the space with. There's a cool breeze wafting by now, and I'm happy to just sit still for a while. I ventured out to a nearby supermarket to buy some staples for the apartment: fruit, cereal, pasta, vegetables, cheese, tuna, eggs, milk, dish soap. My place is four floors up from the street, and very quiet, but once I approach the front door of the building, I can hear the noise of the city. No cars are allowed in this area of town, but there's a steady stream of people, mostly locals, on foot or bike, along with the sound of conversation and the clatter of dishes from a nearby cafe.

I can hardly believe I'm here!

Carpe Diem!

Positano, 2009

Il tempo non aspetta nessuno.

Raccogli ogni momento che ti rimane, perché ha un grande valore.

Time waits for no one. Grasp every minute that remains because it has great value.

I'm only human!

Well, of course I'm freaking out at the same time I'm excited. It's not an easy thing to leave home for three months. I haven't been away from home for so long in 35 years. The logistics of arranging everything is complicated and at times, frustrating. But I've been slowly working towards this goal over the past four years, so it's a manageable process, for the most part. After reading blogs by people who have moved to Italy in a shorter amount of time, my progress seems puny in comparison.

I'm thankful my son will be at home to take care of the house and yard. After 4 years in Japan, he's content to be in Lawrence for awhile. Last week he had an adventure of his own: riding his bike more than 600 miles around Missouri and Kansas by himself, camping in parks along the way. He's also in training for the Kansas City marathon on October 16. (I won't be here to see his first marathon, sob!) In between his adventures, he's trying to find a suitable job.

If it weren't for Jesse being at home, I'm not sure I would have felt free to leave my house and yard for so long. So grazie mille, mio figlio, for helping me to make this happen! It will help me to realize my long- held dream of living in another culture.

Jesse and his bike, ready to ride, Lawrence, 2010

Unfortunately, I tend to be obsessive - compulsive at times, especially when planning a trip. So one can imagine the lists I keep, making sure nothing is overlooked or forgotten. I also get anxious and fearful at times....after all, I'm only human! But I know it's worth dealing with the fears, and learning to manage them, in order to get on the other side of fear, where MAGIC happens. In the end, once I start to go with the flow, everything works out.

When I've come across big obstacles while traveling, someone (often strangers that I never see again) always turns up to help me through it. Lucky? I don't believe in luck. But I often feel fortunate, even blessed, and "taken care of" when I need it most. I must be doing something right.....