cioccolata passeggiata

puppet show • chocolate rusty tools • chocolate miniature dog family • balloon clown
We took a Sunday afternoon stroll to the weekend Chocolate Festival being held at Santa Croce. I have absolutely fallen in love with the passeggiata (promenade) while here in Italy - and the phenomenon seems to be the best on Sundays when everyone is off work, and out to strut their stuff. People of all ages fill the streets, and even though most shops are closed, people mingle in and out of gelaterias and window shop, just taking their time walking through the streets. Most people are holding hands or linking arms and chit-chatting about the week. Normally, we'll run into a happening of sorts somewhere in the city. I try to check the paper during the weekends to see if there is any type of festival or exhibition, and in most cases, there is. This week was no different, and since it's the middle of the Carnevale festivities, the streets were a little more active.

We arrived in Piazza Santa Croce in the afternoon, and were immediately greeted by a plethora of activities. There was a clown street performer on a box watching the people pass by, a group of little boys play fighting with balloon swords, and a make-shift stage with 3ft high marionettes dancing to gypsy music. We wandered through the crowds of people among 2 rows of white tents filled with different chocolate companies displaying their finest selections. We tried a chocolate truffle infused with balsamic vinegar, a liquorice flavored dark chocolate ball, and our absolute favorite: white chocolate balls with a crispy middle layer filled in the center with several drops of Sambuca! We first tried these at the Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia last October, and had our eyes out for them again this time.

There were some very interesting chocolate concoctions, including very realistic, true to size, tool-shaped chocolate bars with dry cocoa sprinkled on the outside to resemble rust. I don't really think I could eat one of these because it would feel too much like I was chewing on a rusty screwdriver, but there were people buying them though. Also, I saw chocolate Mr. Potato Heads, chocolate salon products, plenty of hot chocolate, and very expensive herb-infused chocolate truffles.

There was a small raised stage closer to the church side of the piazza, where there were about 5-6 kids jumping around throwing handfuls of confetti and spraying silly string everywhere. There were kids walking around in random costumes like it was Halloween, but during the weeks of Carnevale, it becomes an excuse for superhero and princess outfits to come out of the attic. Also, almost every street in town is littered with handfuls of colorful confetti as people just walk around with big bags of the stuff throwing it at will. Chris was waiting by a corner as we were leaving, and I was taking a photo of the puppet show...when I caught up with him, he turned around to reveal the left side of his head and jacket filled with blue silly string. He said that he was just shot with it by a little girl walking by. He was a little shocked, but I just laughed. It must be a fun week to be a kid!

an exciting afternoon

So, yesterday afternoon was quite exciting. After class, Chris and I stopped by a cafe that we'd never been to before, and I was pleasantly surprised by their fancy marocchino, which was topped with a thick pile of cacao in the shape of a heart atop the milk foam. The baristi were very nice and even recommended that next time we should try their caffe' with Nutella! Yum. We definitely will return to try that out.

About an hour later I met up with my friend Melinda at the Liberia Edison, a bookstore in Piazza della Repubblica. I read in the newspaper earlier this week, quite by accident, that there was an event happening there yesterday that I didn't want to miss...*pause*

Ok, so if I could have listed when we moved to Italy who were the top Italians that I'd like to meet, my list would begin as follows:
1) Andrea Bocelli. Love him and would love to have him sing me a song. I even found out that he was supposedly just 5 doors down from us back in November when a record-breaking auction was held for a truffle which sold for $330,000 at the Medici Palace.
2) Raoul Bova.
...I'll stop right there...because I get to check this one off my list! Yep. I met Mr. Bova yesterday afternoon. I use the word met very loosely, because I really didn't get to say hello or do the double-cheek kiss thing, but I did get to see him which was very nice indeed. Most Americans, at least, know him as Marcello from Under the Tuscan Sun although he's one of the more famous actors in Italy.

The event that I didn't want to miss was a meet-and-greet with Raoul and his co-star of the new film "Scuca Ma Ti Chiamo Amore". The film is related to a book of the same title, and the author was there as well. The bookstore had a window display for the event throughout the week, but other than a small ad on their website, the entire event didn't seem like such a big deal around the city. As soon as Melinda and I were walking in the entrance, a group of about 7 teenage girls ran in before us, and I was hoping that they were only there to buy the newest romance novel or something...but I was very wrong.

crowd along the balcony • raoul at the table • his blurry face
We quickly made our way to the 1st level where the event was being held, and continued one level higher to find a spot by the glass balcony with a good view of the signing table. Within about 10 minutes the place was completely packed with tons of ladies (mostly young), and only about 5 guys. Finally, after the building anticipation, we both tried to steady our cameras as Raoul and crew made their way in from a side door and sat down at the book signing table. The girls in the crowd were clapping, yelling, and then began to sing a song (all I could catch was something "bellissimo"). I was definitely amused at the craziness, but we both were getting a little annoyed at the girls behind us who were pushing against our backs and even propping their cameras on our shoulders. Unfortunately, my photos didn't come out well at all, since the flash wasn't helping, and every time I tried to hold it steady as I clicked the release button, I would get moved by the pushing girls. As you can see, as the time went by, and the crowds got worse, my (un)steadiness followed suit. (At least if you squint you can see his face :) )

He said a brief hello and spoke about the film (although it was so hard to hear over the chatter), then the author spoke for a minute or two before the flood gates were opened and a pushing line of women moved forward to get his autograph and cheek kisses. In my head, the event would've gone much differently (and involved a smaller crowd, more talking about the film, and a brief line to the signing table for a close encounter of my own), but boh, oh well! It was a fun experience anyway and it will be nice to see the movie now after seeing the main actors in person.

After we made our way back outside, we headed across the piazza for a nice lunch at a small enoteca / focacceria. It was a great afternoon to be in Florence, and to top it off, the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

the end.

visit to the parrucchiera

Last Saturday I finally began my search for a parrucchiera (hair salon) in town. It's been about 5 months since my last haircut (which was just before we moved). I'm picky about choosing a new salon and have been debating whether I wanted just a trim, or a completely new style. My hair had grown to a point where I didn't have much of a style, and it was the longest it has been in over 13 years. In some ways I wanted to keep growing it even longer, but ever since we moved here I've been having difficulties getting used to the extremely hard water. My hair seemed more limp and most days I would keep it in a ponytail. If I didn't straighten it, it would get frizzy, and I'd almost had enough.

So back to Saturday...I looked up several salons in town online with good reviews, plus I called a friend in town to see what she recommended. I walked around Florence in the afternoon and peeked inside about 3 salons that I'd found, to check out the atmosphere and glance at the price list. Every salon here has a price list either on the door or outlined in a pamplet that you can pick up. From what I've seen and read, most places are priced "al-la-carte", meaning everything from the shampoo, conditioner, cut, blowdry, and final style is priced separately, and you can choose how many or few things to get done.

My final stop was at the Aveda salon near Piazza Signoria. I went to an Aveda salon back in St. Augustine, and really enjoy the products and techniques. When I walked in, I immediately liked the atmosphere, and although it seemed quite refined (and thus possibly snobby), the people were very nice and the prices fair. I called them later to make an appointment, and when they asked "Per quando?" (for when), I immediately responded "Presto! Il prima possibile." (Soon! As soon as possible.) as I was then very excited and set on my decision. We set the appointment for Tuesday afternoon.

When I arrived, I brought 2 photos of the style I wanted, and had memorized a list of new Italian terms dealing with hair: un taglio (cut), la fringe (bangs), la riga (the part), asimmetrico (asymmetrical). I was greeted by a lady who took my coat, checked my appointment time, lead me to a chair with magazines, and offered me tea. After a couple of minutes, I was approached by Gianluca who greeted me and said that he would be my stylist. He led me to another chair and took down my ponytail. We looked at the photos together and talked about what I wanted. Every word was in Italian, but I feel like we were on the same page. Next, we walked to the shampoo station and he explained that a head massage with the essential oil of my choice was included gratis. Sounded good to me. I sniffed the bergamot, lavendar, and tea tree, and decided on the lavendar.

the new do
Some friends from St. Augustine bet that I'd end up going short while we were in Italy...and although I didn't chop it all off...they were partially right. I ended up with a cut that is much shorter, left my hair feeling a lot thicker, healthier, and strangest of all....CURLY! Yep. After my entire life of having straight hair (some mornings with a slight wave), I now have quite defined ringlets. I even got on video chat with my mom later that day and she was about to ask if I'd had a perm or curled it before I told her that it just happened naturally.

So with the curls, it looks even shorter. But I like it. It's a nice change - and at least I don't have a hairband in my pocket at all times anymore.

il vegetariano

Since we haven't really gone out to dinner much in restaurants around the city (as a means to try and combat our falling USD), we decided to finally take a "date night" out this past Saturday to a restaurant that I've had flagged since before we moved. The first strictly vegetarian restaurant in Florence, Il Vegetariano offers a fresh, daily menu of some of the tastiest veggie and vegan plates around. We'd had this place on our "must go" list for a long time and were so excited to finally try it.

I'd read a little about how the process works once you get inside, since it's quite different from the run-of-the-mill restaurants. When we arrived we noticed a small group of people outside of the unassuming entrance, but we walked into the dining room filled with several sized tables, no hostess, and no sign of what to do next. Many seats were empty, but reserved with coats, hats, and gloves. I knew that it was communal seating, so we just looked for 2 seats together (no matter if they were at a larger table with another party). With no luck in spotting a seat, I asked a couple outside if they were in line - they said that they were waiting on more people, but that there is no hostess, you just have to find seats and snatch them up before anyone else - but that a party of 2 shouldn't be too hard. We stalked the doorway and in about 5 minutes an older couple walked out, so we headed in to jump in their seats.

Luckily a server was coming out of the back, and motioned for us to head down the hallway as there was a bigger room towards the kitchen. We lucked out, as the 2 newly abandoned seats were at a private table in the corner with a great view of the entire room. We plopped our coats down on the chairs to serve as place holders and then headed for the kitchen....now this is the part that I was lucky to have read about before we got there, otherwise I would have had no idea what to do next. So now I'll back up to the beginning and outline the procedure.

The process is as follows:
1. Stand outside and peak through the windows until you see seats open, or walk in and down the hall to keep a watch on the back room as well.
2. When chairs open up, grab them and put something down as a placeholder (we'll have to bring other forms of possessions with us in the summer, since we won't have our coats anymore...)
3. Go towards the kitchen and look for the blackboard on the wall with the hand-written list of the menu items offered that day. There are 3 separate boards - one for the antipasti (appetisers), primi piatti (first courses), and secondi piatti (main courses); one for the dolci (desserts); and one for the drinks.
4. Write down what you want on the pads of paper provided at the cashier's table.
5. Hand your paper to the cashier and pay.
6. Get in line for the kitchen and grab a tray.
7. Wait until you reach the kitchen counter and hand your paper to the cook, then wait for the food.
8. After you have all the food on your tray, pick up silverware, glasses, napkins, and any specialty item (wine opener, pepper grinder, etc) from the antique pantry on your way back to the dining room.
9. Sit down at your table and enjoy!

There are a couple of servers that come around to pick up used dishes, and even with the trays (which seem cafeteria-like), when you're seated, the atmosphere is one of an active, artsy, young, and VERY Italian family. It is very laid-back and fit our style of dining perfectly - not to mention our vegetarian style of eating as well! The prices are very moderate, and we can't wait to go back soon!

_____________________

For anyone who may be interested in vegetarian options around Florence, we've been slowly compiling a list of places around town that cater to this diet. Even though it's not hard in general to eat senza carne (without meat) in Italy, since plenty of pasta dishes are vegetarian - the rice, pasta, bread with veggies over and over gets a little old, and we were looking for more creative protein sources like meat-substitutions. Our friends from St. Augustine who visited in November were so wonderful to bring us an entire bag of Fantastic World Foods dehydrated soy meals from the States (sounds tasty, I know...but it really is good!)

Finally a couple of months ago, our favorite grocery store Coop began to offer 2 "fake meat" patties. One with seitan and one with soy. We found a couple of really small health food stores in town with about 5 varieties of tofu blocks, but the prices were really high. Then a friend recommended the large health food store, NaturaSi just outside the center, which we rode our bikes to just before Christmas.

It felt like we won the lottery! It was wonderful to be in an entire store devoted to health food products again, including a huge selection of meat substitutions. We were able to get a couple types of "veggie sausage" to make our traditional Christmas Breakfast Casserole, and even some great tempeh burgers!

YUM!

clear day by the sea

beach club • huge clown • cotton candy
Well it looks like we may be having a warmer week ahead, which is great news! It's been quite cold and rainy here for the last week or two, with only one day out of five with sunshine. But this morning showed off a lovely blue sky and supposedly there's a warm air flow coming in from Africa that will bring our temperatures up to about 60ºF for at least the next 4-5 days. Last Sunday was the first day in a while that cleared up, if only for the day - but we took a spur of the moment trip to the coast with a friend of ours from class who invited us to go with her car. We headed to Viareggio, which is the main beach destination on the Tuscan coast and only about 45 -1 hour away from Florence.

We were all longing for a day outside, and what better place to enjoy the fresh air and natural outdoors than the beach - and away from the city. We enjoyed a relaxing day just strolling up and down the boardwalk and the wide sandy beach, which reminded us of the beach back in St. Augustine (until we turned around to see bathing houses and mountains in the background). There were quite a few people out for a Sunday passeggiata, but the streets were far from crowed when we arrived. We stopped in a cafe for a small lunch, and just chatted and observed the locals.

boardwalk • passeggiata • beach
It was a much different atmosphere around the streets than I've experienced in any other Italian town. The whole city feels a little more modern, and there weren't many tourists at all. Everyone seemed to have a pedigree dog of sorts and the Sunday passeggiata was taken very seriously. Women in fur coats, high heels, and Gucci sunglasses. Men in tight black leather jackets, designer jeans, and aviator glasses...and everyone with cell phones. It was quite a festive street with small carnival areas complete with merry-go-rounds and cotton candy, plus the street was beginning to be littered with colorful confetti in anticipation of Carnevale. The Carnevale in Viareggio is one of the oldest in Italy and it officially began today. There are detailed floats several stories tall and festivities which last for a couple of weeks. Even though we visited a week before the official kick-off, there were already signs of the party to come lining the avenue - bleachers, stages, bags of confetti for sale, costumes and masks in the store windows, and crowds. By the time we left just after sunset, we could barely walk anymore down the street because it was so crowded, but instead just shuffled our feet and floated as an organic mass with the thousands of other Italians.

amore • florida • another beach club sign
It was a great day for taking photos and I loved all of the private beach clubs, which line up for a couple miles between the boardwalk and the sand. All of them have interesting names with great typography on the signs reminiscent of the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 30s. Even the cafes seemed to have more of a diner feel than traditional Italian cafes. We returned to the cafe where we had lunch later in the afternoon for dessert. I had an affogato (cream, espresso, gelato, chocolate...must I go on?) which came in a tall glass with umbrella decorations, and was a great sugar kick to finish off the day by the sea.

characters in the city

hat seller • nuns at church • conversation on the steps
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
- William Shakespeare ("As You Like It")
There is a comfort in knowing that a certain level of familiarity is growing between us and this city, or rather the people of this city. Bumping into friends on the street, being recognized by shop keepers, and slowly finding constant characters in this transient flow of people. From our first month here, we began to recognize several specific characters who played reoccurring roles in our strolls around the city center.

Now let me introduce some of the characters in our play:

:: The Grass Man ::
He's the neighborhood "pusher" (which is an adapted English word also used in Italian). Our first encounter with him was several months ago as we were walking back to our apartment from some friends' house. It was late, the streets were quiet, and the large piazza was empty except for a group of pigeons. I saw him on the corner next to the sidewalk we were headed towards and I was a little nervous because I didn't know who he was or what he wanted. He looked quite scruffy and there were bottles of whiskey next to his bag. He approached us as we came closer with a scratchy voice (that to me sounds like a stereotypical Mexican accent, but with Italian coming out) and an outstretched hand. We kept walking as he asked "Vi servo marihuana? Hassish? Grrrrraaass?" Even though at the time we didn't know much Italian, Chris knew enough to say "No, grazie. Non fumo." as we kept walking.

Since we go to our friends' apartment quite regularly, we began to pass this guy several nights a week. He always had the same question. We always had the same answer. One night he had a (very drunk) old man with him who, after we said "No, thanks. We don't smoke", started chanting over and over at us "Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Ice Cream!". We held back the laughs until we turned the corner. I mentioned the Grass Man to our friend and she said that when she rides her bike home at night, he's like a "safe point" for her since he knows who she is. After about 4 encounters with the Grass Man, he just began to nod and say "Ciao Ragazzi!" (hey guys) to us since he remembered that he didn't need to ask about hassish anymore.

Over Christmas, we were dressed up for a holiday costume party and knew that we'd be passing him that evening, so we bought some Torrone (popular holiday sweet nougat bar), put a bow on it, and when we walked into the piazza we headed straight for him. He stood up, came right over, we exchanged our normal greetings, and then handed him the small gift with a "Buon Natale!". He looked surprised and then took our hands, kissed the Torrone package, thanked us over and over, and asked again "Vi servo marihuana?" - but perhaps this time as a "thank you". We said "no thanks"...but he added that if we ever change our minds we know where to find him.

:: Talking Man on the Corner ::
On the opposite side of the same piazza as the Grass Man, there was a regular character who sat on the corner everyday. We can only guess he is homeless as he had a big bag of random things and a pile of blankets that he'd sleep on. I'd see him in the day as well as the night, and always wanted to say hello or something. We heard him talking to nothing several times, so all I could ever manage was a small smile as we walked past. I at least tried to look at him as many people would just ignore. We had a Torrone gift ready for him during Christmas as well, but the night we walked by, it was the first time that he wasn't at his corner. I had just read a report in the newspaper that over 17 homeless people had been found dead around town in the cold temperatures and I immediately thought the worst. Luckily a couple days later we were walking by the toy store next to our apartment and Chris recognized the man walking past us with a bright red sweater (not new for sure, but looked like an entire new outfit for him). Since then he hasn't been at his corner, but we've seen him (sometimes talking to himself) a couple times around the blocks near our house. Hopefully he found a better home than the empty piazza.

a nonna watching carousel • street musician on ponte vecchio • cigarettes on the street
:: Sad Clown and His Dog ::
During about five different festivities in town we've encountered the saddest looking clown ever along with his ginormous blonde dog who always is plopped down next to the clown. Chris says the dog looks drunk. The clown wears plaid torn clothes, a small hat, and then looks like he just put cream on his face and threw a handful of baby powder over his head. He walks around making balloon animals for the kids. He's never an "official" entertainer of any of these events, but just comes out with the crowds to make a little money for the day I guess. Everytime we see him we laugh and say, "There's the sad clown and his drunk dog." Maybe one day we'll have him make us a balloon cat or something.

:: Cigarette Kicker ::
Above all the other reoccurring characters, this one gets the most puzzling looks from the audience and keeps Chris and I talking for a while after any encounter with him. The first time we saw this guy was at a very busy intersection down the road that we pass everyday. This particular day the corner was so packed that I was pressed between other pedestrians waiting for the light to change. The man in front of me looked like he slipped a little on the concrete, but then suddenly he began to back up (pushing all of us behind him back as well) a couple of feet and then did a quick shuffle of his feet again. I couldn't tell what was going on, but the light changed and the crowd dispersed. I got a better look at this unassuming character who was wearing a normal business suit, looked about 50 years old with salt and peppered hair. Finally when we could see his feet, we noticed he was kicking ALL the cigarette butts into the street and off the sidewalk. I literally stopped for a second in the crosswalk to make sure I was really seeing this. Yep. This is what was happening. And he would even back up if he missed one. Chris saw him then go into the middle of the road (one of the busiest roads in the center, with buses and all) and make a small pile of the cigarette butts that he'd kicked from the sidewalk. A serious OCD issue. We even saw him doing the same thing on a different sidewalk today. ...I mean, this is ridiculous anyway, but of all places...ITALY? It has to be one of the worst places for a phobia against cigarette butts.

So here are some of the characters in our section of town. I'm sure we'll get to share about more in the months to come.

my journey with italian caffe'

So I'm an official Italian caffe' drinker now. I thought that this would happen eventually...and alas, it has. I never was a coffee drinker at all in the States, and only had anything coffee about 1 time per month and it was normally a cold, ice-blended, mint-chocolate flavored, $4 concoction. When we visited Italy before, it was obvious that a small stop into a bar for a quick espresso is a big part of the culture, and so I did this several times but never felt the urge to continue. Chris has always enjoyed coffee - and almost "needs" some everyday. When we got back from Italy the first time he switched from American-style coffee to a French Press, then to a stove-top Italian espresso.

Since September, after we got settled in here in Florence, my coffee experience has been evolving. First, it was just standing awkwardly with Chris at the bar while he downed his espresso and having to nicely say "Niente per me, grazie" a couple times as the barista would make sure I didn't want anything. Next, it was moving to the cioccolato caldo (hot chocolate) so I could at least enjoy a drink of sorts during caffe' break at school. By the end of October I'd moved on to an occasional caffe' corretto (espresso with small tip of flavored liquor) - my favorite switched with my mood between Baileys or sambuca. One thing about this drink is that it should only be ordered in the afternoon or later (since Italian have very strong unspoken rules of exactly when a drink can or can't be ordered...if you slip up, you get the "eyes looking over the reading glasses" stare by the locals). Another example of this rule is that a cappuccino or latte macchiato should never be ordered after 10am (11am is pushing it, but the weekends lend themselves to a later cut-off time since people sleep in). So back to the caffe' corretto...I knew to only order this later in the day, but one day after a long morning with Italian bureaucracy, I ordered a caffe' corretto con Baileys and the barista made a surprised grown "hhhuuhh??!!", and I said yes, I know it's a faux-pas but oh well. BOH.

By the end of November I'd graduated to caffe' macchiato (coffee "stained" with a spot of milk) a couple times a week. Then finally about two weeks ago I began the trek that has led to my quite regular consumption of Italian caffe'...the marocchino. It's like a macchiato but with cacao between the layers of espresso and frothy milk - and it comes in a tiny (clear) glass that sometimes has a cute metal handle. I'm still searching for a cafe in Florence that puts a chocolate syrup on the bottom... But I now feel like I'm better assimilating to the everyday Italian culture and take the "Buon caffe'" greeting (which is used quite frequently) seriously!

Note: Sara at Ms Adventures in Italy has a great article about different types of Italian caffe' (including her favorite which I share: the marocchino)

7 things

Well, this must be the year for playing tag, because I got "tagged" again to participate in a post: "7 Random Things About Me" by Tina on her Tango blog. I've had fun reading other bloggers' posts on this so thought I'd participate. Since I wrote last year about 100 Things, this time I had to think for a couple more. But I did it (I'm sure you're very thrilled :) ) So here are (very random) 7 more things:

1. Other than being a very neat person in most all aspects of life (house always put together, closets don't hide messes, and I hardly ever kept stuff more than a water bottle in my car), there is an area where I deviate. My sweater shelf in our wardrobe is just a ball of sweaters literally thrown together. I figure that they can't wrinkle, most are made of a material that won't stay folded nicely, and even if they are folded and I need one on the bottom, all the others above it fall off the stack anyway...so I just don't bother anymore.

2. There were 4 main words that I couldn't pronounce when I was young:
• Cereal = "celaree" (and with my then southern-accent it sounded like "seal-a-rie"). My dad still calls it this today.
• Skunk = "stunk". I even argued with my first grade teacher about this on a spelling test using consonant combinations (sh, th, ph, st, sk...). There was a picture of a skunk and I wrote stunk, and told her "It is TO s-t-u-n-k! Listen: STa-STa-STunk." She called my mom laughing.
• Crutches = "crunches". Never could hear the difference.
• Think = "thank". This was attributed to my southern twang...I'm even on a home video reading a card out loud that said "Thaaaanking of yew".

some of my favorite photos from the graveyard of "Devil"
3. Every family has their "crazy" (or more than one), but during Thanksgiving in '06, a group of my family visited an old grave yard and learned stories of our ancestors (some of the firsts to arrive in the US)- including the story of "Devil" John Bethea. He lived with his parents in the country and they had a worker who helped around the house. John was sent of to fight in the Revolutionary War and while he was gone, the worker threatened to kill the John's parents if they didn't give him all their money. He didn't end up killing them, but instead poured hot pitch on Mr. Bethea Sr's head. When John returned home, his mother told him what had happened, and he vowed to get even. After searching, he finally found the worker, hung him from a tree, and supposedly had to break the worker's legs first because John was so short that he couldn't reach up high enough to hang him properly. Thus he received the nickname "Devil".

4. I won a national drawing from LIFE Cereal (or "celaree") when I was 8. There was a photo on the back of the box with about 50 people and also clues to figure out which one was the grown-up "Mikey" from the commercial he did when he was younger ("Mikey likes it!") *click here to watch the commercial•. I guessed right, sent in my game form, and was draw for one of the 3rd places prices, and got $100 check in the mail! This was the lottery for an 8 yr old.

5. I can get ready in the morning in about 10 minutes. And about 90% of the meals I make take about 10-15 mintues from start to finish (although you'd never guess it). I speed through a lot of things, but am learning to slow down a little.

6. I'm definitely most attracted to "warm" colors...almost everything in our house, my closet, and even makeup falls in this category. And since our place in Florence was furnished, I'm having to get used to blue.

7. I eat chocolate (in some form) everyday.

See. Told you they were random.

by the book

I was asked to participate in a posting titled "By the Book" by Jeni at The Passionate Palate. She included several books that I've put on my list for future reads as well! It's funny that I was just asked to write about books because I was just talking about this subject as I was planning resolutions for this new year. Last year I wanted to at least read one book per month. I know, I know, that this isn't really a big feat, but I've always liked reading, but seemed to get off track in a constant flow of books with everything else going on...but I stuck to that resolution last year and actually went well over my goal. It was a nice way to make sure I took a break from my busyness (especially with all the stress and planning for our move) and now I'm back in the habit of always having at least one book going at a time.

I was posting regularly about the books I read as well in the beginning of last year, but haven't talked about any in a while. We only brought a handful of books with us since they're so heavy to pack, but there are some great bookstores in town and also some good library/exchange programs. So now, on with the questions.

1. Total number of books owned: I have no idea. We have several bookshelves full back in Florida, plus several storage boxes at my parents house. We probably brought 10-15 with us to Italy, but were lucky to have an apartment with about 30 books already lining a shelf! I've already read 3 books on Florence, 1 on Tuscany, 2 Italy guides, 3 novels, and cracked open The Godfather from the collection.

2. Last book bought: Chris and I picked up some children picture books at a Christmas charity thrift store several weeks ago to help with our vocab :) and so I finished reading "Un Libro con le Finistrelle : La Citta'" (A Book with the Little Windows : The City) and also an issue of "Topolino" (Mickey Mouse) comic book. It's funny, but it's great for learning language in context with easier sentence structures and images to go along.

3. Last book read: I'm currently reading "When in Rome..." by Gemma Townley. Definitely a mindless girly movie in book-form, but fun...and it's in Rome!

4. Five books that mean a lot to me:
• The Myth of a Christian Nation by Greg Boyd. I wrote about this one last year.
• Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. (Also "Bella Tuscany"...but I read "Under..." first). I can't say this started the planning in my head to move to Italy, but it was always nice to read and dream! I took it with me to Cortona when I visited her home, but unfortunately she wasn't there to sign it :)
• Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser. A very informative and eye-opening book about the food, work conditions, workers, and corporate giants of American fast-food. It will probably make you think twice about pulling into a McD's for the rest of your life. Disgusting, sad, and changing.
• 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Even though this may fall in the "looks and sounds cheesy" category - this book really has meant a lot to Chris and I.
• The Shaping of Things to Come by Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch. A great look on how there needs to be a shift from the Constantine political reign of "Christiandom" to a humbling, helping, loving, and serving view that was embodied in a humble Jewish carpenter.

5. **I'M ADDING THIS CATEGORY ON MY OWN** Next books on the "must-read" list:
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late getting on the bandwagon for this one...but I began just as we were moving and didn't bring it with me.
• The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Clairborne
• Venice For Pleasure by J.G. Links (which I found on ThePassionatePalate's recomendations!)
• Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming by Paul Hawken (about social and environmental justice)
• A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena De Blasi

I won't tag anyone in particular but feel free to play along!

weekend festivities

epifania celebration in front of the Duomo
So there was a witch, cow, donkey, wise men, Robin Hood, and a goat in town this weekend. Quite exciting. To spite the rainy weather, this weekend was full of festivities around town for Epiphany and the arrival of Befana. The 6th of January in Italy is celebrated by the procession of the 3 Kings to the baby Jesus, and also the celebration of La Befana, a white-haired witch who legend says met the wise men the night they were searching for Jesus, and now fills stockings with candy (or coals for the naughty kids) on the night of January 5th. I'm sort of disappointed in myself that I never did take a photo of the witches hanging around town. Most of the store windows looked like it was halloween rather than Christmas time.

Also, yesterday there was the traditional procession of the kings through Florence between the Palazzo Pitti to the Duomo. We grabbed our umbrellas in the afternoon and walked around the festivities at the Duomo entrance. There was a live nativity scene with a cow and donkey (but minus the essential elements of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus - who we're sure were inside the church), and a billy goat meandering around eating the Christmas plants near the doors of the cathedral. It was packed with people and lots of umbrellas, and as the procession came closer from across the river, we were entertained by several groups of people in costumes. There were groups in bible-time clothes, some in Renaissance gear, and a small group of men in what could be nothing else than Robin Hood outfits complete with bows and arrows. They would approach the church and file inside lining up to give gifts to the baby Jesus. One group arrived with drummers, and then the loud speakers projected the singing of the children from inside loudly into the Duomo square.

The 3 Kings are the main act as they ride through the town on horses, but after about 30 minutes waiting in front of the Duomo in the drizzling rain, we headed to a bar for a coffee, and only passed a troop of more drummers and flag throwers and never witnessed the kings on horses.

Besides being the first day after all the holiday celebrations, today is also the first day of the official government regulated soldi (sales) here in Firenze. The after-Christmas sale in the stores lasts from January 7 through March 3 and starts around 30% off and then goes up with time. We don't really have anything on our "must-have" list, but we may look for a new jacket for Chris. It was the first day back to classes for us after a 3 week break. It was nice to be back in the books and continuing with our studies. As we get higher in the levels, our classes get smaller - and today we only had 3 students total! Very nice. Less people everywhere is quite nice right now, because (not that there really is much of a "low" season in Florence at all, but...) from now and through next month just before Carnavale, the streets should be a little less crowded - and I am definitely looking forward to that.

10 things :: per un buon anno

what we found during our first bike-ride of 2008 this afternoon
AUGURI! I haven't written a "10 Things" post in a while, and I thought that it may be a good way to welcome 2008 to "the olive notes...". The "10" are not New Year resolutions per se, but just 10 thoughts of what the new year may bring!

10. Friends :: you can never have enough, and we've been enjoying meeting new people here in Italy. I really miss our community back in St. Augustine, but know that no matter how many miles separate us or how much time passes between visits, they will always be as close as ever. Last night I was able to talk with a LOT of them since they were all gathered for a party in Florida (although it was almost 4am here!)

9. Bike Rides :: Chris and I just got bikes about a week ago and we're loving them! It's fun to get around the town a little faster and be able to explore more areas that we didn't on foot.

8. Italiano :: Language classes start back on Monday and I plan on improving my Italian with every passing day.

7. New Traditions :: It's been fun taking part in new traditions here in Italy, and I look forward to the visit from Befana next week, Carnivale in February, and all the Easter festivities in the spring.

6. Guests :: We have our calendars marked out already for several guests from the States that are coming to visit in the coming months and we always look forward to hosting and showing people around!

5. Visits :: As I've written about before, there are still quite a few places in Italy that we want to visit, although one could take years exploring the country. Definitely on the list: Amalfi (again), Puglia, La Marche.

4. Involvement :: It's taken a while to get settled in and find a way to really get involved in the community at a core level past the transient flow of this city. I hope to volunteer somehow or find a way to contribute to this beautiful area and the people living here.

3. Photos :: I take a lot of photos as many of you know, and I know that I'll be taking a lot more this year...don't worry, I'll be sharing!

2. Contentment :: Even though living in Italy is sometimes more hectic (bureaucratic inefficiency for example), in the most part it is teaching me to slow down quite a bit (and also live with a little less "stuff"). Chris and I have been reflecting lately on how blessed we are to have been able to experience the things we have in our lives and how we have wonderful families and friends - so I will keep reminding myself of this during the coming year.

1. Notes :: This is my 165th post on "the olive notes..." and there are already big plans coming soon...

By the way, we enjoyed an absolutely wonderful New Years last night with friends at a beautiful agriturismo in the Tuscan countryside for dinner and party. It was a great evening with dresses, fun glitterly makeup, food, drink, fireworks, sparklers, streamers, a huge dog, 2 cats, and a frozen swimming pool!

Buona fortuna per 2008!