All posts tagged Florence

Are We There Yet?!?

I am getting antsy. My body is still here in Albuquerque, but my mind keeps wondering off to Italy. Like right now. I have papers to grade. But here I am writing about Italy. I just can’t help it…

So I am going to allow myself a short daydream about some of the Italy things to which I am looking forward…

I am looking forward to the day after we arrive at our new home in Florence (the day itself involves 3 plane trips on separate flights with cats and a drive from Rome to Florence, then 4 flights of stairs with cats and bags, and presumably serious jet-lag – hence the “day after”). From Google Earth it looks like there are at least three pizza places within a block, 2 supermarcati and the Sant’ Ambrogio market I have written about in an earlier post, all close by. (And probably some cool non-food things, too). I can’t wait to explore OUR neighborhood! (Wow – seriously – FLORENCE, ITALY will soon be “OUR neighborhood” – surreal – super cool – Wow…). And after we eat, we can take a walk and use our “Friends of the Uffizi” cards to see the “Birth of Venus” and “David” and…Wow…Wow… I am seriously blowing my own mind!!! Just a walk from our home:

I can’t wait to go back to school (yes, I am a geek, but hear me out). My Italian has seriously been slipping away. I was having Skype classes on Fridays, but now that I am working full time, the only days I could manage a class were Memorial Day and one last class on the Fourth of July. It’s definitely not enough to learn anything new and really not even enough to maintain what I’ve learned. So, because I really want to become fluent, and NOT because I am a geek, I can’t wait to get back into language school. We have three to visit (and choose from) once we get settled. Me going to school in Bologna: We are totally looking forward to Sunday, September 2nd when we are taking a trip back to Bologna to see Green Day (and eat, of course). Green Day (one of both Steve and my all time favorites) is the headliner at the I-Day Festival in Bologna on the Sunday before Steve’s school starts (I still can’t figure out what the “I” stands for – any ideas?). We can get there as quickly as 37 minutes (on the fastest, most expensive train), but will likely take a slow/cheap inter-city train and enjoy the trip (and begin a more frugal life on one salary, for now). Before the concert I will get to take Steve to one of the amazing restaurants I discovered when I was in Bologna for school, and of course there will be a trip to La Sorbetteria Castiglione (insert daydream about flavors of gelato here). How cool is it that our favorite band is playing in one of our favorite towns with the world’s best gelato, shortly after we arrive in Italy?!? Too cool for words, that’s how cool!!! Green Day (& Steve in well-worn Green Day concert t-shirt – pics of gelato flavors to follow once we arrive):

Okay, I think I have daydreamed about Italy enough to sustain me through another week of not being in Italy. As always, thanks for coming along for the ride! Ciao!

3 Comments

by Newmexicotoitaly on June 6, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Art, Food, Italy, here we come!, Learning the Language

Tagged Bologna, Florence, Green Day, I-Day Festival, La Sorbetteria Castiglione, learning Italian, Sant' Ambrogio Market

Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on June 6, 2012

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2012/06/06/are-we-there-yet/

Our New Home!

I have been writing Part II of my “assimilation” series, but am still sorting out my thoughts. So…

Here it is, the moment you’ve been waiting for… Some information about and pictures of our new Italian home (and perhaps your guest bedroom/bath…?).

Okay, now remember I have already told you this place is a bit old-fashioned looking (and that “furnished” in Italy is an understatement). Just picture this with a few less of the owner’s chotchkies and with some of my photos and our art collected from our travels (and of course a well-placed Muppet or South Park figure for good measure).

Aside from the 4 flights of stairs (which we see as the replacement of our current gym memberships), it really is pretty sweet. It is very light and bright, and the funky layout makes it hip. The owner agreed to install some ac units (a rare commodity in Italy), so we got everything we were hoping for. You can’t tell from these few photos, but there is a weird office space with a loft – not quite sure what we’re going to do with it other than store the owner’s stuff, but if kids ever come to visit they will think it is THE coolest secret hide-out/”tree” house. The guest bedroom (also not pictured) is the top of the building (we have 2 stories – top floor and attic/roof), so it’s got a pitched ceiling with beams (picture every other old European place you’ve seen on “House Hunters International”). The window in that room looks out onto the bottom of the roof deck; the roof deck has 360 degree views – this is my Italian dream place for morning cappuccinos and evening glasses of wine. The big bathroom pictured is on the floor with the guest bedroom (lucky guests); the other is on the main floor.

You may notice that there is an entire wall of bookshelves – with books! I am guessing these will still be there when we arrive and am curious to see what our new library looks like – reminds me of the scene I love from Beauty and the Beast. Finally, the kitchen is nice and well-equipped – just waiting for my Italian culinary skills (or more likely, trying to simulate New Mexican and other hard-to-find cuisines).

For those of you familiar with Florence (or on mapquest), the apartment is in the Piazza Beccaria neighborhood – 2.5km’s from Steve’s school, and just a few blocks away from the most authentic food market in Florence – Sant’ Ambrogio (some info about it here: http://experience-tuscany.thriftytuscany.com/saint-ambrogio-market-in-florence/3346, see short clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbwS8EVN7xM)

If the photos don’t do it justice (and they don’t), you will just need to come see for yourself!