vidya

Allora. I am so far lost in the paradise that is Florence. Like many of us, I'm kind of hoping to find myself here, or at least somewhere close by. Of course, it could be that "myself" doesn't actually live in Florence and I'm here just to soak up whatever is here.

As for finding a place, I also struggled with trying to combine all these different spots that fascinate me and my senses. I liked Santissima Annunziata a great deal for many reasons (one being our Italian teacher's statement that it gets a little seedy at night, as evidenced by Laura's story), but I worried that it would be biting off more than I could chew. I mean, it's not just Santa, it's SantISSIMA. I've come up with the perfect loophole. There's a bar at the piazza run by two adorable little old ladies. Through its window, I can draw the piazza. I was there last week with a few friends and we just had a beer and ended up chatting for a long time with these women. I learned so much about the garbage strikes in Napoli and I felt so welcome there. Their openness to communicating with us and giving/taking from the conversation made me feel less like an intruder in this new city, and more like a member of its atmosphere.

I have no photos yet, as my digital camera got terminally ill and right now is in a coma. I'm thinking to just pull the plug on it and get a new one. But I shall return to this colorful bar soon, both at day and night, to soak up whatever is there.

In the mean time, I post a few photos from my sketchbook.