Go here. Go now!! SPF is your guide today. Destination: Firenze, Italia.
Sigh.
There is a reason why my darling D. lovingly refers to me as a "nagabond" (that's a vagabond who is continuously nagging to travel!) & SPF *gets* it! I literally have a "travel stash" (yes, near my infamous secret chocolate stash) in my closet - backpack with essentials to get me from here to there (I'll buy what I need if I don't have it). You wanna go to Rome tomorrow? I'm there! Ireland? Check. Japan? Bring it on! Heck, next city over from our little village? Yeah, that too! No, don't worry about the kids - if they hafta come along their passports are up-to-date! Poor D.!
SPF, can I join your "TSI" group??
As a "thank you" to SPF for speaking my mind & lovely tribute to one of my most favoritist cities ever...I leave you with a little story Baby Girl & K-Bug can totally back up...
One spring evening in Firenze, D. & the children & I were strolling via del Corso after our trice daily gelato fix, enjoying the twilight. We stumbled upon this sweet little chiesa - issuing forth were the dramtic strains of Bach on an ancient church organ. We entered into the dark, candlelit beauty. I'm talking chills-all-over beauty! They were raising money through music to restore this wonderful church. It was over all too soon & we re-entered the 21st century, continuing down the street.
I said to the girls that it couldn't get any better than this... Watch out when you challenge beauty! Shops were opening for the evening & we started to criss cross the street - in & out of cool little places. In one stunning window hung, like so many Christmas ornaments, jewelry of every imaginable type. Seeing the sign on the door (aperto=open), I plowed right in and looked into the started face of the creator of all this marvelous jewelry.
In my worst stunned Italian, I asked "aperto?" - and this drop. dead. gorgeous. (did is say *gorgeous*?!?!) Italian guy flashed his pearly whites and, with a twinkle in his eyes said to me, "For you, bella, I am open." Well melt me on your floor! Cliches be damned! I was purchasing putty in his hand. So were Baby Girl & K-Bug!
Time to transact, euro in hand, I watched this beautiful man prepare my purchases. No, he did not stuff them in a brown bag. He did not stick his stunning handmade creations in a box.
He lovingly wrapped each piece in tissue paper, further wrapped them in sturdy old-fashioned heavy paper, tied each one with beautiful twine, *wax sealed* the twine with his personal insignia (I kid you not!), and delicately tied his hand-calligraphied business card to *each* package! Just beautiful. I would have paid my money just for the package!
That's my Firenze!
Sigh.
There is a reason why my darling D. lovingly refers to me as a "nagabond" (that's a vagabond who is continuously nagging to travel!) & SPF *gets* it! I literally have a "travel stash" (yes, near my infamous secret chocolate stash) in my closet - backpack with essentials to get me from here to there (I'll buy what I need if I don't have it). You wanna go to Rome tomorrow? I'm there! Ireland? Check. Japan? Bring it on! Heck, next city over from our little village? Yeah, that too! No, don't worry about the kids - if they hafta come along their passports are up-to-date! Poor D.!
SPF, can I join your "TSI" group??
As a "thank you" to SPF for speaking my mind & lovely tribute to one of my most favoritist cities ever...I leave you with a little story Baby Girl & K-Bug can totally back up...
One spring evening in Firenze, D. & the children & I were strolling via del Corso after our trice daily gelato fix, enjoying the twilight. We stumbled upon this sweet little chiesa - issuing forth were the dramtic strains of Bach on an ancient church organ. We entered into the dark, candlelit beauty. I'm talking chills-all-over beauty! They were raising money through music to restore this wonderful church. It was over all too soon & we re-entered the 21st century, continuing down the street.
I said to the girls that it couldn't get any better than this... Watch out when you challenge beauty! Shops were opening for the evening & we started to criss cross the street - in & out of cool little places. In one stunning window hung, like so many Christmas ornaments, jewelry of every imaginable type. Seeing the sign on the door (aperto=open), I plowed right in and looked into the started face of the creator of all this marvelous jewelry.
In my worst stunned Italian, I asked "aperto?" - and this drop. dead. gorgeous. (did is say *gorgeous*?!?!) Italian guy flashed his pearly whites and, with a twinkle in his eyes said to me, "For you, bella, I am open." Well melt me on your floor! Cliches be damned! I was purchasing putty in his hand. So were Baby Girl & K-Bug!
Time to transact, euro in hand, I watched this beautiful man prepare my purchases. No, he did not stuff them in a brown bag. He did not stick his stunning handmade creations in a box.
He lovingly wrapped each piece in tissue paper, further wrapped them in sturdy old-fashioned heavy paper, tied each one with beautiful twine, *wax sealed* the twine with his personal insignia (I kid you not!), and delicately tied his hand-calligraphied business card to *each* package! Just beautiful. I would have paid my money just for the package!
That's my Firenze!
3 comments:
When you go, may I come along?
"The Hubby" isn't a traveler. :(
uh huh...we nagabonds hafta stick together! you should consider joining SPF's TSI!
wow!
i popped over here
and
found
ME!
thank you ever so much:
1--for the reference,
2--for the **gushing** about our florence
[we can share her},
3--for telling your own story,
4--for showing your little bit
of paper memory of your purchase
in the special little shop
[i am going to pretend
that i too went into that very same shop
last summer; why not? maybe i did!],
and
5--for being a ~~nagabond~~
[am loving that word.]
like jennieboo
i have a husband who is not a traveler,
but he loves me
and knows my ways...
sometimes we travel together;
sometimes i travel by myself.
my trip to florence was alone.
i was there for 10 days
and it became mine.
it was wonderful!
if some place calls your name,
go with a friend, a sister,
go by yourself...
go!
do not turn around
and find yourself old
with no travel memories
like those shared here
by qualcosa di bello
and many, many others
in the Blog World...
i could never live long enough
to see all the places
that call my name,
but i will try.
:-)
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