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Published: October 13th 2007
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Hello Bump!
16 weeks today! After our mini-marathon in Rome, we decided that we needed a break from our walkin' shoes. And besides, they needed to cool off a bit and rebuild their tread! 😊
So here are just some interesting observations we have made living abroad now for 3 whole weeks. Enjoy!
As any pregnant woman will tell you, you get cravings...all the time. Which is fine when you can procure the things you are craving. Not as easy when you are thousands of miles away from familiarity and the Mexican Fiesta restaurant in San Diego. We did, thanks to the advice of a friend (yes, Rebecca, thank you), pack some crave busters. We brought boxed Mac and Cheese, taco seasoning, tortillas, hoisin sauce, trail mix and a few other "you-can't-really-get-these-in-Italy" items. For the most part I have been able to feed my cravings - but you have no idea how much I would pay for a Mexican Fiesta bean burrito right now!!!! Let's just say, far more than the 2 bucks they cost!
So, this leads into my next topic of grocery shopping for the familiar. Each time we go to the store we are obviously looking for staples: eggs, milk
(and not the gross, shelf-stable stuff), bread, etc. But every once in a while we come across "treasure". Ridiculously overpriced treasure, but treasure nontheless. And by treasure I mean ANYTHING AMERICAN! We have found soy sauce, baked beans, hot dogs, pancake mix (that took nearly 2 weeks to source), maple syrup, Frosted Flakes, one Snickers bar, and oatmeal! Every time we find treasure, we buy it because you never know when the Rixlet will shun all things Italian and want Mac and Cheese! It must be pretty hilarious to see two grown adults at the grocery store rejoicing over soy sauce! We had fried rice that night and it was spectacular! 😊
Now, don't get me wrong, we are also addicted to some local cuisine. Pugi pizza is a prime example. There are TWO Pugi's within walking distance of our apartment, and thank God for that, because you never know when a Pugi attack will strike. Technically, Pugi is a Focaccieria - meaning they make focaccia. But they also turn their focaccia into pizzas - and we dare say, the best damn pizza we've had on this trip. The best part is that they sell it by the kilo,
And Right Next Door...
A small, yet spectacular Florist Shop so you can get as much or as little (ha!) as you desire. We found their website at http://www.focacceria-pugi.it/english/chisiamo.html and you better believe we are going to try to bring them home with us!
And now a note on smoking in Florence. We have determined that we are the ONLY non-smokers in the entire city! And there seems to be no legal smoking age as cigarettes are sold out of vending machines on the corners. Thankfully, you can't smoke (Vietato Fumare) in any buildings or on the bus. But the street is another story. I have often wondered if the smokers add more to the smog layer over the city than the cars/buses/mopeds combined. The extra fun part of this is that, as any pregnant lady will tell you, I have an extra sensitive "Spidey-sense" of smell. I can smell a cigarette a mile away (not necessary as the nearest one is typically within 2 feet, but still, I could if I had to). And with this heightened sense, it grosses me out even more. But c'est la vie - can I really complain? After all, I'm in Florence!
Becoming a local. The other day I decided that
Jen Taking a Tuscan Bath
Now who would leave a perfectly good ancient tub just lying around? I needed to go shopping for a dress for the cruise. I didn't really pack anything nice because that wasn't the aim of the trip. But if we are going out on the high seas, I should probably have a dress in my suitcase. And since Gus would rather NOT shop, we split up for the afternoon. He went to a piazza to draw and I was off to the shops. My first stop, as it often is, was Pugi for a slice of heaven...mmmm.... Then I worked my way down to a great shopping district. This was the first time I felt like a local. On my own, with a mission, and not a tourist mission. I walked right past the market at San Lorenzo without giving it a second glance. I marched by the Duomo without even giving it a nod. It was weird, but I was really frustrated by the swarms of tourists...they were in my way...I had a mission. Then I wondered what it must be like to really live in Florence. I can imagine that you figure out ways around the city that involve as few tourist destinations as possible. You can always tell a
A Friendly Florentine Feline
Ha ha! I love alliterations! local from a tourist. The locals walk faster and dress nicer. The tourists dawdle and gawk and are often wearing the very telling white sneakers! Horror of horrors! Now that we have been here a while it is fun to play "who's a tourist" when we walk around.
Anyway, it was the first time that I felt like I
live in Florence. Grabbing lunch on the run and attempting to run an errand. I loved it! I didn't need to consult any maps or calculate a bus route, I knew exactly where I was going and felt comfortable navigating all the crazy little streets. We have walked around and bused around the city enough that I feel like you could plunk me down somewhere and I could find my way back home on foot or by bus. It's a pretty cool feeling.
I didn't actually find a dress that day - but that was okay - I felt accomplished anyway. 😊
Ciao ciao!
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Rebecca
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Bump Alert!!
You look so preggo and so cute!!! I love it! And I'm glad to hear the cravings are "almost" being taken care of. Fiesta burritos await your return. Rock on, local girl.