Liz Walworth

I was walking around the other day trying to clear my head, and I found a little sitting area by the river that looked appealing. So I sat down and took a break.

Florence can be a little overwhelming at times. People always seem to be in a rush when I bump into them on the narrow sidewalks. When such a collision occurs, I say sorry, but am still often the victim of a mean look. And mean looks always seem to look meaner when you're away from home. I try to stay out of people's way, but there's so much going on in so many directions that it's truly amazing I haven't been hit by a bus. I hate to make myself sound so feeble, especially since I consider myself to be a pretty strong person. I suppose everyone reaches a point when they need to get away from it all, even if it's just for a few minutes.

That's what this little sitting area seems to be: a place where people go to take a break. The water drowns out most of the city noise, but you can still hold a conversation with friends. It's a great place to relax your mind, but there are a couple benches there if you need to give your legs a rest, too. I remember seeing a man sitting down, just staring blankly into space. I decided to stare out at the beautiful view, and most of the pictures I posted show what I was looking at. Sometimes you need a little separation from the city to truly appreciate it.

Then I decided that whatever space is, whether it's something that we create in our minds or something that exists on its own, space is something we need. I suppose space is the context we use to understand all the things that go on in the world, and as I've recently discovered, there's an awful lot going on in Florence. So sometimes I find myself in need of some space.