It was like seeing an old friend

I’m sitting on my top of my little roller in the load/unload section at the end of one of the train cabins.  Seat or no seat I am going to Rome today.  All trains this friday afternoon were booked, so I’m in standing room only, but no discount like you get at the opera.  And this is what I’m learning as I am traveling.  Going to Rome on a weekend?  Book ahead.  On the other hand this is a little more memorable.  Feeling like a stowaway, having to get out of people’s way as they go back and forth between cabins. I don’t really need a cushioned seat with an outlet for my computer.  That’s just modern day comfort that I can live without for the next hour and half.  Besides, I’m going to Rome .

For the past 48 hours I have been in Florence.  Indeed it has been short, and to indulge in the phrase, very very sweet.  The last and also the first time I was in Italy was this past March. After doing Middlebury’s Italian Language School I have felt extremely compelled to actually go to the land of pasta and Patria. Florence in March was remarkable.  With hardly any tourists I didn’t have to wait to see the David, and I only waited maybe 5 minutes in line to walk the steps to the top of the Duomo and the same to enter the Uffizzi museum. It was a delight to be in Florence, a tourist Mecca, in the off season. 

It happened to be a lot like Seattle in March while I was there.  Grey, drizzly, fresh crisp air.  And even in the “dreary” winter Florence was a gem.  As soon as I stepped out side, I was that person that took a picture of every street I walked down because every street was more charming than the last.  But this time I let my shutter sleep for a while, I had already made an entire photo album dedicated to the Duomo, and was happy not to feel rushed to capture every moment.  And in the sunshine of summer, Florence was illuminated in a way that I hadn’t seen before back in March.  Piazza della Repubblica gleamed a different kind of yellow.  The shutters were a riper green.  The Arno was a little muckier.  The gelato was drippier and much more satisfying.  It was like seeing a really great friend again after a long time apart.  Florence, even with the tourists, was still enchanting

In my two days in Florence I managed to run into my friend Antonio who has been studying in Ferrara and was visiting Florence the same day I was.  On my way to the train station I ran into Tyler and Andrew, also students of Middlebury’s Italian School. Since my train was leaving within minutes, we couldn’t really catch up.  But in 30 seconds I got two great big hugs, tons of “We’re doing great!  Couldn’t be happier!”  Then we said ‘see ya later’ and laughed at what were the chances…  I also made a point to go to my two favorite places for conversation.  They are right next door on Via Santa Margarita near Dante’s house.  The first is were I met Christiano who works at and owns this panino restaurant, just a tiny little whole in the wall, but with so much character.  Meats hang from the ceiling.  The walls are lined with wine.  Christiano hoots and hollers about how hot it is, and always comes back to his favorite topic: why Florence the best city in Italy.   I happened upon this panino place (and although I’ve been there a sack of times I can’t remember the name for the life of me) when I was with my best friend Emily.  We were meandering around the city when we realized we were both starving and that Emily had to catch her plane back to Paris in an hour.  Yikes!  So we jumped to the nearest place.  We got a “Dante e Beatrice” which was pecorino+prosciutto+balsamico and hailed a cab.  Not having any plans for the rest of the day I went back to the panino place, grabbed a stool, and talked with Christiano and his helper Bianca for an hour or two.  For the rest of the week that was my lunchtime routine.  So this time around, the Panino place by Dante’s House was first on my list. 

Then I headed to my second favorite place, to the best leather artisan in Florence.  Simone makes the finest quality leather boxes, trinket holders, picture frames, book ends, each one of a kind and emanate the craftsmanship of Simone’s extremely perfect work.  I only went to Simone’s store a couple of times.  The first time he told me all about how he made his boxes.  Some out of calf skin, others out of thicker leather.  He has a jewelry box in the shape of a seashell about the size of two footballs, that takes him about a month to make.  The second time I walked into the store was to buy a present for my brother.  This time instead of talking about his craft we talked about Obama.  This past Thursday Simone and I talked about music, talked about why American students are other “giovani” are always running around at night inebriated.  He said his business was going well.  He told me he had been published in the New York Times magazine as one of the 7 things to do in Florence.  On page 36 was a 3 x 5 of Simone varnishing leather.  Simone didn’t like how they called his workshop a whole in the wall, but I think he was just trying to modestly detract from the great press.  I had to run and meet a friend for gelato so said see ya later and told me to come back and actually stay in Florence for longer than just a couple of days… we will see.

And Florence ended with a lovely dinner with three really great gals that I met at Middlebury.  Over wine, delicious pasta, and a limoncello to boot, we covered all the bases. School, family, boys, and plans for next year.  I can’t even begin to explain how honderful it is to be in Florence, in that warmth of evening, eating food that feeds your soul, and having conversation with people you love and have missed.

Now to the last leg, 5 more days, not enough to see Rome, but enough time to accomplish what I need to.  Maybe I’ll meet another Christiano, or run into a Stefano and be told once again to go to Sicilia to eat, be happy and make babies.  And now, in my 6^th city in the past 3 and a half weeks I am equally overwhelmed and content that I am departing from Rome.  So tonight I’ll raise a glass, “cin – cin, a Roma!”