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Published: September 22nd 2010
Photo 2
Love locks on the brides and chains surrounding the Ponte VecchioFlorence has proven again its majesty. But not majesty like a famed city made of gold, or a romanticized time of Kings and Queens, but instead more hidden and subtle.
The architecture that holds the old city together is like walking through the pages of a history book. The churches stand as permanent shadows of the past, as permanent reminders of the strength of belief in the past. On every street corner there is a church where today it is surrounded by bicycles and motorcycles, covered in tourist and surrounded by small bars and shops. Standing quiet with its cool stone resonating into our modern walks. When I enter into these great churches I think not of being persuaded about the religion, but am amazed at what people can do when they believe in something together, collectively. To think that some of the greatest minds to this day originated from Florence. This is where Galileo Galilei, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Dante Aligheri lived and worked.
I am in a torn love relationship between my love of the familiar and my family and friends in America where everybody speaks my language, and my love of Europe and desire to travel
Sant'Ambrogio
The oldest church in Florence and speak new languages. Not just the language of words, but a different way of thinking about life and about myself. I want to expand my horizons. Be an international woman, an international warrior. I want to live and breathe from the top of my mountain and discover my life as the plan unfolds before my eyes. I want to stay here. I want to live ten lives here traveling across the globe to Bangkok, Thailand, Jakarta, Indonesia, Lima, Peru, and breathe the air in these places and say this is life. And one day I will settle down and be with my family and the familiar again. And one day all of this will be familiar. I want to make money to support my jumping from dream to dream.
I got so lost in the city today. Got the urge to go running so I wanted to get close to the Arno because there are parks next to the river and it’s also out of the way of the tourists, here there are real Italians going about their real lives. I live in the city center, no Italians want to live there. It is too crowded with tourists.
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Vespas and Motorcylces surrounding old city wall In fact when I was walking to the park anxious to run I got impatient because I couldn’t get to the trails fast enough so I started running in the streets. I ran so far and found the river and ran along its banks as the sun was setting. It was beautiful and refreshing to get outside of the buildings. In the river, groups of young adults were training in rowboats and people were out walking their dogs, kids were riding there bikes. I started to head back and got so lost! At first it was fun but after an hour not so much, my feet were hurting. On the way I saw so many cool places, health food stores, artisan shops, normal stores, like ones that sell pillows, which is a rarity in the center. I am surrounded by shops that sell boots, purses and jewelry but no necessities, and after a month I am ready for the real deal. Gimme the pillows and gimme the netty pots, where do the real people live! So I found all of this while lost, but probably couldn’t take you back there again because I was lost for about an hour and
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Stop lights specially for bicycles!!! Wow a half. It’s OK though, I finished the night with a delicious home cooked meal with friends, comfortable and complete.
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Kristina
non-member comment
I.Love.you
Gretchka! I loved loved loved this entry!! You just expressed...more romantically...my own reflections about being in Europe. Keep writing, I'm living vicariously through you!!! The pictures are gorgeous by the way! And keep getting lost, that's my favorite thing to do in a new place...just get lost and see what happens :-)