Ti Mancherai, ti voglio bene Firenze

2nd October

Il barista nel mio bar locale conosce il mio ordine di caffè; Sono conosce di vista l'antiquario che ha sempre fumando sul marciapiede all'ingresso al mio appartamento. Anche il duo che fanno il giro di tutte le piazze di serenata con canzoni classiche italiane sulla fisarmonica e chitarra so che sarò sempre dare loro un paio di euro.Mi mancheranno sentire le campane dell'Angelus ogni pomeriggio come mi siedo a fare i compiti. Mi mancheranno vedo gli tramonto da Ponta Santa Trinita. Mi mancheranno tutti gli italiani sulle loro biciclette, nonostante loro vogliono mi schiacciar. Non posso credere che questo sogno di vivere a Firenze per un breve soggiorno è finita. 

The barista in my local bar knows my coffee order, I'm on nodding terms with the antique dealer who's always smoking on the footpath outside his shop next to the entrance to my apartment. Even the duo who make the rounds of all the piazze to serenade with their versions of Italian classics on accordion and guitar know they can rely on me for a couple of euro.

I know where the best fruit is, the best gelati (Piazza della Passera), the best pastries (Dolce & Dolcezze) I hardly ever get lost in the maze of tiny vie, vicoli, chiassi, borgi and piazze, I even have a hairdresser. I can't believe my Fiorentina adventure is over, that I won't hear the bells of the Angelus as I sit doing homework or reading. While the next few weeks hold some wonderful destinations across Italy, this lovely interlude is over. 

Of course it hasn't all been wine and roses (well lots of wine, no roses, except those offered by touts at every restaurant to every couple) With little notice the school changed classes from morning to afternoon in the third week when David joined me, throwing in to disarray some of our plans. Then we both got sick and I missed three days of my last week.

My charming apartment senza vista was feeling a bit claustrophobic by the fifth week and the idea that I would find a space to study and read was stymied by the fact that there are very few public spaces with places to sit and work which don't charge.

While the Fiorentine lifestyle certainly appeals, some of the Fiorentini don't. There is a certain arrogance about them, particularly men, a lack of warmth which I had heard about before arriving but which I didn't want to prejudge them on. Being a bloody-minded Australian woman I walked out of shops several times when the proprietor seemed completely disinterested in serving me. The first time the young bartender in my local cafe slopped my prosecco all over my glass as he plonked it down in front of me I gave him  the benefit of the doubt, but by the third time I had to ask, is there something I've done to offend you, or do you just hate your job?

I would recommend this adventure to anyone who is serious about learning a language, but if I were to do it again purely for language learnng, I would choose a different city. Much as I love Florence I think the learning experience would be enhanced by living in a city a little less tourist-focused, with fewer English speakers. Which is not to say I won't be back, I certainly will. The dream was to spend a month in Florence learning the language:tick. Next dream, finding some way to come and live in the city for 6 months. I've checked out a few apartments, I've got contacts in the city, now I just have to find a way to justify it!

Acqua in bocca

Abbiamo imparato molte espressioni idiomatici nelle nostre classe: "Avere l'acqua in bocca" significa mantenere un segreto - quando si ha l'acqua in bocca non si può parlare senza spargimento! In questa casa, io ho l'acqua in bocco riguardo a alcuni posti quale ho scoperto a Firenze.*

When you think of Florence you think, as I always did before I arrived, of the cradle of so many things we think of as Italian - art, fashion, culture, the Renaissance, the Medici dynasty, the food. The Duomo looms as large in the public perception of Florence as the structure itself does in the cityscape. Even the Italian language was born in this beautiful city. 

What you don't realise until you've given yourself time to really explore, is how easy it is to step beyond those ideas and find yourself in a very different city. It's not just a case of being able to slip down a narrow alley and find yourself in a little piazza with a tiny stone church getting ready for a traditional wedding. 

You can walk less than five minutes from one of the most popular tourist hotspots, Piazzale Michelangelo, and find yourself in a place very few tourists visit - a country lane which could well be in the deepest Tuscan countryside (often with a different view of the Duomo). You can step away from a suburban supermarket carpark into a park topped by a palazzo where you encounter only a jogger and a couple of dogwalkers, or get a sneak peek over a garden wall into acres of olive groves.

It takes a while to realise that this city which seems so important on the world stage, is really a large provincial town, with fewer than 400,000 residents and city limits which are probably less than 10kms across at its widest. Of course that population is hugely expanded by the presence of tourists ( 2 million this Summer season alone), but as long as they stay away from my secret places - va bene.

* In Italian classes we learnt a lot of idioms. Avere l'acqua in bocca literally translates as to have water in your mouth - but means to keep a secret. If you have water in your mouth you can't speak without spilling it . I have water in my mouth about some of the places I discovered while in Firenze.

Saggio Fotografica

Questo viaggio non ho fatto un sacco di fotografie. Ho deciso che non possono cattura le cose che voglio ricordare, e a volte sono meglio tenevo nel mio cervello e cuore. Nonostante questo, qui sono alcuni che mi piace.*

It's fig season, and we were lucky enough to be eating figs fresh from the trees for breakfast when we stayed in Greve.

 è le stagione de fichi, e siamo stati fortunati abbiamo potuto mangiare fichi freschi dagli alberi per la colazione quando siamo stati a Greve.

At the Arezzo antiques fair, a bunch of balloons with legs.

Alla Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo, l'uomo sembrava un grappolo di palloncini con le gambe.

Firenze's Rose Garden is beautiful, very quiet in the early morning, and home to fantastic sculptures.

Mi piace molto Il Giardino di Rose a Firenze. Era molto tranquille nella mattina e ci sono sculture fantastico

This fantastic little family-owned pasticceria is renowned for it's rich and decadent chocolate cake, but its tarts and cornettos are fantastic. I am seriously considering transplanting a version of this treasure back to Melbourne!

Questa e il migliore pasticceria a Firenze (secondo me!) Le torte al cioccolato è indimenticabile ma anche le paste è buone.

A flower seller near Santa Maria Novella.

Un piccolo negozio di fiori in vicino di Santa Maria Novella

So many fantastic places to eat: Cozze con pasta at Osteria Santo Spirito; Coniglio at Trattoria Casalinga in Santo Spirito; Insalata tonno fumato with gorgonzola cream at Amble; Fresh grilled porcini mushroom salad a casa mia.

Last view of Firenze from Palazzo Vecchio Torre.

This trip I have not taken a lot of photos. I decided that they can't capture the things that I want to remember and that sometimes it is better to keep them in my heart and mind. Nevertheless here are some that I like.