Drying Clothes

This is a typical thing I see everyday in Italy; clothes drying outside on a clothing line. Dryers consume a lot of energy, and electricity is expensive. Therefore, people don't dry their clothes, sheets, or towels.  Flash forward 11 years later to 2020, I still dry my clothes on a line.

Original post date: 27 Sept 2009; updated on 23 Jul 2020

My Favorite Graffiti

In Florence, there is a vast amount of graffiti. The following is my favorite because it shows a distorted version of Florence, but at the same time it is artistic. It is located behind the Santa Maria Novella train station and the Fortezza da Basso.

Original post date: 27 Sept 2009; updated on 23 Jul 2020

One neat aspect to my Piazza

As most of you may or may not know, I live in a Piazza(square) near to the market of Sant'Ambrogio. On the last Sunday of every month, there is a market. I am not sure what time they set up, but, when I walk out of my apartment, I find this market.

You can find almost anything you want:
-Jewelry

-Purses

-Video games

-Lamps

-Vintage China Dishes

-Paintings

-Incense

-Table cloths

-Old clothing that sometimes reminds me of Saved By the Bell

The Sunrise and the Sunset

In Florence, two of my favorite times of the day are sunrise and sunset. The sunrise is especially pretty when the Arno river is a light blue color that almost matches the sky. One morning, I pulled over on my bike to take this picture. At this time, it is one of the rare moments when the city is completely quiet and still. It will only be an hour before the city starts its day with the motorcycles, cars, people, and bicycles. I enjoy these moments to just stop and smell the roses. I just think to myself, "wow, I really am in Italy. This is beautiful!"

The sunset is best at the beach even though in Florence it is also breathtaking. However, this blue picture was taken in Sicily on the Island of Ortigia. There is very little differentiation between the color of the water and the color of the sky. I think to myself how lucky I am to be here in Italy because most things I see have a beauty unlike any other.

Original post date: 21 Sept 2009; updated on 23 Jul 2020

The Market Experience

As a current inhabitant of Italy, there are many things I am lucky to have access to. One of which is having a market right behind my house. The market of Sant'Ambrogio is located on the slight outskirts of the center. This is where the Florentines do their grocery shopping. On the outside there are fruit and vegetable vendors.

There is also a part where you can buy clothes, shoes, household items, and jewelry. This part of the market is only the parameter. There is then a warehouse that holds the meats, seafood, cheeses and two small restaurants. One is similar to fast food where the service is quick and the waiters are hilarious. The other is "take out" for sandwiches, cold plates, first, and second courses.

After visiting the market several times, the people start to know you, you develop a relationship, and they start to give you discounts. For example, there is a certain meat and cheese stand that I frequent where the old man is your "typical Italian." "Oh you are so beautiful, look at those blue eyes, here, have some cheese samples." The man in this photo is my favorite. His name is Urbano and from the looks of the photo and his facial expression, he is a character, ha. Both my mom and brother have been with me to see him. He is hilarious. Urbano takes such pride in his work, handling each piece of produce, etc with great care.

This market and the whole experience is one of the things I will greatly miss when I return to America.

Original post date: 17 Sept 2009; updated 23 Jul 2020

The Questura

Oh boy oh boy. You think you know about what it's like to be an immigrant in a foreign country, but you have no idea... Bureaucracy can be challenging.

So let's talk about my morning shall we? As you may or may not know, today I went to the Questura *police station/immigration office* to apply for what they call a "Permesso di Soggiorno" This is basically a permit of stay. It allows you to stay in Italy for a longer period of time even if your visa is expired...

I filled out lots of paperwork, jumped through a few hoops, and finally made it to the appointment today. I arrived to wait in the line of other immigrants at 5:30am even though the doors don't open until 7:15. So after I arrived, there was a moment where I thought "I wonder if anyone else just wants to throw their hands up and just say screw it, this is ridiculous." But because I am a survivor, I knew I had a responsibility. I have worked too hard just to be told "no, nice try."

After waiting, I got inside to wait some more until the workers arrived. On the bright side, there were many chairs, so after being on my feet for about 2 hours, it was nice to sit down. When you get in, you must take a number from one desk. You must wait for your number to be called, go to the window, and then they give you another number. You have to be careful about how much water or coffee you drink before your appointment because there is NO opportunity to use the bathroom. If you miss your number being called, too bad for you, it's over. So on a lack of sleep and hydration, you must be patient and alert enough to except all of this. If you are missing a document or even small thing from your packet of information, they send you home and say see you next year.

Today the appointment went surprisingly well. I had a book, music, and piece of fruit. After my waiting, I walked up when my number was called, handed over my documents, gave my thumb prints, and left. I had brought my bicycle to ensure quick arrival and exit. Before leaving, I received a letter saying that I had succeeded and I was to go and pick up my "Permesso" on the 15th of October.

It is true, good things come to those who wait/or have the patience to do a lot of hoop jumping. There is just a different level of organization here. It doesn't make it wrong or right, it is just different.

What I'll Miss About Italy

Even though there are daily challenges as being a foreigner in Italy, there are some things that I will always miss.


1)The ability to ride a bike anywhere in Florence without even thinking about it to and through the following places:
-The Duomo
-Santa Croce Church and Piazza
-Over Ponte Vecchio
2)The aesthetic beauty of the city and the mountains
3)The many motorcycles and the way the Italians drive
4)The style of the men and women
5)The food
6)The wine
7)Fresh fruit, vegetable and meat markets right behind my house
8)The months of January and July for sales
9)Italy in the summer
10)The lights at Christmas
11)Teaching English to the Italians
12)The view from my window
13)The people I know
14)*only sometimes* the way in which things are laid back in this country, somethings are done with more time
15)My bicycle
16)Sunrises and Sunsets
17)Every beach vacation or beach day I've spent in Italy or Europe
18)The way that it is easy to travel from country to country
19)The Eurostar train ride from Florence to Rome or Rome to Florence
20)People watching and not feeling weird about it because chances are, you're not alone
21)The Italian accent when speaking English

This post will probably be edited numerous times, but as of now, this is what I can think of.