This is why a 4-5 day trip has become a week and a half trip for me. Other factors however contribute. Mostly that I'm using this city as a place to catch up on the rest of my trip. To make plans, to sort out dates and do research. Travelling is really quite a bit of work when you have to look for the best deals everywhere you go. It is a process but one that I'm trying to take in stride. It's hard to really stress in a city like this where time is of little importance, there is always a nice place to bask in the sun and one can find any excuse to stop for an espresso. I drink a lot of espresso here...
The first day here I stayed with Camille's friend Alli on her floor with Camille but since the apartment was small with 4 roomates, and the girls really needed to catch up on their own time I went off to look for hostels the next day. This however became quite an ordeal. Having only done hostel stays at Hostelling International locations before in cities that were smaller with less options I hadn't really been prepared for what it would take to get a hostel in a larger city like Florence. Even in the off season this is such a popular tourist destination every place wanted a reservation and the addresses were ridiculously hard to find. I would be standing right outside of a location and not be able to find it. It took me two days to find a good hostel, but when I did it was worth the long search. At my first step into the Emerald Fields hostel I knew this would be the best hostel yet. It was on the 3rd floor of a nice apartment building and felt like a home with a couch and laptops set up in the lobby, a kitchen for all to use with stocked cupboards right there and a friendly happy host to greet who gave me a detailed map of the city circling and x-ing the highlights. Instantly I met several wonderful travelers who became my good friends over the next 4 days that I stayed there. There was Jan the laid back chill dude from Holland, Gustavo the mature and gentle-souled explorer from Argentina/Spain, and David the naive young Canadian. These boys were my dorm roomates and over the next few days we had great fun chatting and explored the town a little together.
In the first few days I went out and saw the more popular tourist destinations to check a few things off my list. I climbed to the top of the Duomo to see the immaculate view, I explored the Uffizi wandering like in a dream in awe of the old masters, Caravagio, Raphael Artemisia Gentileschi and Botticelli being my favorites, and toured the market streets, breaking down to buy a handmade Italian leather bag to replace my recently broken one. Then another day I toured the San Lorenzo church and museum with a girl I randomly ran into on the street that I had talked with at a train station in Nice, and walked over the Ponte Vecchio or "old bridge" as it can be translated from Italian, full of ancient and renowned gold dealers located there since the Medici era. It was all so incredible that it was difficult to grasp. The importance too big to wrap one’s mind around. I found myself cringing to myself about all the information I once held in my head about this town that I have now lost and bizarrely dreaming I was back in Europen Histrory or Art History class again. I hate that the older I get the dumber I feel but really it’s hard to retain information properly when you are staring in dibillitating awe. Maybe when reviewing the pictures I’ll be able to understand it all but as of now the sights are all just a blur of ancient beauty.
Not long into my trip I met up with my old co-worker from Paint the Town, Lauren Armstrong, who I was SO happy to see having not seen a familiar face in months. But not only because she was a familiar face but a such a kind, enthusiastic, friendly and genuine person. She is studying art here at an International school and has a great set up in Florence with a nice centrally located apartment, and studio space right across the street. Since I've been here she has taken me all around town to the most interesting places. One afternoon we went up to the Piazza Michaelanglo, a hill just south of the main part of the city where one can see a great view of Florence from the top. Another night she took me and my new hostel friends (Jan & Gustavo) to see an Italian Beattles coverband at a bar called Be Bop. They were really good despite the few slips in accent and we were all thoroughly entertained. Then another night I went with her and some fellow students to a gallery opening at an grande and impressive art museum that had once been a church called San Pancrazio. The work there was that of Marino Marini, a sculpture who does large bronze abstract or expressionist style men on horses reminicent of matisse. They were odd but wonderful and I thouroughly enjoyed my time there drinking champagne and talking art with three clever, very down to earth girls. A few other nights we just hung out and chatted, and she introduced me to many equally as lovely people, some of whom I may meet up with in the future. It was wonderful to spend time with Lauren and I look forward to seeing her back in Seattle!
After 4 nights of being at the hostel, finally I was excepted on couch surfing from my last round of desperate pleas, so I moved residencies to the University of Florence dorms where I met Emmanuel, Valentino, Luca, Andy and several of their friends who were all Italian college students. Instantly I was informed their home was to be my home, they were very sweet, hospitable boys, and over the next few days I began to take this a little too seriously. I had such a fun time 4 nights became 9 nights. There was just so much to plan for, and I began to love the city so much I didn't want to leave. They showed me around a bit, made me dinner in exchange for me making them dinner, I went to a few parties with them and helped host a couple. Emmanuel is not only a language student but a cook and a teacher by nature so in no time I was learning to cook Italian and speak it. I really believe that if I stayed for 6 months I will have a conversational grasp of the language and by a year be fluent. I learned SO much in these 10 days by just total immersion. Italian is a fairly simple language, especially if you know another Latin based language, and it is such a beautiful language that you just WANT to learn it. If only to read their poetry. If only it was a useful language outside of Italy...
These boys made me really want to come back though and really see the rest of the country. Valentino, the child development major, is from the South of Italy and he made me crave to see it. Though I learned it was a disorganized, poor and still mafia influenced area, I also learned that the people from there were friendlier than one can ever imagine and rich with values, warmth and love for the good things in life. After taking a stroll around the botanical gardens there, looking out over vineyards and villas, it broke my heart to turn down an Easter dinner invitation to Valentino’s southern Italian country home. I just couldn’t afford it with either time or money. But I would have loved to. Maybe one day…
So for now this is all I can share of my trip. I never seem to have the computer time for everything I need to do. And who wants to be on the computer when there is all of Europe to see and explore! Budapest, Hungary is next for me. Krakow, Poland after that, and then Prague and Berlin. From there I will complete my trip in Helsinki Finland to see my good buddy James and his lovely girlfriend Ninni. Home in mid May all. Start preparing the banners!
Till next time, Ciao and Arrivederchi!
My love to all.
-Kim
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