The icecap has melted in Florence!

No exaggeration, check out the FROZEN arno from last week (those birds are STANDING on ice!)...

But, the good news is that even though today is a little gray and cold, the weather is getting better! Rob and I ventured out last Thursday on a beautiful and sunny day. I almost forgot how damn blue the sky gets here during Spring, Summer and Fall. In our warm weather bliss (actually, it was only low-50's, but it felt heavenly), we treated ourselves to lunch at Trattoria Anita.

If you find yourself in the Santa Croce/Palazzo Vecchio area and are looking for a delicious and budget-friendly meal, Trattoria Anita is a great choice. For 9 euro (plus a 1 euro coperto that includes bread), you get a primi, secondi and contorno (side dish). Apparently Thursday is lasagna day and Rob was all over that. I rarely make lasagna because of my issues with dairy, so he was a happy boy.

Crossing our fingers that the sunny, 60-degree weather in the forecast for later this week comes true!

Vintage Cars in Piazza della Repubblica

   

   

About once a week the Wifi in the apartment stops working for a few hours. We used to let it upset us, but now we just take it as a sign that we're working too hard and that the internet elves want us to take a break :-)

This past Thursday when the internet decided to shut off, we took a walk to the city center. Imagine our surprise when we got to Piazza della Repubblica and saw a vintage car festival taking place! It was a small, but fantastic setup -- the cars and motorcycles were arranged from oldest to "newest," so you could see the progression of technology and design. Rob loved the red Alfa Romeo and I really loved the blue car from the 1920's.

I'm forever amazed by how easy it is to stumble upon amazing things like this in Florence. Whether it's a Renaissance flag festival or a car show, there is always something happening here.

Christmas Market in Santa Croce

Yesterday we took a mid-afternoon walk (with Winston, obvi) to the German-style Christmas Market in Santa Croce. This is our first Christmas in Florence, so we're excited to see as much as possible. As soon as we arrived at the market, we were instantly drooling over strudel, pretzyls, cookies, candy, spices and more. If Winston wasn't with us I'm pretty sure we would've lingered for a while and made some bad (but oh-so-delicious) food decisions. We did warn Winston that if he misbehaved too much on the walk that he'd end up like the roasted big below (kidding, kidding).

It was a perfect, overcast early winter day -- crisp, but not cold, and quiet. It is amazing how the city transforms this time of year. We walked by the Uffizi, through Piazza della Signoria and it was so enjoyable. No crowds and peaceful. I wonder what July visitors to the Uffizi (that waited in line for 4 hours) would think about seeing the place totally empty.

What other holiday events in Florence do we need to know about this month? We don't want to miss anything!

P.S. This was Winston's longest walk in a long time and we were so proud of him! A few months ago he was diagnosed with Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration (SARDS). It's been a huge adjustment for us all, but he's been such a trooper. I think the quieter city streets this time of year are helping to make him more confident walking around!

The work of Clet Abraham?

The other day, Rob and I spotted this store's marquee with a little extra somethin' going on. I've read about Clet Abraham's sculpture on the Ponte alle Grazie in early 2011, and seen street signs with my own eyes, but this is the first time I've ever seen a shop that appears to have received the Clet treatment. Thoughts?

Any other spottings around the city that our fellow Florence residents can share?

Living in Florence: What's Right Outside Our Door

I love this picture that my mom took of me walking down the stairs at Boboli Gardens. I see this photo and I'm reminded of (1) how small we all are in the world and (2) just how amazing the city that Rob and I call home really is!