December Reflections on Living in Florence

In the past week or so we have finally gotten through some of the bureaucratic minutia associated with moving here and we are looking forward to transitioning to doing things a bit more fun.  After two trips to the bank we got our bank account successfully opened and online banking working (online banking web pages are entirely in Italian – thank goodness for Google Chrome!)

We have also unraveled the mysteries of going to the post office – go in, go to the ticket machine, take your specific ticket type (based on the nature of your specific question or need), wait 20 minutes to be called, then go to the window to buy a handful of stamps (thank goodness for Tabacchi stores where you can buy stamps in just a few minutes).  We also successfully submitted our application for Permesso di Soggiorno (Permission to Stay) – also at the post office – where we took a ticket, waited for 30 minutes, then spent 45 minutes at the window with the postal associate who reviewed our stacks of application forms and other documents, with our Italian speaking agent whom we had hired to provide assistance with this, before finally stamping our application as received for processing – not yet approved.  To obtain official approval to stay we have an appointment scheduled with the Inquisition (not the one at the post office) in January, and have been advised to bring food and water because we will be there about five hours.  And this is not to become Italian citizens mind you, only long term residents.  So just in case you were wondering, Italy takes immigration very seriously (as opposed to another country we know….)

So the first fun thing I did for myself since coming here was finding and joining a good gym.  If you know me you know my love of weight lifting, and Florence Fitness (a brand new gym in the city) really fills the bill.  Hopefully the strength training and walking everywhere 3-4 miles every day will compensate for the alarming increase in my pasta consumption since arriving here!  :-p

Additionally, Angie and I have attended two evening orchestra concerts so far, the first one pure classical music but the second included a number of traditional Christmas songs sung by a woman who must be singing opera somewhere because her voice rocked the cathedral.  Both, but especially the one at the cathedral of San Spirito, were just excellent. 

And then there is the eating out.  OMG, the food here is just beyond belief.  I won’t even try to describe it so let me just do this – close your eyes and image how a great meal made with good fresh, wholesome, all natural food products must taste – now open your eyes.  The food here is about 10 times better than what you just imagined….

Finally, I have joined a couple of online blogs about going skiing here.  The Italian Alps, the Dolomites, and the Apennines all offer excellent skiing, some as little as 2 hours from the city of Florence.  (“I feel the need, the need for speed…!”)  If I can work out the travel logistics (our car will not arrive until March) I plan to go skiing shortly after Christmas.

Clearly there is still much for us to do – obviously we still need to satisfy the final demands of the government bureaucrats so we can stay here – but - there are more churches to visit, more museums to see, there are the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, there is skiing in the Alps, just so much more to see and do.  And that is only for our time in Florence.  Beginning May 1^st we move into an apartment in a renovated farm house in the Tuscan countryside.  In short - our new life in Italy is only beginning.

Buon Natale – Merry Christmas !!