In the early evening all the Florentines gather for what was possibly the one thing I was looking forward to most here - the Calcio Storico ("historical soccer"). Within Florence there are four districts - Santo Spirito, San Giovanni, Santa Croce, and Santa Maria Novella - each of which is represented by a color and a team. Every June these teams face off first in the semi-finals, then the final contest on St. John's Day in the Piazza Santa Croce, which is converted into a stadium with a sand pit and two very small goals. It was insane to see all the spirit the locals have for their districts, chanting back and forth at the other section; our luck landed us on the blue side of the home team, Santa Croce! Think Boston fans times 10 - in fact, my friend and I wondered how an event like this would fly in Beantown. I know my brothers would be in attendance, that's for sure!
After nearly 90 minutes of ceremonial procession into the arena, the stormy clouds above started to wreak havoc. We hadn't seen rain like this in all of our time in Florence; after just 5 minutes, it was absolutely pouring! Thunder and lightning were looming in the distance, adding to the atmosphere of this storied event. The players had already taken their places on the field, each with hands wrapped like boxers, starting their Mike Tyson warm-ups. A small scuffle broke out before the ball was even in play. Just as the officials (a mere formality) were about to release the ball in play, the two captains approached the side table. Within minutes the announcer echoed something in Italian with great remorse through the loudspeaker. The gentleman behind us, whose 8 year old girl was huddled with us under my umbrella, looked at us with sadness and said, "NO GAME!". The crowd reacted appropriately with the Italian equivalents of booing and cursing. The game, for the first time in 37 years, had been postponed to next Sunday. We didn't spend much time dwelling on the fact, instead fleeing the smoke-filled downpour to begin the 15 minute walk back to our apartment. Few times have we been this physically miserable, but I have to admit the sports fanatic in me loved feeling the passion and spirit of the Florentines. While I was very disappointed we didn't get to see this brawl in its entirety, we did get a refund the next day, so not all was lost!
Photo Finish
Thursday was our last day of classes, marking the end to my photography career in Florence. I've learned so much in such a short amount of time about my camera, how to frame pictures, how to edit, and how to present them in a cohesive series. I'm so happy I chose to take this class, as I spent most afternoons doing "homework" assignments like taking pictures of life around Florence. Our last major assignment was to present a collection of our choice and be able to explain why we chose to photograph what we did. We also were going to print our collection with our lab's fancy inkjet printer, so keeping this in mind I chose to use pictures from one of my favorite nights here - the sunset on the Arno River from the Florence Boat Club. I particularly like the river as it reminds me a lot of the Charles back in Cambridge, juxtaposed next to a city and so peaceful to sit by all hours of the day. Here are a few of the pictures from my collection, as I've already posted some of the others here.
Goodbye Gelato & Farewell Florence
For our last night in Florence my friends and I celebrated the only way we (and most of Italy) knew how - food. Thanks to a recommendation we went to this small, rustic restaurant near the river. Per the waiter's advice, I ordered gnocchi alla sorrentina, gnocchi with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil. It was easily one of the best meals I had in all of my time here, though as my mom pointed out, there really isn't such thing as a bad meal in Italy!
The plan for dessert was one we had been scheming for a while. After weeks of careful and consistent research, we had all chosen our favorite gelato places and divided accordingly to grab our final dessert in Florence. A minimum of four flavors was required of everyone, since it is often so difficult to narrow it down to just two when ordering. On our last night, why choose just two? My gelato of choice came from a chance find across the river, one bridge down from the popular tourist hub of the Ponte Vecchio. While it was hard to choose my favorite spot, I had to go with the Santa Trinita Gelateria, as their flavor by the same name was just so delicious, a creamy vanilla base with caramel and fudge swirls. I tossed in a scoop of the classic stracciatella (chocolate chip), which I've learned goes nicely with menta (mint) to make your own mint chocolate chip. And of course I needed my all-time favorite ice cream flavor, caffé (coffee) in the mix as well. If there's anything I've learned thus far in Italy, it's how to find good gelato! While again there is no such thing as "bad" gelato, the best comes from places whose case is NOT shoved in a narrow window, whose gelato is not mounded from the night before, and whose line extends somewhere near the door. The rules are simple, but if obeyed, you're in for a treat!
We all met up from our respective gelaterie to enjoy them one last time on the Ponte Vecchio after sunset. A two-man band played a mix of American and Italian songs while a boat tour passed below. The Florence Boat Club was hosting an outdoor, Gatsby-esque party with fancy tents and cocktails. It was truly a perfect night and a fitting end to our five weeks in Florence. Just like I fell in love with Boston not too long ago, I have to say that Florence really has grown on me. It will always be a special place for me, as it was the first city I had ever been to in Europe and the first place I've ever lived abroad. I'm going to miss the nights on the Duomo steps, weekly visits to the fruit vendors in the Central Market, aggressively early trips to Gusta Pizza for dinner, and most of all, the incredible views of the city from the top of the Duomo and Piazzale Michelangelo. I can't wait to return some day with friends or family and show them my favorite spots!
When in Roam
There was about one week between the end of my Florence program and the start of my next program in Tuscania, and since I had to vacate my Florence apartment, I headed down to Rome a few days before the rest of group 2 arrived. My friend Steph has been working in Milan this summer, so fortunately she was able to come down for a couple nights to explore the city with me! We stayed at the orientation hotel in the neighborhood of Trastevere, located across the river away from the main historic sights. I didn't get a chance to come over here during my prior excursion to Rome, so we were excited to live in this part of the city mostly inhabited by locals.
After surviving the madness that was the Roma Termini train station, we checked in to the hotel and set out for a quality dinner. After a month in Italy we've devised a set of rules for choosing a good restaurant. Rule #1: The restaurant may not solicit you to eat there once they catch you reading their menu. The good places don't need their hostesses offering to pay you (but actually) to eat there, or assisting you in finding the part of the menu in English. Rule #2: The menu should not (or very minimally) use English. Rigatoni and lasagna are pretty universal and no English means these places are popular among locals, another good sign. Rule #3: On no part of the menu should you see the word "hamburger" or an Italian variation thereof. They don't exist here, and for good reason. Rule #4: Restaurants on small, secluded side streets are often the best. The ones on the main tourist drag prey on confused Americans lured by the words "tourist menu." The little family run places beneath the hanging laundry warrant attention. Bonus points if you witness the mother in an apron and hairnet carrying a wheel of cheese up from their apartment across the street (also a true story).
Steph and I went 3-3 on the meals, having a taste of the Roman specialties like rigatoni al gricia and spaghetti all'amatriciana, a traditional Roman sauce made with bacon and tomatoes. After walking nearly the entire circumference of Rome during the day, these meals were just what we needed. Since Steph is returning to Rome with her family at the end of the summer, we avoided the usual tourist spots, instead spending our days climbing the hills of Rome for some panoramic views. We also stumbled upon a few hilltop churches in the residential area of Rome, giving us a peek at some beautiful Italian brides!
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| Pinocchio was written by Carlo Collodi, a native of Florence, so we see a lot of figurines for sale! This shop you could see them being carved right in the window. |
Steph returned to Milan Sunday afternoon, leaving me with about two days to entertain myself in Rome until my next session arrived. Since I now feel like a Roman local taking public transportation and dining in all the local spots, I didn't feel too obligated to visit all the typical tourist landmarks again. Instead I used the time to relax, work out on a European treadmill, and of course, eat. I spent Monday lounging in the Botanical Gardens by the Japanese waterfall pond overlooking Rome. It was such a peaceful day and a great change of pace from everything! I also used the day as an opportunity to revisit a bakery we had found the day before whose aragostine ("lobster tails") filled with Nutella were impossible to ignore (or get only one of). These Italians sure know how to do carbs. For dinner I treated myself to a traditional Italian meal of an antipasto, primo piatto, secondo piatto, and dolce. Though it sounds like a lot, it is all portioned differently than the states, so it was just enough! I went with the Italian staples of bruschetta, lasagna, pollo arrosto, and finally tiramisu. Aside from the awkwardness of eating alone at a restaurant, I discovered that finishing a liter of acqua naturale by yourself is somewhat like the cinnamon challenge. Nonetheless my meal was delicious and a perfect end to my little Roman vacation!
It won't be long now before I'm back in the States, but until then I am looking forward to the many more adventures that await me in Tuscania. A town of only 8,000, this will be a very different experience than Florence and will surely immerse me in even more Italian culture. We've got trips to Viterbo, Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii, Capri and Sorrento coming our way, and now that I've figured out how to use this camera I'll be sure to document accordingly! As Bon Jovi once said, "woah, we're half way there." Italy part two, let's do it!
Arrivederci!
Megan
So proud of you!!!!
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