Ciao Firenze!

I’ve been in Florence for less than 48 hours and I’m already in love with it. It is absolutely incredible here and it’s so hard to describe. The history, architecture, and art are everywhere you turn. Every building is old; everything is old. There is art everywhere and every building has a story. It is so fascinating. I’m trying to absorb it all at once and it’s like a sensory overload. I’m trying to pick up Italian phrases, but for some reason I keep speaking Spanish (maybe that last concussion did damage my brain…) and take in all of the history at the same time. Then there is just the beauty of the city. Old buildings even if they are just some little hole in the wall selling cheap souvenirs to American tourists are so pretty. The post office has a stained glass ceiling and marble pillars. Everywhere you turn there are statues or plaques of famous events.

Eccentric. There really isn’t a better word for this city. On top of the history that you typically think of in Florence there is modern day culture everywhere. Walking down the street you can hear opera on one street corner then Muse playing on the next. The shopping district with Fendi and Louis Vuitton is right next to the Piazza della Repubblica. The windows, doors, and statues are huge, but the rooms, streets, and sidewalks are tiny.

Florence has so much incredible history, but I don’t feel like that is as revered as it is in America. In the US historic buildings are practically guarded. I know there aren’t as many in the US as there are here, but it’s very strange to walk down the street and see graffiti all over ancient buildings and its not just in the alleys or in the bad parts of town like it is in the US. It’s everywhere! I’ve even seen it on the front of stores in the middle of town. I just found it really odd. Don’t get me wrong some of it is very cool and artistic, but when I see Darth Vader’s head on pillars heading to the Ponte Vecchio it sort of loses its appeal. I’m surprised that the city lets that happen. I can see letting that slide on trashcans and alleyways, but not on storefronts and historic tourist attractions.