Soaking in another day in the new Florentine sun

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Soaking it in-Parco delle Cascine
A father has a stick lodged into the back of a tricycle, right behind the pink cushion seat, sticking up perpendicular to be used as a handle to safely guide, secretly, his grandchild as she peddles as best her 7inch feet can. The Arno is flowing fiercely, and the fields and greenery around the park have been left to grow, grasses are now almost as tall as me, and the pathways are lined with flourishing plants, weeds, grasses, wild flowers, etc. Below, lining the rocky edges of the Arno west of the city center, are bathing-suited Italians soaking up the new summer sun. A game of bocce ball, the first I’ve seen in Italy this entire year, is being played on a rectangular patch of sand. The players are all bronze and brown and are being watched, cheered and criticized by the rest of their male crew leaning back in white chairs and a wooden table previously hosting a game of cards. Today a man on horseback trots by. I sit and rest a bit and partake in the soaking a bit myself. A man pauses behind me, and I know he’s about to ask me a million questions. Asks if I’m bronzing and I tell him I’m doing fine alone, thank you. Here by the arno, the breeze is clean and constant and the dry grasses and tall tree tops are shaking and rustling and waving their newly awakened selves.


The Famous Farmacia of Santa Maria Novella-Via Della Scala
A grand entry way, essences and herbs and medicinal liquors and perfumes in glass cases, chandeliers and frescoed ceilings, colored glass and urns filled with various medicinal herbs and powders.

The Dominican Friars of Santa Maria Novella in the year 1381 Florence, were growing medicinal plants in a near by garden, and distilling the flowers and herbs to make oils, essences and ointments. During the time of the plague, they sold rose-water as a disinfectant. What they started became a pharmacy in the early 17th century, and became famous all over Europe as well as being named “suppliers to his royal highness”, the Grand Duke Ferdinando II. The pharmacy continued on through rough times in the 18th and 19th century, and was rented in 1866 by Cesar Augusto Stefani (who rented it from his uncle Fra Damiano Beni), whose decendents run it today.

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