23 posts tagged “florence”

Bristol, scheduled 22.10, expected 23.05. It starts the same way it ended last year...with a delayed flight. It’s not unusual in this time of the year, it’s winter, it is holiday time. The bad weather affects flights and lots of people are travelling. What is a bit more unusual is what happened today. I found out at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, that the flight departure time was changed from 21.20 to 22.10. However I did not receive any communication whatsoever from Easyjet. Not an email nor a text. Not serious. Not a  big deal, I would have not missed my flight, but not serious. Apart from that it was a great holiday. Very busy time, that passed by very quick as always. Christmas in Florence with my family, then Milan and back to Florence for few days, a tour around Chianti hills, one night in Liguria, to end up in France... Côte d'Azur...mangifique...! I will have time in the next days to talk about all of that. Now it’s time to go back home...and it is not easy...! Not at all.

18 December 2009 will be a day that every Tuscan snow-lover will remember for long time. One of the greatest snowfall in the last 10-15 years, the first big snowfall I have missed on my land. Yesterday night I was so envy reading, in different bogs, all the posts coming from there, or simply looking at the Fabebook status updates and pictures from my friends. We had some proper snow last year, so I don't want to complain too much...but England is not the right place for it...I new it since the beginning. And also, the snow in your land, is always different. It's your snow.
It's unbelievable how I never get bored of it. A snowfall is something I could stare for hours...always the same, but always different.  A snowfall is something I could listen for hours...in all its loud silence. And then walking out...hear the steps, the only sound that breaks that silence, in the fresh powder, and feel the flurrying flakes caressing the face...it is something magic, something relaxing, something that gives me great emotions. Honestly. Only who share this passion with me can understand, for the rest it would sound weird. Not for me!

Mobile broadband is cool...! I think it does not work properly yet...I think it can be improved, but I think in the future it will be better and better. At the moment does the job though. And this is what it is using now. I was online on the train, even though on and off, I am connected full speed now at Gatwick Airport. I like also the O2 offer...a kind af daily pay as you go. £2 for 24 hours connection. Just what suits for me, the possibility of using it una tantum, i.e. when I travel in the UK. I know the iPhone, but not only, gives the possibility to be online anytime, but yet it is not the same. Despite their pocket-size.
I am seated at Sturbucks now, with a latte and a muffin. Flight is in two hours. Destination Florence. I have wisdom teeth to operation tomorrow morning, which I am a bit scared of. I will survive. Then on Sunday is my grandfather 90th birthday, and we organized a little party to celebrate. Few more days to recover in Italy and make sure that everything is going how it should, and then next Thursday morning I will make my way back to the UK.

I am writing from my bedroom in Grassina. The light is on, the window is closed. It is too hot to open it. The heat outside is unbelievable. The car thermometer said 40˚C, the official one stopped at 38.5˚C in Florence today. One of the hottest day I ever remember here. It’s not long since I tried the emotions of 50˚C in the death valley...that was another story...but I can tell you...being out at 4pm this afternoon was simply mad...!! Just now 2000 km from here is heavy raining with 15˚C. Bristol, I am talking about Bristol...Which ever I prefer I am not gonna tell you now...!

Not sure how many of my friends tried nonna’s food...but I am pretty sure all of them who tried it still remember it very well. I have always been a bit naughty on the matter...never asking nonna before inviting friends for dinner at her place... But the reason for this is because she is always happy when I bring my friends around. Once I took all my class from high school...20 ish in total... :))
Last in order of time were Antonio, Gabriele, Cecile, Jena and Sascha (Franco tried it already, so it was a  déjà vu for him!). Seeing how much we ate I am temped to say that they appreciated it a lot. After lunch, a digestive walk in the marvelous Florence to complete a great Sunday. Can’t remember when’s last time I saw the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo. I was staring at the panorama. Speechless.

Someone said it... I heard it on the Radio, on TV and I saw it on the map...! It will be a very hot week, for sure...and it might go over 30˚ for the first time since 2006...! We have time until Friday, then it will cool down... I am not too sure we are gonna brake the wall of the thirties, but if so I think Wednesday could be the day...! I am expecting some heavy scattered showers as well for next week... It is definitely gonna be interesting...  
Today high was 25.2˚ and I was feeling really boiling... How I could I cope with summer in Florence in the past I don't know...!!

I am writing while flying back from Italy. We are due in Bristol in about 50 min. I am quite tired. It has been a long bank-holiday weekend, spent between Liguria and Tuscany. Rapallo, Chiavari, Portofino and then Florence, Pisa. I wish I had more time for all of that. I wanted to swim...but I was forbidden to do so... it was not actually very very hot, but enough to get an idea of tan of the face. Rapallo is nice, the city centre, the waterfront, the harbor... it is all there...it is quite small but there is everything you need (except car parks!), and the mountains...just there, by the sea. Picturesque. We wanted to visit Montallegro Sanctuary, as well as we wanted to go the the “cinque terre” but didn’t have time to do all of it. We had to go to Florence for Ale’s baptism on Saturday, and then rush to Pisa for dinner with friends...! The same old story...every time I am back is almost impossible to find time to rest and relax. But in the end this is a bit what I want...so no complains. Soon we will land in Bristol, and tomorrow morning is already time to go to work. I have an interesting week ahead, interesting cos there are few things I want to do by the end of it. If everything works it will be a good progress and a good satisfaction. If it does not it will be a progress anyway...cos there is to understand where the problem lies and fix it...and I will eventually. But let’s thing about that after a good sleep.

PS. I am at home now...but it is just funny to say that we landed in Bristol in a wind and drizzle storm, the kind of rain that make you wet in less than a minute... No need to say the drop in temperature, from the 22 Celsius of Milan to the 9 here tonight...

It is the first time in 30 years that I saw the Scoppio del Carro, one of the most important and traditional event of Florence. It takes place on Easter Sunday, every year. Thanks to my uncle, lo zio Ezio, I could walk in the middle of the procession, together with the city officials, and it was a great emotion indeed. It does not happen everyday, it does not happen to everybody...! I think I will be in tonnes on pictures, especially in Japan...since there were thousands people in the street to see the event...! Traditions are fantastic everywhere...when they are tradition of your city they have always a special taste though...!