the little things.

I've noticed in my wanderings throughout the city that it is the little things that seem to make the biggest impression on me. The dilapidated bicycle on the side of the road or the cracked flower pot in the shuttered window. Its these little things that we dont have back in Los Angeles at least. If we do its just run down looking, somehow here its charming and intriguing. Maybe its just because its Italian but its just more aesthetically pleasing to see a rusty bike leaning up against a stone building centuries old than a concrete skyscraper built seven years ago.

I had time this morning so I took the slightly longer way to class and wandered through

the busy streets, trying to take time to notice all these little things. On the one main street I take to school is filled with store windows intriguing and beautiful enough to fill up a persons artistic comprehension (ok so I dont know if thats a thing, but Im jut gonna go for it..) for the day. One of my favorite stores is a wedding dress store called Atelier Aimèe. Ive never really been one of those girls that plans out every detail of their wedding ahead of time, never had any really ideas about any sort of thing like it really, just figured its so far into the future that why deal with stuff like that now. But every day I pass this store I am seriously tempted to go in and start trying on each of the beautiful dresses. Then I figure once I do that I will end up talking myself into needing one, you know just to hang out in, so I walk on the other side of the street and gaze at a safe distance.

I also always kept passing this little church. Yet day after day it would be closed. Naturally, I was intrigued and desperately wanted to go in, more just because it was closed than anything ( I figured it would be amazing I mean it is a church in Florence right?) This whole week though I have been gravely disappointed each day I have walked by, only to find people sitting on the steps eating a panino (no, not a typo in italian 1 sandwich is a panino and more than one is panini so really when you order 1 panini in the usa you should receive several) and drinking beer's (in Italy it is legal to drink and have open bottles of alcohol in the streets, so when you come visit me dont be surprised when several people walk by drinking open huge bottles of beer and what not). But finally today as I was walking by I glanced, saw the usual crowed, and I continued walking. But then heard intense organ music. Turning around I saw that the cute little church, Chiesa di Santa Maria de' Ricci, was indeed open! I ventured in and was enveloped by overpowering organ music. It was incredible to hear such sound resonating throughout such a tiny little church. The high ceilings allowed the sound to fill up every inch of the building and surround you totally. Like everything else in the church, the organ was not that large but the sound it produced was incredible. There was only one other man in the whole building siting in the front row, a little old man and was swaying back and forth and moving his hands as if he was conducting the music. The phenomenal sound, the little conductor man, the dim candle lighting in the middle of the afternoon was all a truly wonderful experience.

I had to tear myself away to go to my language class in which we further analyzed La Testa degli Italiani. Today we spoke about italian driving. A truly different driving experience than any other city. To Florentines, lanes are only suggestions of where maybe to drive, blinkers make nice noises only to be used when one feels like to, speed limits do not actually limit anyone, if you dont fit into a space while parallel parking - no problem just sorta park in the space with the rest of your car sticking out into the lane, pedestrians and bicyclists should stop for you after all a cross walk and just more suggestions in the road like the other lanes. Note : if walking in Florence always be on your guard, you never know when a car or vespa might come rumbling through at 900 mi/hr.

After, we had our history of Florence class. We spoke about the past government of Florence which got a little dense. In general though the class is very interesting. I always knew Florence had a deep history but never knew to what degree. Since so much of the Renaissance happened here, American history classes tend to only focus on that aspect of Florentine history but there are so many more interesting things in Florences's past that helped shape the wonderful city.