Ciao Christy

Buon San Valentino from Cracovia!

2012-02-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone from a beautiful, snowy Poland!

It also happens to be our anniversary, so we are thrilled to be discovering a new country together.

I hope this week brings everyone, regardless of relationship status, LOVE & JOY.

Today's blog is dedicated to my beautiful Aunt Nancy who passed away yesterday. One of her favorite things was Potato Cakes, which happens to be a traditional Polish dish. I plan to honor her by eating as much of these as I can for the remainder of my stay here in Krakow. We will all miss her, but heaven is a better place now with her in it.

♥ from Christy

∞ Words of the week ∞

2012-02-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Left Brain: “I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.”

Right Brain: “I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion.

Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be.”

Source : Ads of the World

Places I love ♥ : Osteria Santo Spirito

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's cold in Florence right now. Bitterly,bitterly cold. We have had record low temperatures here the last couple of weeks. So, what better way to warm up? Head over to one of my favorite spots in Florence : Osteria Santo Spirito and order their blazing-hot-GNOCCHI gratini ai formaggi morbidi al profumo di tartufo. In English, laymans terms : Gnocchi with truffle cheese sauce. Yumm-o!

I promise you it will be one of the best pasta dishes you will ever experience. This little spot is family owned and truly has some of the most delicious (and graciously sized) pasta dishes in town. I have been told that the main dishes are also scrumptious, but I have to be honest, I only eat pasta when I go here because its that good.

Piazza Santo Spirito (in the corner) 16

Picasso in Pisa

2012-02-08T04:22:00.000-08:00

Last weekend a group of us got together to head over to Pisa for the fabulous Picasso Blu exhibition. I know I have mentioned before how much I love going on day trips in Italy, so this day proved to be no different. There were seven women who got together as part of the YAWN networking group in Florence. I do not think I have ever laughed so hard in my life! These are also the same women who gave me the courage to write the bidet story below :) It is truly amazing how people from all over the world can come together in one place, with different purposes, but spend the afternoon together and have a grand ole time. It will be days like this that I will remember forever about my experience of living in Italy.

The exhibition was honestly one of the best shows I have been to in awhile. I prefer smaller exhibitions over the large museums because you can really focus on that particular subject. I must really suffer from a faster version of stendhal syndrome (or "Florence syndrome") because I cannot seem to focus longer than an hour in museums now. This show focused on selected pieces throughout the life of Picasso, but the ones that spoke to me the most were the story of his beloved Jacqueline, for whom now I am obsessed with her too. He did over 400 pieces of work on her alone. Any woman who could withstand this man for 20 years was either passionately in love, crazy or a combination of both. Unfortunately she did commit suicide a few years after his death. Oh, Jacqueline......

La Dolce Yoga - Week 3

2012-02-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

This week I wanted to write about how much I have learned about myself since starting yoga. I want to first say that I am very new to the world of yoga, I am a super, duper beginner. At first, the practice and some of the poses are intimidating because if you are like me you want to be really good, really fast. However, one of the really awesome things about yoga is that everyone gets to go at their own pace. You will be surprised how easy some postures you achieve quickly and how some will always be challenging. Finally, I am able to listen to my body, if something hurts, I stop doing it, if something feels great I keep doing it. It is so empowering.

Probably the greatest thing I have gained from practicing yoga is to be okay with my body the way it is, in whatever moment. A little back story here, a combination of things happened to me all at once : I moved to Italy, I fell in love and I started to not feel well from the headaches. What is the result? Weight gain. I am only 5'2" (158 cm) and gained 25 lbs (11 kilos). I found comfort in food and found it extremely difficult to exercise. In the past, I always enjoyed going to the gym, lifting weights and taking aerobics classes. I was physically incapable of that sort of demand on my body now due to the pressure it put on my head, so I am thankful I found yoga. Yoga has helped me clear my mind, accept my body in whatever shape & size it is, but also help me focus my energy on the good things about my body & life.

I am still working everyday on everything I have mentioned above. I think in life its an ongoing process to find peace within ourselves, and practicing yoga helps me do this. A combination of soul searching, facing my inner ego, letting go of fears, accomplishing goals and having a really fantastic workout is what I am experiencing here in Florence at 19r Yoga & Pilates. Every class is different depending on what I bring to the class for myself that day, and the instructors are there to help guide you.

My new favorite asana (pose) is 'Ustrasana' (sanskrit) or 'Camel' pose below: It feels so good on my shoulders, legs, back and neck. Delizioso!

∞ Words of the week ∞

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Bidet Love

2012-02-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

After spending the afternoon with girlfriends, and laughing hysterically all day about a wide array of topics (including this one), I finally have enough courage to post a blog article I have had in “pending” for a few months. The topic is a sensitive one about the discovery, and now relationship, I have formed with my bidet. No ma’am, they are not used for pedicures ladies & gentlemen. However, they are absolutely fabulous for that too!

Bidets are common in almost every household in Italy & France. I remember the first time I saw one, I was a teenager in Paris with my mother and simply did not understand them. Now, I have found them to be the most amazing thing ever, especially when I am in a hurry. I often have an event to get to in the evening after coming home from the yoga studio, or long day in town, so the “french bath" is necessary. I will spare you the details of how wonderful bidets are, but trust me ladies – they do the trick!

I asked my fiancé about how this will be approached when raising our children, and his response was an example of how his mother dealt with his every-single-evening before bedtime:

Antonio says “Oh!!!! MA!!!!!! Vado il letto!” (Oh, Mom, I am going to bed!!!!”)

His mothers automatic response : “Ti sei fatto il bidet prima di andare al letto? (Did you use the bidet before bed?) Basically a really nice way of asking your stinky son "Did you clean your ass before you got into bed?"

I suppose it’s a good thing I have learned to appreciate these fantastic little pieces of heaven! However, I am not sure I am looking forward to “bidet training”of the little ones!

(we will cross that bridge when we get to it!)

Til then, happy bideting!

My spa inspired bidet, with pedicure ready rock!

Under the Tuscan Sun Salutations - Week 2

2012-01-31T03:33:00.000-08:00

Why I love Sun Salutes!

There is one thing I cannot live without every day of my life (other than a cup of Joe!), it is the practice of Sun salutations. If you are like me and spend too much time sitting in front of the computer, your neck might become stiff, your posture could become poor, so this simple practice can really help you! In Ashtanga, the yoga practice begins with this series of Surya Namaskara A & B. You should do 3-5 repetitions of each to warm the body and work on your breathing.

Forward fold with Sun Salutes

Seriously guys, when I am at home working, I will take a break and hit the mat for a few Sun Salutes. Instantly, it does wonders for the rest of my working day. Maybe keep your mat near your bed and do a few in the morning, for an instant boost. When I first started practicing yoga I would be desperate to get into any inversion to relieve the built-up tension and get some blood flowing for instant relief.

Some of the health benefits of the Sun Salutes include blood flow to your beautiful heart, and other vital organs, stretches & tones your muscles, rids your body of toxins and increases flexibility. Then, the mental benefits are even greater! San salutations can help reduce stress, increase concentration, and increase mind & body coordination. So basically, there is nothing but good stuff going on using this simple 10 minute yoga practice every day. With it being cold here in Florence at the moment, I am really looking forward to the Tuscany YOGA Retreat ♥

As we say in Italy, SALUTE!

Melissa from 19r Yoga, practicing Sun Salutes in Bella Italia!

∞ Words of the week ∞

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Places I love ♥ : Giubbe Rosse

2012-01-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous café, founded in the early 1900's, by the german Reininghaus brothers, was a meeting point for the artists who developed the Futurist artist movement. You can still feel the passion and creativity bouncing through the air when you enter this café. The walls are plastered with art deco, contemporary art, drawings, still life paintings, and current art installations. It is still a favorite local staple for the older generations of Florentines as well as tourists.

It is one of my favorite places in Florence for a light snack during the day, a spritz in the early evening, or my favorite : cioccolata calda in the evening. I always feel like I am stepping back in time when I go here, maybe you will too!

Watch this darling video about Giubbe Rosse

Piazza della Repubblica 13r

Yoga Paradiso - Week 1

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

I would like to welcome everyone to my 60-Day Yoga Challenge that I am doing in collaboration with the amazing yogis here in Florence at 19r Yoga & Pilates!

I first discovered yoga 18 months ago when researching alternative methods of relief for chronic headaches. I was at my wits end with the pain, and could not live with the amount of painkillers the doctors were prescribing me. I thought that there had to be another way to get through the suffering. I will never forget walking down the narrow, cobblestone streets of Florence feeling like I was going to tumble over from how doped up I was. Fortunately, my friend Shari who had just moved to Florence was also a yoga instructor, so I called her for some advice. She told me about all the health benefits of yoga, and how I would see a difference in the way my head was feeling after consistent yoga in my life. I feel very fortunate to have met her exactly at that moment here in Florence.

From then, until now I have already learned so much about my mind, body & spirit. Yoga has enriched my life in so many ways that I never knew were possible when I first signed up. After all, maybe through all the tremendous pain with the headaches there was a higher purpose for me? Over the next 60 days I would like to talk about my journey with yoga, the people at 19r Yoga here in Florence, and the challenges for myself through this incredible journey of self discovery.

Each week I will talk about an asana or pose that I am feeling good about. I have learned that every day is so different from the next, usually based on how my heart & mind is feeling that day. This week my favorite pose is Bakasana (shown below). I am so excited about this asana, mainly due to the fact that I have been working on my overall balance & upper body strength for a couple of months, so successfully holding this pose for 5 full breaths was glorious.

I hope you will follow along for the next 60-days and join this beautiful challenge with me!


Kathryn Budig : Bakasana Pose

Winter in Portofino

2012-01-23T04:10:00.000-08:00

I am back! I am finally getting back to normal with all my writing and upcoming projects both online and in my personal life. So I have a few updates for y'all: I have a new weekly series starting this week that will be journaling my journey with yoga & how its changed my life here in Florence! I am really excited about it, so I hope you all enjoy it too! Then, I have decided to not continue the Monday La Dolce Vita series. This is only due to the pressure I was feeling to have content ready every week. I still continue to experience special moments in my life, but I feel like I need to write about them as they happen instead of only writing about them on the series on Mondays. Grazie mille to all of you that have contributed to the series over the last 6 months! I will be in creating a tab above with all your links about your La Dolce Vita stories & experiences. The blog will be undergoing a redesign over the course of the next few weeks, so I am super excited about that too!

For now, here are a few photos from our weekend trip to Portofino & Santa Margherita which was absolutely.delicious.delightful and wonderful. The little port town was totally shut down so we had the little village all to ourselves and our 14 euro Irish coffees :) We stayed in Santa Margherita at the Hotel Contintental with a fabulous view of the city & sea. Seafood was still plentiful and everything was discounted due to the low season. For the avid travelers, I highly recommend this way to travel in off season. You can find incredible deals at hotels, restaurants & spas. We were blessed to have clear skies, however it was a little chilly.

A perfect little getaway for us!

New Beginnings

2012-01-14T04:44:00.000-08:00

Dear all my fellow readers, bloggers & loved ones,

I am so sorry for my absence over the last couple of weeks in blog land. A couple of hours before heading back to Italy from my visit home for Christmas, my precious MacBook bit the dust.

I left my computer in the US with the Apple Nerds (who I could not live without) and had a friend bring it back to Florence this week. So, I am finally getting all my things back in order. My brain can finally function with iCalendar, iPhoto and MacMail all nice and neat, ahhhhhhhh. Exhale.

The last couple of weeks back to Florence have been interesting. I have tons to write about, but it will take me some time to get everything going. We are going to the Portofino area for some reflection on the upcoming year. We couldn't think of a more gorgeous setting to feel inspired about our future. There is a lot on the horizon!

I wish everyone well in this joyous and exciting New Year! With love, Christine

∞ Words of the week ∞

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

La Dolce Vita - Cena di Natale in America

2011-12-26T07:12:00.000-08:00

What is Italy famous for besides the art & wine? Food! So by no surprise, I have come to acquire and respect this part of the Italian culture. Every year for Christmas, my Mom prepares a grand meal for my family. Normally, she slaves away alone in the kitchen since none of us knew, or had the desire to cook. This year, since I have learned to appreciate the art of cooking, we pulled out our Italian cookbooks together and made a delicious meal for our family to enjoy for Natale.

Insalata : Avocado Caprese

Ingredients: Avocado, Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basilico, Olive Oil

Contorni : Potate al forno

Ingredients: Potatoes, Basilico, Sage, Rosemary, Garlic, Olive Oil

Main dish : Filetto di Manzo con Red Wine Reduction

Sauce: Red wine, carrots, onions, bay leaves, Sage, Rosemary

Beef Tenderloin & Olive Oil

Recipes Taken from Made in Italy

Mom made the beautiful dining room table setting from a collection of mercury glass treasures.

La dolce vita per Natale!!

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

∞ Words of the week ∞ Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

To all of my friends & loved ones around the globe:

Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad ♥

Snow

2011-12-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

Grazie Mille to The Wanderfull Traveler for sharing this beautiful video made by Florentine filmmaker Francesco Lepori. It was shot in 2009 during the beautiful snowstorm that covered Florence.
I hope you all enjoy. Stay warm ragazzi!!

Snow from Francesco Lepori on Vimeo.

La Dolce Vita - Love is in the Air

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last week in northern Italy, in a small town called Levico, my sweetie surprised me with an engagement & beautiful infinity ring. Life is so sweet right now with him, it almost hurts.

There are no words.

I hope everyone is having a beautiful Christmas holiday.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : 19r Yoga

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

When I think about my life in Italy compared to my life in the United States, I come to realize that if I had never moved here I wouldn't of opened myself up to new things. I know I am beating a dead horse talking about my headaches, but after seeing a bagillion doctors and finding no results, I hit the internet for alternative methods of relief. I read an article about how yoga could help relieve tension, reduce stress and make you feel better overall. Fortunately, I have a friend here in Florence who is an yoga instructor, who also told me about the benefits of doing yoga regularly.

She, along with another friend of hers recently opened up this fabulous yoga studio in the historic centre. It is literally 2 blocks away from the Ponte Vecchio, and one block off the Arno River. Now, I revolve my entire weekly schedule around their classes and there is no doubt that I feel more balanced, more at peace, calm & relaxed. Yoga has this incredible way of making you more aware of your body and how it fuctions. You also learn how to use your breath effectively to reduce pain & stress. Did I mention you get the most amazing backside, stronger legs & beautiful arms from practicing yoga?

Yea, that helps too!

If you live in Florence, are planning a visit, or moving here: Go to 19r Yoga and practice with these beautiful women. Your mind, body & soul will thank you for it.

19r Yoga & Pilates - Via Bardi #19r

P.S. You can also join Shari & Melissa in exotic locations with Yoga to go Vacations!

∞ Words of the week ∞

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

La Dolce Vita - Creativity

2011-12-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

Wow, Florence is bustling right now for the holidays! Tourists from all over Europe are flooding into the city for Christmas & New Years, so you don't stand a chance to get through any piazza on your bicicletta (bike). This also means that the city is literally singing. Christmas lights are everywhere, window displays are completed and many children are playing in the streets. The vibe of Florence right now is nothing short of incredible! When you walk through the historic centre, you would never know there was a problem in the world.

This weekend was the Florence Light Festival. I chose to wait until the crowds died down to wander through the city to see each installment. The Ponte Vecchio was lit a bright purple, Piazza Signoria had a music & video performance, Piazza Repubblica had the Rinascente light display (shown in a previous post below), but the one on Via Tournabouni took the prize for me. I can honestly say, that this art installment is probably my favorite of everything I have seen in Florence to date. I absolutely LOVE how the olive trees are planted and lit from the ground up. The netting around each tree with halo above them was so beautiful that I could of sat there all night to stare at them. As strange as they are, I loved how bizarre & modern this looked in contrast with this typical renaissance street.

I really would of been in heaven if they had music playing.
Happy Holidays everyone!

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Carbonara Pizza = yummo.

2011-12-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Italian dishes, which is deeply rooted from the Rome area is the carbonara pasta dish. The recipe is so simple and so delicious. Who couldn't love pasta with pancetta, garlic & egg! I am a sucker for David Rocco, so you can click here to see his Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe. But, have you ever seen a Carbonara pizza? I HAVE! A few weeks ago in Rome, my friend took me to this cool joint in Trastevere that specializes in gourmet pizzas. Pizza Hut - eat your heart out!

Source :

http://ulteriorepicure.com/2010/12/27/best-dishes-of-2010/

∞ Words of the week ∞

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Florence

2011-12-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that Florence is always a beautiful city, but during Christmastime it truly comes alive. There are not as many tourists filling the streets, and all the shops have put up their gorgeous holiday windows. This year the big department store Rinascente really went all out with their Christmas lights! You can see the lights from every angle of the city as you approach Piazza Repubblica, one of Florence's main squares. The Christmas market has also arrived in Piazza Santa Croce , so I am trying my hardest not to stop there everyday for something sweet to eat! My personal favorite window this year (so far) is the one at Burberry. I could die for that orange handbag, and wouldn't mind a few of those silver stars hanging in my house for the Christmas season.
Merry Merry tutti!!!

∞ Words of the week ∞

2011-11-30T00:00:00.001-08:00

La Dolce Vita - 'Thanks'giving week

2011-11-28T02:36:00.000-08:00

I have to say that the last couple of weeks of a little bit of frustration were all turned around this last week and put me back in check! (I love how the universe does this). This year was my third Thanksgiving in Florence, but the first where I celebrated properly. A group of girls decided that we should all get together to celebrate with our favorite Thanksgiving dishes and turkey! This was possibly one of the most fun, laid back evenings with friends I have had since living here. There were about 25 people Thanksgiving night from all parts of the world, Italy, United States, Canada, Sweden and England. It truly shows that at the end of the day, friendship, family & love are universal and sometimes we take this for granted. I was so thankful for the people that orgnanized this fantastic dinner, ordered a ginormous turkey and hosted the dinner party. I cannot forget to mention Nadia who made the-most-amazing-stuffing I have ever had (leave it to the Canadian!!)

The next day I was off to Rome for the afternoon to visit my friend Andrea. Who doesn't love being able to be in Rome in an hour to go shopping? I love coming to see her because she is from Alabama, so we obviously have some things in common being two southern chicks living in Italy. We walked all over Rome, had a yummy lunch in Trastevere then ended the afternoon strolling on Via Corso (us, along with every other person in Rome).

Too much fun for two girls!

That night, Antonio and I left for Terracina to visit his family before I go back to the United States for Christmas. I really love coming here because his family is so loving and fun to be around. It warms my heart knowing that I have a family away my family back home, that supports me, and my relationship with Antonio. Did I mention the amazing food here? I think all the weight I have lost in the last three weeks doing yoga everyday, I have gained back in 2 days being here. But you know what? I don't care at all because its all made with love for one another. I can actually smell lasagna being made while I am writing this blog entry :) (Will add photos later!)

I am thankful for my life in Italy with my friends & Antonio, I am thankful for both my families here and in the United States. I am thankful to experience all-of-this-good-stuff. Happy Holidays!

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Calcio Madness

2011-11-23T05:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, our beloved AC Milan team was here in Florence. I say beloved because I have no choice in which team I will choose to route for. You see, the soccer tradition is so deeply rooted here in Italy, that if I dared choose an opposite team than my boyfriends family : I would be in big trouble (all in good fun!! ) I don't mind either, because their colors of rossoneri (Red & Black) are the same of my alma mater of UGA.

Obtaining tickets was nothing short of signing your life away, standing in long lines and paying a lot of money. You see, we wanted to originally sit IN the Milan section, which is literally baracked off from the rest of the stadium. Blocked off by tall, bulletproof (yes bulletproof) glass. I have seen on the news the violence that can occur at the matches, but never associated this with Florentine behavior. I am uneducated on the subject of soccer, so I just assumed this was only a Napolitano or Roman characteristic. Nope. We were unable to get inside the Milan section due to the rules they have regarding who can buy the tickets. You have to have a special card basically saying you do not reside in Florence, otherwise you are not allowed in this section (again, due to the risk of violence). So we chose to get seats in the adjacent section.

It was very very interesting to watch the dynamic between the Florentine fans (some were carried out by security guards) and the Milan fans who were also very hot headed. During the halftime, the areas for concessions are also baracaded off between the sections. We saw at least 2 dozen full armored security gaurds standing there in case of fighting. Side note: many of them were sipping on small plastic cups of espresso & smoking cigarettes :)

Unfortunately for us (My american girlfriend & I) the game was boring. Even boring for Italian standards. However, it was very fun to experience the game from a different perspective. In relating to this sort of dynamic between the fans, I think it also shows how Italians are in general. Each region of Italy is so different, with different dialects, different cuisines, different mentality. This was clearly obvious in how the men (all men!!) react to each other when routing for their favorite soccer teams.

Grazie Maggie for snapping the photo of the Iacoucci brothers & me after the game!!

∞ Words of the week ∞

2011-11-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

La Dolce Vita - Appreciation

2011-11-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I apologize for my delay in posting in the series this week, the last days have been very busy for us, so I am running a little behind today. I will be honest, I had not formulated what I was going to write about for this weeks installment.

As some of you know, I often have difficulties living in Italy. I know from an outsiders perspective one might say "How can anyone not like living in Italy?". They are right, to a certain degree. I am eager for a sense of order and respect for one another, which sometimes is lacking here. After 2 years of living in Florence, I am still searching for ways to manage my frustration with this. Recently, through God's grace and an amazing trager therapist here in Florence, I am able to know how to really "let go".

What I DO know for sure is : I do feel fortunate to have met Antonio. I do feel blessed to have the best girlfriends in the entire world. I do feel lucky to walk past some of the most extraordinary works of art : every.single.day.

I went back through 7000 photos (that's right y'all) to find some of the photos that can help express visually why I am appreciative of my life here, in THIS moment.

View of Duomo at Sunset

This is the first photo I took on my first day in Florence

David Replica at Sunset

I cried the first time I saw this, and it still remains my favorite statue in the world

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : La Buchetta Cafè

2011-11-15T04:44:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite place. We discovered this little restaurant a few months ago, and every time I go back - it gets better. A lovely couple from Rome opened this fabulous place a year ago, and they quite possibly could be the nicest people I have met in Florence (in the service industry). The food is absolutely delicious, the wine selection is abundant, and they have always given us some yummy freebies (usually sweet) at the end of the meal.

Most recently, my girlfriends & I came here after a friends performance at the Vasarian Corridor. It was fairly late, but they were so welcoming into their place of business. In my experience in Florence, this is rare. Normally if we walked up at 11:30pm and asked to have "solo vino", we would be turned away. They even gave us espresso size cups of pappa al pomodoro! How darling is that?!

Did I mention the decor? It is gorgeous. The wife is an interior decorator, so has pulled together this space beutufiully. A perfect blend of contemporary art, animal print furniture and gorgeous antique leather sofas : some of my favorite combinations.

If you come to Florence, go for lunch, dinner or a nightcap. You won't be disappointed! Also make sure to peek into the beautiful courtyard in the back of the ristorante!

Via dei Benci #3, Santa Croce

Photos pulled from website : La Buchetta

La Dolce Vita - Sant'Ambrogio

2011-11-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Italy, I have a greater appreciation for fresh foods. I have always battled stomach issues, but after moving to Florence they have virtually disappeared. I attribute this to the quality of the foods that I am eating, going to markets and cooking at home.

It is SO FUN spending time at Sant'Ambrogio market selecting piece by piece my fruits, vegetables, fresh pasta and produce. This weekend I wanted to try making pumpkin soup because I saw all these strange looking pumpkins at the market. I really look forward to coming here, which is a refreshing feeling after years of dreading going to the grocery store.

I am getting hungry right now while writing this. Delicious!

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Flower market

2011-11-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

Every Thursday in Florence, there is a fantastic flower & plant market below my house on Via Pellicceria. I plan my whole week around visiting here on Thursday mornings. Not only do I love the way the market is set up underneath the loggia by Piazza Repubblica, but the selection is really good & affordable. Generally, the salespeople are polite and will offer you a discount (if you ask) or if you buy in multiples.

Yesterday morning I had so much fun scouting out for my favorite orchid.

La Dolce Vita - Verona

2011-11-07T04:08:00.000-08:00

When you get two experienced travelers + one native Italian, the chances of finding a place in Italy that no one has been before is almost impossible. Mom and I were talking about how fortunate we have been to have seen so many beautiful places throughout this country over the last 15 years. The Italian transportation system does make it easy for travelers to see so many cities and little villages in very little time. After all, Italy is the similar in size to Arizona.

For the holiday weekend, we wanted to take a couple days break outside of Florence, so we pulled out the Italian map and started rattling off locations. We decided to go to Cinque Terre, even though all of us had been there before, we thought this would be a fantastic time to go without all the tourists. Unfortunately a few days later, there was terrible flooding all throughout the region of Ligura. To read more about how destructive the flooding was here (and also in other regions of Italy) Go here: Rick Steves.

We kicked around so many ideas, then narrowed it down to a Verona. It was so lovely for the three of us to spend time in this incredible city. You can tell there is a deep, rich history there. You see everything from roman ruins to modern day department stores. Beautiful boutique shopping, high end shops, very cool cafes and I think I saw at least 5 amazing rug shops (I am a sucker for persian rugs!). The people were all friendly to us, and we had some fantastic food too! Truffles are in season right now, so we enjoyed having many of our dishes sprinkled with these!

I highly recommend La Cantina dell'Arena jazz bar/restaurant underneath Piazza Bra'. You might have to ask a local where to enter, because you go through a pizzeria type joint, then walk downstairs into a basement. The kitchen is in the center of the restaurant, so you can see all this delicious foods being prepared, all the while sipping your vino and listening to American jazz music.

We stayed outside the historic center at the lovely Artesia B&B. I also suggest this place as a nice retreat for a couple, family or a group of friends......Here are a few photos from the trip!

There are roman ruins all behind these gorgeous buildings:

Who doesn't love the classic Italian aperitivo? Yummy Spritz!

At the overlook of Verona - Sanctuary Madonna of Lourdes:

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Groceries to go

2011-11-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

Living on the 7th floor of our building has proved to be quite the challenge when attempting to go grocery shopping. Since you walk everywhere in Florence, you definitely get your work out when bringing your grocery bags home, up 115 steep stairs. A friend of ours suggested that we use Esselunga's (thats a grocery chain here) delivery service, so we were on this like white on rice!

The website makes it very easy to order, going section by section, with photos and pricing per unit. Our first attempt took a long time to get completed, but once it was done - we were thankful we did it. Get your italian skills warmed up because this is a great way to learn Italian for the items you use everyday.

A week later a young man delivered 5 ginormous plastic bags full of groceries to our apartment. I felt bad for the delivery guy because the poor thing looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

Delivery was only 6 euro and I tipped him 10.

Obviously we still buy all of our fresh foods from the markets here in town, but you cannot beat the service, lower pricing and comfortability of having 6 months worth of cat litter, laundry detergent and American coffee delivered to your doorstep. Hoorah!

Esselunga Casa

Places I love ♥ : Rocco

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite little spots is Trattoria da Rocco at Sant'Ambrogio market. In fact, it was the restaurant where I met one of my now best friends. This place can be kind of hectic but its super fun and the food is delizioso! You can order an antipasti, primi & secondi for virtually nothing and all the dishes are typically Tuscan.

If you see people waiting to sit down, make sure one of the servers (or Rocco himself) sees you and counts how many there are in your group. It is like communal seating, so you sit where you sit, sometimes side by side, sometimes across from each other. Enjoy the vino that is only charged by how much you drink! It is only open for lunch, and its better to get there around Noon so you have a greater selection of foods to choose from. Get your Italian skills warmed up because you will not hear a lick of English :)

P.S. For those that live here, the take out service is great too!

Inside Sant'Ambrogio Market (Piazza Ghiberti)

La Dolce Vita - Famiglia insieme

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week I have been fortunate enough to have my mother visiting Florence. Our schedule has been pretty full with day outings around Florence (you might of seen the photos below of Boboli Gardens & San Miniato church). Then, we are also headed to Verona for a couple of days of R&R. All of these things are fabulous, but the most memorable experience will be when Antonio's parents from Terracina met my Mum.

They were visiting only for few days, so we were limited on time, but had a fantastic time nonetheless! We started with an aperitivo at our new house before going to chic new restaurant outside the centre. Even though Antonio had to translate most of the night, some things are truly the same, no matter what country you are from. Laughter, hugs and smiles are universal, and there was plenty of that to go around this weekend.

We are both so lucky to have strong family units that continue to support us both as individuals, and as a multi-cultural couple. The only thing missing was my father who was working back in the US, but he was there in our thoughts and all of our laughter.

Sweet stuff right here y'all !

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Tranquility of San Miniato

2011-10-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am speechless again today about how beautiful this city is. It is almost November, and the temperatures have been in the 70's the last couple of days. We took advantage of the gorgeous blue skies and went up to San Miniato church above the city of Florence.

It is one of the most peaceful settings in the city. A nice retreat away from the hussle & bussle of the city center. Bella giornata!

Afternoon at Boboli

2011-10-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful Fall day in Florence.

The trees have begun to change colors, the sky was blue and the temperature was absolutely perfect.

Mom & I had a lovely stroll through the gardens, which also has some of the most magnificent views of the city.

Places I love ♥ : Gelateria dei Neri

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Okay y'all. I know there is a vast array of opinions on the topic of gelato. But I have to tell you, Gelateria dei Neri is my favorite in Florence. It is a small, nondescript little joint on one of my favorite streets in Florence. There is nothing outwardly special about this place, no fancy store front, no overly cheerful workers. BUT, your taste buds will be happy you came here. My mouth is watering just thinking about it, and I go here at least 4 times a week :)

Antonio loves the boomba, slighty warmed, but I normally stick to my single small cup of gelato.

They also stay open late for those of us that are night crawlers.

Via dei Neri 20/22r. Yumm-o!

La Dolce Vita - Iluminated David

2011-10-24T04:30:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love how creative can be, especially here in Florence. I went to take a stroll this weekend and stumbled upon Piazza Signoria covered in beautiful lights. Many tourists & local people alike were standing in awe of how gorgeous the piazza looked. The lights gleamed rotating the colors of bright reds, purples and blues. Of course, I personally love looking at the David replica.

One can never get tired of him.

These are the quick moments that I love living in Florence.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

VÉCU magazine for Independent Artists

2011-10-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

The most recent issue of this gorgeous magazine has a fantastic story from fellow blogger Murissa over at the The Wanderfull Traveler. The mag is filled with beautiful photography, design, fashion and travel articles. She was kind of enough to plug my blog for helping contribute to her article about Florence and the culinary experience at Il Latini (one Florence's most famous restaurants).

Grazie Murissa! And for those of you new to my blog, go read hers! Its fabby!

You can flip through the mag here:

VÉCU magazine

Make that money honey.

2011-10-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

There are so many business opportunities in this country it is unbelievable. I know I come from a country that is packed full with work-o-holics & over achievers, but there has to be a happy medium on how to run a business effectively & make money. I have come to appreciate that the Italians take their Sundays off for relaxation, I think it is smart to have a a day to re-charge, re-focus and spend quality time with your loved ones. Having said that, here are a few things I have taken note of recently that I still cannot get my head around. For those of you that have lived here longer, or have some insight, please help me understand why retail businesses do this.

1. I went to buy a gift for a friend at the Uffizi Gallery. We all know it is one of the most famous museums in the world, so I thought walking into the gift shop would be easy. Wrong. I saw the line to enter the museum, so I politely asked the gentleman who was "guarding" the door if there was a separate entrance for "solo il negozio" (only the store). He informs me that I must obtain a ticket to the museum to be able to enter the gift shop. Leaving frustrated, the Uffizi Gallery did not earn 50 euro from me that day. Business 101 : have the gift shop available to any persons, and stay open longer than the museum is open.

I told my boyfriend this story and he told me that I have to learn how to "negotiate" better in Italian, that everything is possible here if you know how to talk your way into things.

2. Siesta. Hats off to the Italians & Spanish for upholding the idea for siesta. I do think the root of it is lovely, taking a solid break from work to go home to eat or have a nice lunch with your friends. Again, you get a nice re-charge before going back to work. However, businesses that have operating hours of : 10am-12:30 / 3:30-7pm is so frustrating for me. I try to work out the logic in my head, that many retail shops might not have the payroll budget to warrant working from 10am-9pm with a one hour break. I understand that, but to only be open for 6 hours a day, during an economic crisis is mind blowing. I cannot imagine how business outside of tourist areas are staying afloat during all of this.

3. Chiuso Sabato alle 12:30. These same businesses I am mentioning above also have the tendency to only be open on Saturdays from 10am-12:30pm. The rest of the population that do not work in customer service driven industries are out taking walks with their families, shopping, eating, drinking. For me, I see this and hear "Ca-ching" $$$.

4. Clothes shopping. You enter a boutique store and the "clothes watcher" stares you down and gets irritated when you touch the clothes, heaven forbid you look a a price tag on the clothes on a mannequin. This doesn't make you feel comfortable spending your money there, so on you go! to H&M and Zara where at least you can touch and check the pricing. Now, the way to pay at these stores is entertaining at best. This morning I was at H&M and there were only 2 lines open. I counted 42 people in line, and it took me 30 minutes to pay. 5 customers decided to give up and left the store.

I would be curious to know if Italians get as frustrated as I do, or if its a matter of acceptance of their culture, regardless of the almighty dollar (or Euro in this instance). Why are people not eager to earn more money here? Why can't retail employees be nice & polite in their encounters with their consumers?

La Dolce Vita - Friends are family

2011-10-17T00:19:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been jam packed with get togethers because one of our friends, who moved back to the US came to visit. It is always a good time when Valerie is around! She keeps all of us pretty darn busy. Our group of girlfriends from the United States, England, Scotland and Sweden are so lucky to have each other.

When you live abroad your friends become your family, the people who you rely on, cry with and confide in. We are blessed to have met and maintained these close relationships with each other. I know if one day I move away from Italy, I will still have these girls in my life.

That is the definition of the Sweet Life.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

13 anni fa (13 years ago), Grazie UGA!

2011-10-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Great stuff right here y'all! The University of Georgia's study abroad program had updated their website to include the group photo from the trip we took to Cortona, Italy. Here I am with short, boy cut, red hair on the 2nd row from the top, 4th from the left, sitting next to the cute boy (of course).

I blogged back in February about my birthday day trip to Cortona with my friends, so I wanted to post both of these photos now together! Friendships never change.

This is where the love affair with Italy started, and has grown to me living here full time 13 years later.

A little dream can become a reality!

Fall 1998

Winter 2011

La bella città

2011-10-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had the pleasure with meeting with a client & friend on the rooftop of one of the new apartments we are managing at the agency. My boss told me how beautiful the terrace was, but I had no idea how jaw dropping it really was, until tonight. We met to catch up on life in Italy, while enjoying a glass of wine and this unbelievable view. My heart literally dropped when I saw how gorgeous this city is from above.

Yes, I have seen it before, but it never gets old. Ever..... Sono fortunata.

View from my window

2011-10-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

There was another beautiful sunset over Florence tonight.

Not a bad way to wind down the work day. Buona serata tutti !

La Bella Esperienza by Nadia la Mantia

2011-10-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

To all my fellow women readers! A friend here in Florence has written a darling book about living & studying abroad in Italy. It is packed with fantastic tips on managing your new life in Italy. How to meet other english speaking friends and understanding different customs. If you are thinking of moving to Italy, download this book before you come!

Download me here :)

La Dolce Vita - The fall in Florence

2011-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that the weather has cooled off in Florence that I am practically busting at the seams! Over the weekend I was thrilled to gather all my sandals (that I think are so uncomfortable to wear on the streets here), little sundresses and bathing suits (dread) and pack away until next year. Amen! I can get all my scarves, fabby jackets & hats out to wear. I have to tell myself not to go shopping to get more of these things because my closest is already full of them. But who can resist!?

We took a late night walk last night to get our cioccolato caldo (hot chocolate), and the streets were virtually empty. The city was resting and silent.

My favorite season in Florence is the fall. I feel like I get my adopted city all back to myself. The air feels fresher, the sunsets are clearer and the trees are beginning to change colors. It is also the season I started my relationships with living in Italy. First in 1998 when I was studying in Cortona, then again in 2009 when I moved to Florence. This season of the year reminds me of the sentiments I have for living in this country. A small taste of la dolce vita.

I know that much colder weather and rain are around the corner, so I am cherishing every moment of this perfect weather now.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Pampaloni

2011-10-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

There is this beautiful shop in my neighborhood that specializes in silver accessories, furniture and hollowware. The Pampaloni family established their silversmith business in 1902 and have created pieces for the Vatican, luxury hotels, jets & yachts. The interesting thing is that I never see anyone inside the store, I think people are too afraid because it is almost like stepping into a fancy museum. I feel like I need to be dressed up to even be allowed inside. Fortunately for all the passer by's, their window displays are some of the most unique & creative I have seen in Florence.

I particularly love this one they have installed right now of the large silver cheese piece sticks in stark contrast with the rocks below. I will have to investigate further their message above that says "since 1902, not appreciated by dictators". A powerful message from the recent destruction of Geddafi's sons house in Libya.

Via Porta Rossa #99

La Dolce Vita - Lucca

2011-10-03T02:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday is my favorite day of the week because its the only day my boyfriend is off work. So we have the opportunity to spend normal time together, instead of feeling rushed to do things together late at night when he is finishing up. Our typical Sunday is normally sleeping in, taking walks, cooking together and having some R&R. Yesterday we decided that we wanted to take a little trip outside of Florence, so we looked on the map of Italy and picked Lucca. A town east of Florence, that neither of us had been to.

An hour later we were on the train headed for a our little afternoon adventure. We arrived in Lucca and thought that it was a ghost town, which is fine by us because Florence is normally crowded with tourists and can be noisy from the scooters & ambulances. We walked around the historic center for a little while, then stumbled upon one street that was packed to the gills with people. If you live in Lucca, this is where you walk on Sundays, because you could hardly move from the crowds. A tiny, narrow street packed with some of the big brand shops, some interesting boutiques and dozens of little cafes & restaurants. We had a terrible map, and the roads there were very complicated, but that was part of the fun. We love getting lost on the small streets where no one else walks. It was like getting lost in Rome, but much much smaller.

All the women were decked to the nines. We saw lots of elderly people in Lucca who were out for their Sunday stroll, lots of families with babies, and zero cars inside the walls of Lucca. It always amazes me how different each town is here, the feelings & the attitudes of the people can be completely opposite only an hour away. The people were all so nice & polite everywhere we went.

A nice aperitivo to start, then a yummy dinner to finish the day. A fantastic way to spend the afternoon and feel like you are on a vacation.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

David at Sunset

2011-10-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

La Dolce Vita - Più Roma

2011-09-26T02:56:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of going to Rome for a quick day trip over the weekend. The choir from Atlanta was performing at St. Peter's so I thought I should go a little early to my favorite city in the whole world. Normally I just pick one historic site and one thing for fun (like shopping!) each time I go, but this time I thought about meeting up with a fellow blogger, and now friend, Andrea from Why Rome?.

We had SO MUCH fun walking & talking, it was like I have known her forever. I think there is some unspoken, immediate bond between women who come from the same area of the United States, especially from the South where we are both from. She had a great idea to eat Chinese! (yummy) so we went to Trastevere to one of her favorite spots. Then took a lovely walk to Campo di Fiori to the market and most importantly - Gelato. This wasn't your normal gelato, it was gelato dipped in chocolate syrup. Dear Dairy Queen - eat your heart out!

At times, I find it difficult to live as an expatriate. To feel different everyday you walk outside your door. The glares & crappy treatment I get from some Italian women gets tiring. Being able to have a fun, free spirited conversation, filled with laughter with no judgments is what I search out. Thankfully I have that with all of my expatriate women friends here in Florence, and now with this lovely woman in Rome. At the end of the day, I always tell myself that I am so lucky to be able to experience all of this. How amazing is is to wake up in a city like Florence, then spend in the day in a city like Rome.

Grazie Andrea!

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Roma

2011-09-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

There are no words. Non ho parole. I will always have a deep rooted love for the Eternal City. A love that I cannot explain in words. I am saving the full story about how amazing today was in Roma, but wanted to share this photo.

Grazie Roma ♥

Giving in to what I know - cup o' Joe?

2011-09-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

I have learned so much about myself in the last two years of living abroad in Italy. I have learned that I love to eat fresh food, take walks, and ride my bike along the river. I have learned to be more patient about day to day activities & interactions with people. Soon, I will be writing an entry about some of the things that really bother (and quite frankly) upset me about living here, because the truth of the matter is : Everything is not easy and everything is not perfect.

After moving into my new apartment with my boyfriend, I immediately felt more at home. I finally decided to stop trying to adapt in every single way to the way Italians live, because at the end of the day, I am American. I want to wake up in the morning and have my extra size cup of coffee, because I am tired of having 3 espresso's everyday to keep me going. I want to have personal products that I cannot buy here, so I load up on them when I go back to America. I want to have beautiful furnishings in my house that arent shabby, so I go and buy them. For so long, I have just tried to "settle' for lots of small things that I really don't like.

After going to 7, yes 7 stores in the historic center of Florence, I found this 20 euro coffee maker outside the city at the "Mall" Gigli. Thank goodness. Finding the coffee & correct size filters is another story :)

It's more than a cup o' Joe, it's balance!

La Dolce Vita - Sweet sounds of home

2011-09-18T23:49:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of seeing the choir from my hometown church perform yesterday in Florence. It is hard to put into words how soothing and content I felt when I heard them sing. I have always been drawn to how beautiful the music is at my church in Atlanta, so having them play in my adopted city was extra special.

They are on a week long tour, performing in Florence, St. Francis Cathedral in Assisi, then the grandest of them all will be at St. Peter's in Rome this weekend. I have decided to tag along to as many performances as I can this week, because I know each performance will be completely different.

The little reminders of home are always cherished, it is so sweet to hear the sounds of God in my new front door.

You can listen to the short video here : PRUMC @ St. James Cathedral

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

The double kiss

2011-09-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Still to this day, I cannot seem to get the double kiss down properly. I have almost smooched several people (who I wouldn't want to kiss) straight on the lips because I can never remember to "Go Right First". I always lean in to say hello and kiss on the left side. To add matters worse, I noticed last night that I also add the kissing sound "Mwah!" when I am greeting or saying goodbye to people. I will have to investigate further to see if this offends people here in Italy. For me, I think its pretty darn funny.

There are so many different rules here, so its hard to keep them all straight. Do I double kiss everytime? Or only with people you have met before? To strangers? Or is a sturdy handshake good enough for your first encounter. What I have been told is that it is common to double kiss a friend that you haven't seen in a long time, but you wouldn't necessarily double kiss a total stranger.

Also, I think its ab.so.lut.ely amazing that the men double kiss their friends, and it ain't no big deal! Can you imagine two American guys doing this in public? Nope! Bravo to the Italian men for being okay with being intimate gestures, especially in public.

Bacio tutti!

La Dolce Vita - Midnight runs for Gelato

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love that Florence is a walkable city. It is so much fun to take a stroll around the historic centre, and be fully & completely entertained without doing much of anything. My days are filled with work, personal projects, and playing housewife (my choice, which I am happy about). Often times I look up and it's already midnight and I am having my normal late night craving : Gelato.

It does the trick every.single.time. I have my personal favorite gelateria that I will write about in another post, but my new favorite flavor is "cookies & crema". It doesn't get much better than having this sweet treat while sitting in a beautiful piazza watching the world go by.

I return home with taste buds & soul satisfied.


I have always loved this advertisement for "Eat Pray Love"

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Baldobar

2011-09-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

My favorite new little spot is Baldobar at Piazza Santa Croce. I have been to Baldovini (the restaurant, in the same restaurant group) many times before, but had never checked out this tiny joint next door. I really love the new design of the interior, it has a beautiful mix of french & farmhouse decor that gives off a really cool vibe. They have an outside patio, if that is your preference, but I personally love the small, private nook on the inside.

My server, Freddie (who is darling) hustles around and is so nice & genuine. This is a big perk for Florence. The best part was the delicious "Quiche Lorraine" I had for breakfast. It literally melted in my mouth! Add this with a bottle of water & a caffe and the grand total only came to €5.

This is a bargain for good service, good food and a good atmosphere.

Via S.Giuseppe 20r / Piazza Santa Croce

Newest obsession of David Rocco

2011-09-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am a little late on this considering that David Rocco films his television show here in Florence, but my Mom just put me in the loop about how fabulous he is. If you haven't already done so, run, don't walk to the nearest book store and buy his book:

David Rocco's "La Dolce Vita"

He has a beautiful way of blending his love for Italian cuisine, Italian culture and his family all into one fantastic show & cook book. Unfortunately I am unable to watch his tv show here in Italy, but am totally and completely obsessed with his book.

Grazie Mamma!

To order: Visit Amazon

La Dolce Vita - Meeting at the station

2011-09-05T04:19:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, here it goes. This could be the cheesiest post thus far about my life & love of living in Italy. But guess what? I don't care one smidget!

For my whole life I have always seen couples reuniting in different forms. In Atlanta it is normally at the top of the airport escalators before you arrive to baggage claim. Sometimes, its on the curb outside waiting for your loved ones to pick you up. I was the girl that didn't need or want my significant other to show how much they cared, so I was content being picked up on the curb, hop in the car, then a quick lean over kiss to say "Hello, I missed you", in private.

I had a somewhat of nerve racking trip back to Italy, but after 2 days of difficulties, I was back in Florence! It is a sweet sign that I picked the right guy, who came running in the middle of his working day, to meet me as I departed the train from Milano.

Nothing, yes, NOTHING is better than getting off the train to see your handsome man waiting there for you with arms stretched, smile wide and yelling "Amore!". This happens in real life here, it's not just the movies.

As many of you know, Italians are not afraid of PDA, in fact they love it. I have officially turned into one of those people who doesn't care either, and happy to tell you all about it!

Yes y'all, this is romance - this is Italia.

Source : http://the-optimist.deviantart.com/art/Love-at-the-train-station-205179165

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Vinaio

2011-09-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite spots for a quick snack and cheap glass of wine is on Via dei Neri, at All'antico Vinaio. This little spot is open on/off during the day, then from 5-8:30ish in the evening.

You can have a 2 euro glass of wine with some delicious snacks like fried gorgonzola balls, tartufo crostini, and artichokes hearts. These only cost around .70 cents each.

You take what you want on a small wooden plate then sit outside to enjoy the people watching. Once you are finished, tell the young man Tommaso behind the counter what you had to eat and he gives you the total! Similar to the honor system the Spanish use during the tapas crawl. Enjoy!

Via dei Neri #65r

5 reasons you know you are back in Italy

2011-09-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

1. The first place you go is to the cafe to have a double caffe macchiato!

The days of full cups of coffee are finito!

2. Your boyfriend is standing on the platform of the train station awaiting your arrival screaming "Amoooooore!!!!!"

3. A rude Italian calls you a "Stupid American" for picking up his back pack that is the exact same Jansport back pack you are traveling with (an American company no less)

4. Your first meal back at home is pasta fagioli with olive oil.

5. The gigantic billboard ads in the Milano airport, train station and throughout the city center look something like the photo below, what would the people in the Bible belt have to say about this? Grazie Giorgio Armani!

La Dolce Vita - Deep South Y'all

2011-08-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

One of the funnest (is that a word?, well, today it is!) times we had visiting the United States, was taking our little road trip through the Deep South into Georgia, Alabama & Mississippi. I wanted Antonio to experience part of the real America that many never see. The good ole' USA is not just big cities with big skyscrapers with people who work too much. It is also filled with thousands of little small towns with little small shops, where Mama's & Pop's are working hard to make a living for their families.

We decided to stop in Luverne. For those that don't know Luverne (because why would you?) it is pretty much in the middle of nowhere in Alabama. It is almost impossible not to pronounce "Luverne" with a deep southern twang like "Looooooooo Veeeeeeeeern".

Thanks to Michael's marketing on the rickety billboard outside their little town, we found his restaurant with no problems. It was a Sunday so I was explaining to Antonio that we barely beat the church folk who would be pouring into this typical Southern restaurant a few minutes after Noon. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, small groups of people were packing into Michael's restaurant. How refreshing it was to see people hand & hand, saying grace before they ate. One tradition that was the same as in Italy was the people say "Good Afternoon" as they walked in, similar to how the Italians say "Buon Giorno" as a sign of courtesy to one another.

Michael's restaurant smelled like a combination of chicken grease & biscuits. A true sign we found the right spot for Antonio to experience his first true Southern grub! The owner Michael was very funny, and got all excited when I started taking photos of his food. He was hoping I worked for a travel or TV show, I explained that unfortunately I just write a personal blog about the fun stuff that happens in my life. He did however have tons of fun attempting to talk to Antonio. They could not understand his accent in English, so for the first time ever, I had to translate from English-twang to Italian-english. I still laugh about how fun this was, two cultures, two voices, but both with smiling, charming faces. Laughing is truly universal.

Once again, we did what we do best = wolf down our fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, maccaroni & cheese, then a sampling of every vegetable Michael had available. Sweet tea to drink for both, and delicious ice cream & blueberry cobbler for dessert. With our taste buds fullfilled and only $21 later (that is only 15 euro, which is unheard of for that amount of food!!), we headed back on the road.

A sweet stop in deep south yall!

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Nawlins & Sunny Florida

2011-08-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

We spend a decent amount of time at the beaches in Italy, so I wanted to show my boyfriend how beautiful the beaches of Florida were. We initially were only going to go for 2 days, but when I showed him on the map where we were going, he quickly saw that New Orleans "looked close". As many of you know, nothing is very close in the United States. From where we were in Florida, it took 4 hours by car to arrive to New Orleans. But it was okay! We had a fantastic time relaxing on the white sandy beaches, enjoying our cocktails and perfect blue waters, then headed off to Nawlins!

We arrived to our fantastic hotel, took a quick power nap, then went to stroll the streets of the French Quarter. It was unbelievably hot. Heat like I have never felt before. 103 degrees & sticky. Mamma mia, there was not one person on the streets! Many of the buildings are still being reconstructed from hurricane Katrina, and during the day it was almost like a ghost town, a bit erry. It was really interesting however for us to see architecture so different than what we are used to in Italy.

We found a cool spot at the French Market and wolfed down some typical New Orleans food : Fried oysters, shrimps and jumbalaya! Yummy-licious! Here are a couple of before & after shots :)

I had to head back to the hotel to rest for a little while, but Antonio was determined to see what else the city had to offer. He was out in the city when it really started to wake up. We came to the conclusion, that New Orleans does not come alive until the sun starts to set. All sorts of people, music and energy came alive during the night time hours. You can watch him partaking in the fun with the street jazz performers & homies dancing on Bourbon Street! (keep watching)

We were on such limit time, so only got to walk through Bourbon Street that night. We found a fantastic diner and chowed down (again) on some cajun food. Then as luck would have it - next door to the restaurant was a beautiful jazz club, a perfect end to our mini-vacation within our American Holiday.

La Dolce Vita - Italian Ragu & Usa!

2011-08-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! I will not lie, I am a little overwhelmed on what to write about on my blog! Antonio and I have been back in Atlanta visiting my friends & family for the last two weeks. We have been so busy and having so much fun that it has been impossible for me to find time to sit down and write. The never ending challenge of work & play when life is filled with so much good stuff! I promise to crank back up with the La Dolce Vita & Happiness projects in these upcoming days.

Over the next few weeks I am going to dedicate my entries to the things we experienced together as an Italian American couple, who for the first time spent time in the United States together. We have only been together while being in Italy, so it has been unbelievably rewarding to have him here with my family & friends.

One of the most fun nights we had was the second day we arrived in Atlanta and made homemade Italian Ragu for my family. There are no local markets near my parents house, so we headed to Whole Foods to pick up some fresh goodies : celery, carrots, garlic, onions, parmigiano reggiano, ground beef, tomato sauce & pomodorini (small tomatoes).

Cut up the celery, carrots, onions & garlic then saute in a pan with olive oil. Add a pound of ground beef to brown, tomato sauce & pomodorini. Let simmer for 45 minutes on low heat. Before removing add a handful of zucchero to your sauce.

Gather some flour, butter & milk and mix together slowly to create your besciamela sauce ! Pour in ceramic pan your besciamela, cooked extra large penne pasta, then layer similar to lasagna. Shave as much parmigiano reggiano as possible on the top! Put in oven on medium heat for 30 minutes.

Kiss the cook and enjoy your meal! Che Buona!!

I love this recipe that Antonio taught me, but for some great recipes visit my new obsession at David Rocco's Dolce Vita : http://davidrocco.com

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Home sweet Atlanta home

2011-08-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

Ciao tutti! I know I am a little behind this week on all my blog projects: La Dolce Vita, Happiness Project, etc. We just arrived in Atlanta after a long process of flying home on standby from Rome. I will update soon on all the good stuff going on here at home this week, and start fresh next Monday with La Dolce Vita - Thanks for all my blog friends for sharing their stories, sorry for the delay!

Antonio & I on Mom's porch in Atlanta

Places I love ♥ : Santo Spirito

2011-08-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

I cannot keep track of how many times I have walked across the river to Piazza Santo Spirito. It is one of our favorite areas to hang out & relax. There are some darling boutiques and fantastic restaurants in this neighborhood as well.

For some reason when I walked there yesterday I felt different when looking at the church. I think the sunlight & clouds hit the front in a different way, or maybe it was just my mood. I stood there in marvel staring at the blank facade of the cathedral. So many of the grand cathedrals in Italy have intricate designs dating back to the Renaissance, so this was in stark contrast. I love the simplicity and delicate iron cross.

It was that feeling inside when you see something for the very first time, like the Duomo or St. Peter's. With such awe and appreciation of their beauty. So many times I forget to stop and look around, so I am glad I did this day.

P.S. There is a wooden cross on the inside of this church by Michelangelo !

La Dolce Vita - Church bells

2011-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ciao Y'all! I hope you will continue to join me in the weekly postings for La Dolce Vita (The Sweet life). It has been really fun the last few weeks to meet new friends & expats. Please follow instructions below to join the blog party!

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I love the sound of church bells. I live on a high floor, so I can hear them throughout the day. The ones on Sunday morning are always the most beautiful because it is all the churches in Florence ringing at the exact same time.

It makes me feel joyous, harmonious and gives me a sense of peace. I love them so much because it reminds me of being at church in Atlanta. I am reminded of the beautiful services of Christmas & Easter. Back home, I never really heard church bells, except when services were letting out on Sunday mornings. So, I am fortunate enough to have this everyday in Florence.

I will never forget the first time I heard the call to prayer in Jerusalem for the Muslims, this is not too dis-similar from the feeling of contentment from hearing church bells for Christians. I cherish the daily reminders.

I had difficulties getting a solid video from the viewpoint of my apartment, so I am borrowing this video online that has a beautiful view of the Duomo with sounds of the church bells.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Rewind edition : My Seven Links

2011-07-29T02:44:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited by fellow blogger Murissa over at The Wanderfull Traveler to participate in an online project called My 7 Links whose goal is to unite blog writers from all over the world . It was really fun to take a trip back down memory lane to previous posts. I am thankful for the invitation and look forward to reading interesting stories from women all across the world!

My Most Beautiful Blog: The Sun & the Sky

A short but sweet entry about the beautiful sunsets in Florence

My Most Popular Blog: 1st Installment of La Dolce Vita

A new series with fellow expat women bloggers

My Most Helpful Blog: How Italians Eat?

Yummy cheesecake in Firenze

The Blog That Didn't Get The Attention It Deserved: Italia Bucket List

Learning to cope with challenges of living abroad

The Most Controversial Blog: Short list from America

The only blog entry I have where someone anonymous was upset with me, I am thankful for their reply and the information I learned from their advice.

The Blog Who's Success Surprised Me: When you want to give up

Another entry about living abroad with challenges, realizing the big picture of the good things in life

The Blog I am Most Proud Of: Finding Balance

Coming to realize how important my family, friends and loved ones are. La vita è bella.

In addition to My personal 7 Links, I also invited some friends along to participate. These are both people I know personally, and friendships I have formed through writing the blog. Take a peek at their fabulous sites as well! Thank you Murissa!!!

1. Leigh vs. Laundry : A friend from college who writes an unbelievably funny, interesting and touching blog about her life with her beautiful children & husband.

2. My Fall in Florence : Maggie's take on living in Italy and all the fun stuff that happens

3. My Sweet Florence : Beautifully written blog about undiscovered spots in Florence

4. An American in Rome : Darling blog about life in the Eternal City

5. Slice of Tuscany : How to experience Italy in a different way with my friend Sally

P.S. Another great expat website for Women : Woman Seeks World

Beautiful Holland

2011-07-26T02:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I was so fortunate to visit my elementary school friend Nienke. We met in third grade, when her family moved from Holland to Atlanta. We became fast friends, and fast forward 20 years, we are still just as close. Years of pen-paling, then the invention of the internet, now staying up to date via Facebook, we have never lost speed.

The beauty of our friendship is that it has always been the same, no matter where we are living, no matter the year, no matter the moment. As her mother recently said, "You pick up where you left off, and nothing changes". She has a beautiful family, two little boys (and another on the way), darling husband, charming house and cute little garden. Seriously amazing.

Everytime I visit Holland, I love it more. The people are so polite and cordial everywhere you go. The weather changes every 10 minutes, and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Amsterdam is bleeding with creativity, and the countryside is absolutely gorgeous. In some of the smaller towns like Wassanaar & Haarlem, I felt like I was on a movie set, it was that charming.

Some of the highlights of the visit where the bike ride through the forest with kids in tow, shopping in Amsterdam at the boutique stores, eating Indonesian food for dinner (YUMMO!), and the endless conversations we had about our lives & our families.

I feel very fortunate to hop on a plane to Holland within a few hours, and blessed to be friends with Nienke.

La Dolce Vita - Sleepy Sundays

2011-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the third installment of a new series called "La Dolce Vita" where I ask all my Blog Amici to write about their sweet life in Italy, or their sweet life in general. Each Monday I will write about something that makes my life richer while living in Italy.

I hope you all will continue to join me in the fun!

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One of the biggest reasons I love living in Italy is because the day to day, way of life is better for me. When I am bored, I take a walk along the river or sit in a piazza and people watch. On Sundays, we have a beautiful routine developing of sleeping in, having our morning caffe at a leisurely pace. There is no rush for work, and we have the whole day to do nothing but relax.

Abby's favorite hobby = napping.

Yesterday morning we welcomed the cooler weather, rain storms and silence that filled Florence. Waking up at our own speed, reading the news and having a delicious lunch at home. As the day passes, we nap, we read our books, we prepare for the week ahead and our upcoming trip to the United States. It's great not being on any sort of cramped time schedule, it's days like this I LOVE being tranquilla (tranquil).

I know many people back home probably do this every Sunday, but I never had the opportunity to really relax because of the work schedule I was on for many many years. I value the importance of R&R and the Italians have taught me that.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Migone

2011-07-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

My mother and I love this little store in the historic center called Migone. They have some delicious treats and some of the best gifts for your loved ones. Our favorite is the Duomo package with sweet cioccolato inside, Yummo! Via Calzaiuoli 85

La Dolce Vita - La Bomba

2011-07-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the second installment of a new series called "La Dolce Vita" where I ask all my blogger friends to write about their sweet life in Italy, or their sweet life in general. Each Monday I will write about something that makes my life richer while living in Italy.

I hope you all will continue to join me in the fun!

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This past weekend we arrived early at the train station in Florence to head to Terracina. We politely asked the Eurostar train conductor if it was possible for us to catch the next train to Rome, instead of the one we were booked on that departed 20 minutes later. The conductor proceeded to tell us that yes, it was possible, but you had to pay the difference in fare (we had bought discounted tickets), and then another 50 euro fee. "Incredibile" my boyfriend said. We laughed and said we would take the original train.

20 minutes later we were comfortably sat on our way to Rome. We thought we had 30 minutes between connections in Rome to Terracina, but when we arrived we saw that that particular train was not running and we had literally one minute to catch the next train. Sprinting through Rome Termini station had to of been a funny sight, we ran up to the train that had not left yet and the conductor said he was sorry out the window and did not let us in. "Dai!!!!!! (Come on!!)" we said.

The next train to Terracina was scheduled to leave in one hour, Okay fine, we took a walk and had a fantastic dinner & vino. We arrived back at the station, again, early and saw that our train was going to be "ritardo di 15 minuti". So we waited. A few minutes later "ritardo di 30 minunti", a moment later "ritardo di 45 minuti". So as you can imagine, we were a little irritated because we had no idea how we were going to finally arrive in Terracina.

Finalmente, we left Rome Termini station at 11:15pm to arrive in Terracina around 12:30am. Now, the reason why I tell you this long, detailed story is because it does have a pleasant and happy ending. We were greeted by Antonio's parents who drove us back to Terracina, and forced me to say yes for this delicious treat called a "Bomba". The thing I LOVE about Italians is that they go with the flow. All.the.time. I am still trying to learn this instead of planning out my entire night, perfectly timed, nicely organized.

I initially really wanted an early night, so I could enjoy the next day without being tired. Once we stopped, found a nice table outside, talked with each other & and enjoyed our sweet Bomba, our annoyances from the whole night disappeared. It was well past 1am and I didn't care one bit. The moral of the story is to appreciate the little sweet things in life even when there are hurdles (no matter how big or small).

Add caption

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Surviving the scorcher

2011-07-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been pretty darn hot this week in Florence. I cannot imagine living here without some sort of cooling system in your apartment or work place. Many of the locals head for the beach or mountains during this time of year because of the thick heat that fills the city. We have been so hot in our 6th floor apartment, but thankfully had purchased a portable AC machine to use during the night. The best money I have spent so far! I attempted to take walks around the city, but became overwhelmed with heat that my head started to pound, so back to the apartment it was! Shutters closed, AC fan on. I am dreading my electricity bill that will be coming soon.

This morning I awoke to a nice, cool, calm breeze and 84 degree weather. I am thankful for the cooler weather, and really looking forward to our AC filled trip to the United States soon :)

Tutto chiuso!

Places I love ♥ : Piazza Ghiberti

2011-07-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since moving to Florence, there is something about this residential building at Piazza Ghiberti in Santa Croce that I just love. This piazza itself is not very eye pleasing, especially comparing to the other grand piazzas of Florence. It has a flat concrete surface where little children play soccer, and some of the buildings are abandoned. Right now there are gorgeous flowers on the terrace, bright blue sunny days and the typical Florentine architecture colors of siena & taupe.

So typical Italian, so typically beautiful.

Terracina, I love thee !

2011-07-12T03:31:00.000-07:00

Citta : Terracina

Region of Italy : Latina

Population: 45,000

I love this town where Antonio is from. It sits on the sea with mountains behind. It is a coastal town, but a also a mountainous town. On one street it is run down, on the next, there are beautiful villas on the beach.

I am reminded every time I go there that "Terracina is older than Rome", and it certainly does feel like it. The historical center sits on top of a hill just off the water, and while you are enjoying your afternoon coffee, you look to the right and see ancient ruins being discovered.

\The people are so charming & welcoming. The seafood is plentiful and the air is clean. I discovered an amazing ancient road just outside his family's house and I cannot wait to tell you all about it.

I welcome any opportunity to go back!

La Dolce Vita Series

2011-07-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the first installment of a new series called "La Dolce Vita" where I ask all my fellow friends and bloggers to write about their sweet life in Italy, or their sweet life in general. Each Monday I will write about something that makes my life richer while living in Florence.

Pass the word along to your friends and join me in the fun!

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I love my bike "Pepe", and I love riding through Florence. I am from a city in the United States where its essential to have a car. So one of the things I love about living in Florence is the freedom I feel with riding my bike from one end of the city to another in less than 20 minutes. Especially now when the city is so hot, it feels so lovely to be able to have the breeze hit my face.

Nothing is better than taking a ride at night through the Old City, along the Arno River, or getting lost on the small side streets that wind through the city.

"Do you love Italy as much as I do? Join me in sharing with others about our passion for "La Dolce Vita"

The rules are simple : Every Monday, write about something you love about Italy, or your sweet life in general, then grab my icon and add it to your post.

Most important, do not forget to link up here so everyone can read about your adventures with all things Italian, Grazie belle!

Places I love ♥ : Ponte San Niccolo

2011-07-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

I love going to this viewpoint of the city. The way the Duomo & Palazzo Vecchio creep through the trees & reflection in Arno River is spectacular.

This is the view of the Old City from the Ponte San Niccolo (bridge).

La bella cucina

2011-07-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

You heard it here first folks, I like to cook. For so many years I ate every meal out. If I did eat in, it was limited to pasta & tomato sauce and Lean Cuisines. Back in the United States, I always had these fabulous kitchens, that I never used. Now, after living here and not having such a fabulous kitchen I realized I took it for granted. It is good that my past apartments in Italy did not such fancy kitchens, because I have been learning how to cook simply. Now, I am in my new fabby apartment with my new fabby cucina and I am in love, literally.

I have this lavandino in pietra antica (old stone sink) that is paired with a new shiny dishwasher. Plenty of storage, that's right! Storage units! Now everything can be hidden that we don't want to see. I only want to see my gorgeous wood beams ceilings, terracotta floors and Italian back tiles. Che bellissima! Soon I will post about some of the delicious meals and Antonio and I have been making together. Happy cooking!

My fall in Florence

2011-07-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

This is my close friend, Maggie, and I adore her! She is hysterically funny & very witty.

I am blessed to have her as my friend. She is the owner of M Keller Design, an independent graphic design company now based in Florence, Italy. She did many of the graphics on my blog too! She writes a fantastic blog over at My Fall in Florence, so have fun reading through her adventures of living in Italy. Here is a little snippet of goodness:

Broken Records and New Tricks

I have in the past made mention of my tendency toward habit. For years, I found my daily routine comforting. Wake up around 5:30am, go to the gym, come home and start the coffee (which had been dutifully prepared the night before), get ready for work, sit with my breakfast in front of the Today show and then head to work. Disruptions to this routine were uncomfortable to me, and not particularly welcome.

I had moments of fear that I had grown so set in my ways that my future was destined to slip away in this broken-record fashion.

Then in 2008, I made the decision to leave my job and strike out on my own. Scary, yes, but at that point I was so ready for a change and figured it would be good for me to shake things up a bit. Gone was the need for pre-dawn workouts, the need to shower first thing in the morning... indeed to shower at all! It was incredibly freeing. I could roll out of bed whenever I felt like it which by then, even on weekends, was around 7:30 (or 8:00am if I was feeling really lazy). Who needs makeup? Certainly not me, especially if I'll be hitting that gym at 10:30 or 11:00am while everyone else is at work!

But like all creatures of habit, old routines were soon replaced by new ones. Get up, sit at the computer while watching the Today show and eating my breakfast (always the same thing, BTW...) Work out mid-late morning, back for lunch while watching HGTV, then some more work... you get the idea.

Then came this crazy Italy thing in 2009 and the rather striking disruption of any type of routine I had been clinging to for so long. I have chronicled some of that in the past but coming here was a game-changer in so many ways. No more comfort to be found in the familiar because nothing was familiar. Where is there a gym? How do you even say the word gym? How the hell do I use this little metal coffee thing??? I WANT MY KRUPS!

This experience has been sort of a "reawakening" or maybe just a regression of sorts. I sometimes feel like I am living the life I should have been living in my late 20s/early 30s when I was so busy preparing my coffee the night before. Now the girl who would never have dreamed of going to the gym after about 1:00pm goes at 11:00, or 1:30, or even 4 or 5:00pm. A day trip planned to the beach at Viareggio became an overnight trip based on an invitation received about 1/2 hour before departure. A walk home from an evening out with the girls in early May ended in kissing a random boy on the street* (I nicknamed him the Italian Josh Groban).

Would these things have happened before my reawakening? I think not!

(* As a side note, I was not the only one kissing a random boy on the street that night...)

What this all means is that maybe old dogs can learn new tricks after all. Maybe this idea of being "too set in my ways" is all just a state of mind. Sure, there will always be some elements of routine in my life. I will always wake up and have coffee first thing in the morning (as will most of the world). I will always brush my teeth right before going to bed (especially after kissing random boys on the street). But what happens between is all up in the air.

Forget those broken records, I left them in the dust. This old dog has an iPod anyway.

My Fall in Florence

Why change è molto bene

2011-06-29T13:28:00.001-07:00

So after living in the same apartment for almost a year & a half, in the Santa Croce neighborhood, I moved to another part of the Old City this week. This is already proving to be so good for my soul. I am naturally a creature of habit, so I got into the same routine living in one particular area of Florence. Even though Florence is very small, each of the districts are very different, with different offerings, different vibes. I have been a little timid to get out of my little pocket in Santa Croce, because I know all the streets by heart, I live & work in the same building, the grocery store is 10 seconds away (literally), I say "Buon Giorno" to the same people everyday, and I have my coffee from Walter downstairs every morning.

Now I am closer to the Piazza Repubblica area, and I am only a few blocks off the Arno River. Everyday I get to cross over the Ponte Vecchio to get groceries, I see the river, I see the sunset, I see lovers locking their locks & taking photos. You might say to yourself "Come on Christy, the Ponte Vecchio is 5 minutes from your old house". But when its 30 seconds away, you see it more! This is my new front door and I love it.

Florence does not change, but you do. I can feel a sense of relief, excitement & joy over my new home. I am really looking forward to discovering even more about Florence and how I will change being in this new little pocket of the city. So many good things are the horizon with my relationships here, so my new fabulous casa is just the starting point. Soon I will post all the photos of my new place, and the funny stories that go along with moving in Florence, ciao!!! XO

"Benvenuti della nuova vita"

The reason why I write about groceries is because I will be living in this cucina! :)

Grazie San Giovanni

2011-06-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

Italy has 11 national holidays where almost all businesses are closed, ranging from the normal ones like Christmas & Easter to holidays to celebrate Epiphany (when the Magi came to visit Jesus) & The Immaculate Conception (when Mary was preserved from sin). Then each city has their own holiday dedicated to their patron saint, yesterday here in Florence was for San Giovanni (John the Baptist). That makes 12 holidays per year where citizens are given off work, bravo! (In United States, there are 7 total).

The city is flooded with tourists and activities, so we decided to get out dodge and head to the coast. We looked up the weather all along the western coast, and decided to go to Castiglioncello, south of Livorno. It is a tiny little coastal town, that didn't have much of a beach to speak off, but did have all these cool spots to layout and take in the sun. Antonio loves swimming in the sea, so we found a little spot on the rocks to relax, read and do absolutely nothing.

Living here I have come to realize how important the earth's natural elements are to us. As I have written before, with my headaches, there is nothing better than being at the water. Instantly I felt relaxed listening to the waves crash & the wind blow. Then, I cannot forget to mention how delicious the food is. Most of the businesses were closed (not for the holiday), this is not an area for tourists, so what you see is what you get. We did stumble upon one restaurant where the waiter said "Mi dispiace, la cucina e chiuso" (The kitchen is closed), but then the owner came running out and said for us to sit down and enjoy the view, he would make us an antipasti of seafood. Che fantastica! YUMMO!

The fresh food, air & sea with the most darling man I know, what more could I ask for?

The little things

2011-06-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

People might ask you what brings you happiness. I can tell you that today receiving a darling letter and a bundle of old & new photographs from Mom made my day, if not my week.

It is the little things in life that you cherish, especially living abroad. There is nothing better than see the "Atlanta" stamp with my parents name, with my address in Florence on the envelope. It is truly a small world.

Little treasures of memories past & present make me a happy girl. Grazie Mamma!

The sun and the sky

2011-06-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

The sky is a different color each night in Florence. This will always be one of my favorite things about this city. On our walk to dinner last night in the Oltrarno, the sun setting was a hot pink color mixed with the blue fading sky. The sun & the richly colored buildings remind me of earths natural beauty mixed with our beautiful man made architecture.

When the 'story' began

2011-06-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Today is my 'unofficial' anniversary with Antonio. I met him shortly after I moved to Florence, but as most things are in Italy, things take time. I have to get approval from him to tell the whole story of how we met, because I think its quite entertaining, but I have to respect his privacy as well.

To keep it short & sweet, our first official "date" was one year ago. Time passed, then we became "official" much later. The reason why I tell you this vague information is because even though today is not the day that we decided to be together, it is the day we started this "story" (as they say in Italy).

Last night at the stroke of midnight I was surprised with delicately made sweet treats & a delicious bottle of wine. Cioccolato & fruit is yummy, but the love is sweeter.

"Io sono fortunata"

Domenica perfetta

2011-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

We slept in, then took a walk through the Old City, just before the rain clouds came into the city. The air & breeze are so peaceful today.

Oggi è la domenica perfetta.

Photo taken along the Lungarno towards Ponte alle Grazie

Finding Balance

2011-06-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

Ciao Yall, well the last month has been another whirlwind of activities. I realize now that my life living in Italy is just that, filled with endless adventures and new experiences of living abroad. I need to make a promise to myself to write more, but it has been difficult lately since I have had so much going on. I am still on the never ending quest for "balance" in my life living in Florence. How do you fit into one day work, yoga, friends, boyfriend, activities, moving apartments, and most importantly : eating. I am exhausted, however, its a good feeling to be active and have rich experiences in life. I do feel very lucky to have the best family who supports me living here, boyfriend who loves me for exactly who I am, a steady job and some of the most extraordinary friends, many I have met here in Florence.


All the girls for Valerie's Going away dinner

One of my dearest friends who lived here last year came back to visit for month, so naturally there was much to do around & about. Valerie has an amazing way of bringing all of us girls together, so she had us on a pretty full itinerary for the month. I was one of the lucky ones that got to steal her away to the Italian Riveria for a few days. We relaxed at the beach, ate incredible seafood, had long talks and to put it simply...breathed. Visiting the Italian coast still remains one of my favorite things here. There is a deep calmness by being close to the sea. I have added this to my bucket list that one day I want to live near the water, preferably in the Ligurian area of Italy.


Valerie & I in Portofino


Oh, Portofino!

A few days later, I was headed to Terracina with Antonio to visit his family. I have to admit that being with him has made my experience here so much different. I have always felt good living in Italy, even through all the differences and challenges that I have been faced with. I have mentioned before and in previous blogs, my friendships are like my family and my rock. I love being able to be in Florence one morning, the coast that afternoon and Rome in the evening. This is one of the biggest advantages of living in a small country. The diversity of the landscapes, language dialects, foods, wines.

With that being said, really getting inside the culture because of my relationship with Antonio has help give me perspective on why certain things are the way they are. I find frustration that to get some things accomplished you go around & around in circles instead of just going from Step 1 to Step 2. I do not know if I will ever find the balance with this. I like setting goals and achieving them, quickly. I do not like how women are perceived and treated here, it is so old fashioned that many of the men think that the woman should be at home cooking & cleaning. I thank God everyday that I am with an Italian man who loves that I am independent, I like to work and be successful, but I also do not mind doing laundry. Again..... balance. It is important that he does not expect me to be the stereotype of what "a woman's role" should be. I like that he sees beyond living in Italy, many people never leave their hometowns, which is perfectly fine if they are happy, but I need to be with someone who sees more. The future has endless possibilities!


Circeo National Park, Terracina

When we went to his hometown for a mini-vacation it was so great to spend time with his grandmother, who is a very simple, sweet woman with a soft spot for Antonio. He went to the local port to buy 30 euro worth of seafood that fed 5 people that night. Her house was plain, with Madonna & child over each bed, and a few photos of her children and late husband Antonio. Like most mothers, she remains the foundation of the family there in Terracina. She loves unconditionally and welcomed me into her home. I felt honored that Antonio wanted me to spend time with her because I know how important this woman is for him. She calls him every Sunday night to say hello from her phone shown below, and she asked me politely to love & treat him as good as she does. If that does not pull at heart strings, I don't know what does.

Nonna Gina


Can you see Antonio's name?

Finding balance can be difficult. But I do feel like I am getting closer to finding the reason why I moved here to begin with. I do recognize that being in love with an Italian has contributed greatly to this overall understanding. My friendships here have forced me to learn things that I never thought were possible. This has helped me open my heart up more to things that are different. I am learning patience. I value good food, I cherish my friends. I do not take one day for granted anymore.

La vita è bella.


Beautiful street in Centro Storico, Terracina

The watch from above

2011-05-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

One of my girlfriends is visiting from America this month, so I am staying at my boyfriends loft in Santa Croce. It has been interesting to see how different the dynamic is from this apartment compared to my silent, humble abode (servants quarters) in the "palazzo". He lives on a busy street that connects Piazza Signoria & Santa Croce Cathedral together, so there are always swarms of tourists. Unfortunately, this is also the pass through for many of the local bars & nightclubs in the areas, so in the middle of the night I am normally woken up with laughing students. I would also like to point out that American students get a bad rap for being loud, but from my experience living here, the Italians are just as bad. I can hear Italian and often times Arabic being yelled at high pitches at 3 o'clock in the morning.

At any rate, this entry is not about the problems with living here, its about how much I love it. He lives on the 5th floor (yes, thats right, no lift), so my backside is getting its work out this month. I work from home normally, so I have made friends with the old Italian woman across the street who also spies on the passer by's. When I get crazy headed from looking at the computer screen too long, I can always count on her to be peeping her head out her shutters at all the madness below us.

One day I looked down, and I counted 90 tourists from Asia waiting outside the restaurant below. I figured out that this restaurant specializes in large groups, so when you have one group of 50 Germans trying to exit the restaurant, and 90 Asians trying to get - it is quite the site. It was so interesting to watch the taxi's and bike riders attempt to get through :: nearly impossible. I was so entertained by this, I almost forgot to snap a photo.

In the apartment I have lived in for over a year, I am nestled on the interior of the building, so I never see people, nor hear them. So this is quite the change. I love it during the day, have difficulties with it at night. The typical story of living in Italy, the underlying them of love hate relationship with your daily life here.

I have no idea why I think this is so fascinating, but it is . I have always enjoyed people watching. I am curious what other people see, feel and love (this also goes for my new friend hiding under the shutters). It is especially interesting to watch people love Florence so much. As much as the tourists can frustrate me, I do like the reminder that there is a reason why Florence is so special.

Short list from America

2011-05-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have formulated a small list of the things that you absolutely cannot find in Florence. Or, if you do, the cost is so much higher than in the United States, its difficult to warrant spending the money.

#1. Peanut Butter
Cost = 5 Euro (approx. $7.50) for a small container of Skippy Crunchy. Long are the days where you have a 5 shelf, long row of multiple selections, Jiffy, Skippy, creamy, crunchy. Nope, this is what you get here in Florence. I am always on the never-ending search for the best peanut butter for the best price. My girlfriend recently wrote a blog about this as well, you can read here My Fall in Florence. I think it is interesting that Italians do not eat peanut butter, in fact they think its "schifo" (gross). I was at my office one day, and cut up an apple and put peanut butter on top. This is so common in the South, that I never thought any different. My boss walks in and says "Christiiiine!?! What have you done to the poor apple?"

#2. Oatmeal
Nope nadda. Does not exist. I just had my girlfriend load up on packages from the United States. I made my boyfriend try it this morning, his reaction was "Ugh, how can you eat that?". I add a little sugar on top (another trait of being Southern) and he thought it was too sweet. I can only imagine what he will think when he visits Atlanta and is forced to eat grits with butter & Sweet N'Low.

#3. Cereal
There is a small section of cereals at the grocery store, so its not non-existent. It's just the selection varies each time you go to the grocery, so you never know what you are going to get. This is actually common practice with many types of foods in the small grocery stores here. One day I get a small box of Corn Flakes for 4 Euro, the next I get some Italian brand. Is it bad that one afternoon I found a box of Cheerio's and it literally made my day? My father would be proud. I do get my cereal addiction from him afterall.

#4. Feminine products
I am just going to say this bluntly. They do not work as effectively here, the brands might be the same, but the product is different. I have no idea how, or why this is possible, but its the truth. Everytime I go back to the United States, I come back to Italy with a 4 month supply of "Tampax, American manufactured".

#5. Saline Solution
Great ready for this. It costs 10 euro ($15) in the historic centre for the same exact bottle of saline. All things are more expensive in the centre because of the tourists, but even then, it's outrageous.

#6 Ny Quil / Day Quil
Best product ever made in the history of the world for cough/flu. I have been unsuccessful in finding anything similar here. They do have a vast array of powdered medicines that work almost as good, but they still aren't as great as back home.

#7 Q Tips
I know this might sound funny, but I never realized how much I loved cleaning my ears until I had to use hard cotton swabs. Again, I have been unable to find the brand "Q tips" anywhere, and have resorted to buying the cheap ones at the 99 Cento (99 Cent) store. Ouchers!

#8 Kitty litter
There is no such thing as Arm & Hammer litter here, only the il naturale (natural) kind or the pebbley kind. Both of these are also outrageous in costs, over 10 euro for the good stuff!

#9 Hair bands
I am actually shocked I am mentioning this one, but its true! When you have long hair, its absolutely a necessity to have good, strong hair bands. I have searched & searched this town, and to no avail. The only ones I can find are pastel colored and very thin, so they break after 2 uses. Do Italians not use these? I cannot imagine there is no demand for a product here? My co-worker, who is male with long hair even asked for my mother to bring some of the black ones from America.

#10 Bathing suits
This is one of the the many kinds of apparel that are challenging in Italy. The bathing suit issue is difficult because you cannot find normal bathing suits, at a reasonable price & reasonably covered. Even the old, over-weight women wear bikinis and its perfectly okay. The men wear weeney bikinis and its perfectly okay. Not in my world. I am in my mid 30's and would not be caught dead wearing a thong bikini, with my boyfriend wearing a see through white banana hammock. Bravo to the Italians for not being afraid to show their bodies, even if they aren't perfect.

I will give the Italians tons of credit for the fresh food, simpler lives, romance, and fantastic wines, but I wish the list above could be worked on just a little bit. It would be interesting to formulate a little test to see if the lower cost of the food from the market & cheap wines offsets the costs of these products. I am still a firm believer that if Target would open here it would be a bagillion dollar store, I smell a huge business opportunity here. Ciao!

Non sono "vegetariana"

2011-05-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Alright kiddos, it's official. I am no longer a vegetarian. After living my life for over 15 years of very very limited chicken & fish, and absolutely no meat, I finally gave in and ate a Bistecca Fiorentina (Florentine Steak). Last fall, when I was going through trial & error for my headache problems, a doctor advised I get on a strict diet, filled with lots of protein, fruits & vegetables. So in desperation, I tried to eat red meat. My girlfriend would cut me a slice of her meat and say "If you don't like this, you will never eat meat". I tried, and it was terrible. I could not get the sound of "Moo" out of my head while I was chomping away.

A few months later I was out to dinner at Benvenuto in Santa Croce, and decided to go for it. I ordered a fillet with porcini mushroom sauce & rucola salad. Che fantastica! I am a firm believer however, that everything tastes good with porcini mushrooms. I still had to have my boyfriend cut it up for me, because I found it difficult to slice properly.

Over time, people have continued to introduce me to some of the popular Italian meats: ranging from prosciutto crudo & cotto (ham), filetto di manzo (beef tenderloin) and get ready for this, the 'all American' hamburger from The Diner. As time passes I try to not hear the 'mooing' or 'oink oink' of the animal, but remember how much energy I do have after eating red meat. I keep telling myself its okay morally because the foods in Italy are not mass produced or overfed with hormones.

We buy the meats at the market and eat them the same day. Unless you want to eat pasta & pizza everyday, I did find it difficult to be a vegetarian here. It's not like there are Doc Chey's salad joints & Chipotle bean burritos around.

Points for Italy for opening myself up to other foods that are healthy for you :)

Pasqua, South of Rome ♥

2011-05-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Easter was fast approaching, and I was feeling a little sad not being with my family this year. Holy week is an important week for us back in Atlanta, so I felt a bit lost not partaking in services or being with them. At the very last minute by boyfriend called me and said "Pack your things, you are coming home with me for Easter weekend". I was absolutely thrilled! Not only to spend the time with him for the long weekend, but to also have the opportunity to meet his wonderful family.

A few hours later, we were in Rome having dinner, waiting on our slow regional train to take us to his seaside town of Terracina. I love how quickly you can be in another part of Italy, and it feels like an entirely different country. You could smell you were close to the sea, breathing the fresh cool air. A welcomed change from the unfortunate polluted air of Florence.

'Pasqua' is Italian for Easter. So, that Sunday morning, I awoke to the most amazing smells coming from the kitchen. His mother had prepared the most incredible meal, all fresh seafood from the local port. Calamari, polpi e vongole

(Calamari, octopus & clams).

In the afternoon, we decided to take an afternoon trip to Sperlonga, another coastal town in this area. It reminded me a lot of the Pueblos Blancos of Southern Spain. Narrow, hilly buildings, filled with white, cream & taupe materials. A very different feeling than the colors I recently saw in Veneto and also here in Florence.

I feel fortunate to have been invited into their home for the holiday. The family was so welcoming to me, even with my limited Italian.
Smiles, laughter and hugs will always remain universal symbols of happiness.

'Only in Italy' Series

2011-04-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend, Sally, over @ Slice of Tuscany and I have decided to write a series called "Only in Italy". These are all funny things that happen to us everyday living in Florence. We work together at the agency, so you can imagine all the stuff we laugh about. Everything from the random things that our Italian, male bosses say, to the crazy things people say to us on the street.

Last night I was at a bar with my boyfriend, and we were having trouble translating a few words from English to Italian, so we asked the bartender for a dictionary. Randomly, he had one. Italian version, Italian publisher from 2007. I was flipping through the pages, and saw this below. Notice anything funny, and absolutely appalling for all of us independent, free-thinking, working women?

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this. I showed it to the bartender (male) and to my boyfriend and they had no idea what the problem was. I said "The men are fully dressed, and the woman is not only wearing slinky lingerie (garter belt included), but she also has cleavage!! Absolutely incredible!

Move on to the 21st century Italy. Per favore! Only in Italy!

Terms of Endearment

2011-04-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

To piggy back (no pun intended) on a sentence in my previous post, I have to write about the "terms of endearment" that are used from my boyfriend. When asked to other Italians, are these normal? is he being sweet? The answer was always "Si". I really hope all these people were telling the truth, otherwise, I will be forming a complex.

Somehow when they are spoken from an Italian, they do seem more flirtatious and endearing. If an American man said some of these words to me (in English), I'd probably slap him across the face.

For example:

"Patata" (Potato)

I am assured that its not only from the round figure, but also attributed to the back side.

"Mia Mozzarella" (My mozzarella)

When asked "Why do you call me mozzarella?" The reply was "Because you are so white"

"La Tigre" (The Tiger)

More commonly used to associate the woman as "sexy"

"Mio Amore" (My love)

This one is used both formally & informally from both sexes. Somehow in Italian it sounds so much better :)

I saved the best one for last. I am not the only one of my friends that have been called by their boyfriend "Il Porcellino" (Little Pig). A friend who is married to an Italian told me thats its a compliment to be nicknamed after things that that are delicious! I can accept patata, mozzarella, tigre, amore, but "little pig"? How could this possibly be something sweet? But, it is!!!

I had to laugh about it, and decided in the end to give myself the nickname "Miss Piggy" and him "Kermit". The similarities are actually kind of similar. I have big blonde hair, droopy blue eyes and rosey cheeks. He is skinny and well, kind of green!! :) How's that for cultural differences? :)

Happiness times three! La famiglia!

2011-04-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Dear fellow friends & bloggers. I am sorry to have been MIA the last few weeks, but there has been so much good stuff happening in my life, I do not have time to blog about it. Honestly, I have not had time to breathe from all the fantastic stuff that is happening around me. I will back track, and try to keep in short with my Happiness Project. I know I am probably cheating with combining my weeks together in one post, but, cest la vie. It has to be done this way!

Week One, March 29th. One of my best friends from last year moved back to Florence. Maggie was part of the "Italian Dream Team", as I like to call my group of girlfriends. When you get us together, you better watch out, we are invincible. We are also like family, so it feels so good to have another piece of that family back in Florence. We have already spent many nights taking walks through the Old City, catching up on our lives, drinking good wine, and eating good food. She even motivated me to join the gym. Her welcoming back dinner was in perfect form filled with so much laughter my face hurt the next day from smiling so much (combined with the Limoncello our handsome waiter kept pouring us). I am glad Maggie is back!

Week 2, April 5. My mother & brother came to visit Italy. We went on the whirlwind tour of Rome, Florence, Pisa & Venice. It was my brothers first time to Italy, so it is always refreshing to see Italy through someone else's eyes. We rented a fabulous apartment in Rome through Sleep in Italy, which was very close to Piazza Navona. I highly suggest getting an apartment over a hotel in Rome anyday. Its more fun, you feel like a local and its more economical. While Mom & Court visited the main historic sites, I stayed at the apartment to work. Truly, I think the only thing I did for those days in Rome was eat pasta, drink wine and take walks. So worth it the extra weight I put on in the process. Upon returning to Florence, my boyfriend gave me the new nickname "patata" (potato) - hence, joining the gym wasn't so difficult.

I still think Rome is the most beautiful & delicious city in the world.

Week 3, Florence & Venezia! The following week, we were here in Florence. Mom & Court rented a little apartment from my agency in the same building I live in, so it was nice & convenient for them to be close by. I showed them the classic aperitivo, Court climbed the Duomo, they met the Italian boyfriend, and they even took a fun cooking lesson @ Il Porcellino by Piazza Repubblica (Still one of my favorites in Florence).

A few days later, we were off to Venice for a very short stay. The best part of this side trip was visiting Murano, the little island village, famous for it's glass. This town was so special, I think it deserves a whole blog entry on it's own. So that will be coming next, I promise :)

I think the underlying theme of the last month is family. Having your close friends come "home" to Florence, having your family come visit you in a foreign place. Nothing replaces family for me, so it was important that my mother & brother enjoyed visiting the place I love so much. I know I say this regularly, but I am so blessed to have the life & experiences I am right now. My job is good, my friends are amazing, I love my family & boyfriend. I feel good.....Finally.

I am starting to believe that notion that things just 'fall into place' in the way they are meant to be & at the right time.

Happiness Project 3 - Vacanzina al Mare (Little Trip to the Sea)

2011-03-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a fabulous two day trip to the Ligurian coast of Italy. This area is my Italian boyfriends favorite place in Italy, so we thought it would be a good idea to turn to the cell phones & computers off and hit the road (or train as it were in Italy).

You know those cheesy, romantic movies you see about people falling in love in Italy? Guess what? This really happens. The story I am about to tell you happened in full detail this weekend. We got up early to take the train to Pisa, then change to the Cinque Terre. Thankfully Antonio likes to be early to everything, so we arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule to see that the train was delayed 30 minutes. What this means is that there was no way we could make our connection in Pisa to the 5 Terre directly. We would have to figure out another route once we arrived in the Pisa train station. Eventually we did make it to La Spezia, which is a larger coastal town on the Western side of Italy. We even ran into one of my best friends from Florence standing on the platform. Small world.

We arrived 5 hours later to the little village of Monterosso, to meet our landlord Claudia for keys to the apartment. She was pleasant, with black hair, tan skin and neon pink lipstick. I think she has lived in this tiny town her entire life and will probably never leave. We walk up this tiny little alleyway to our apartment, laundry hanging, sun is shining, piccoli gatti (small cats) prancing by, and believe or not - classical music was blaring from the apartment upstairs. This is what its like in Italy.

After settling in, we decided to have lunch in Monterosso. Antonio, who calls himself "From the Sea" gave the American a lesson on typical seafood dishes. We had Insalata di Mare & Pasta di Scampi Seriously, incredible. It really helps that he can explain the menu to me, otherwise I would of never had the courage to order this stuff. I am so glad he did :)

After our late lunch we took a walk along the chilly beach, put our feet in the water and collected interesting rocks from the water. The sun was setting so it became a little cold, but it didn't matter for us. We were so happy to be there and breathe the clean, crisp air. I have mentioned before that my father loves sunsets, so I wrote a message to my parents from the beach.

The next day we took the train to the other small, sea villages of Manarola & Vernazza, both as equally charming, with some of the most beautiful views of the sea. We had another delicious seafood filled lunch, took a walk on the paths above the towns, and took a nap on the rocks. Accordion musicians playing for us tourists in the piazzas, so we danced. I said to Antonio, that we are so lucky to be able to be there, even if it was only for 48 hours. We both work here in Florence as much as I did back in the United States, so it was really good for the heart & soul to get out of the little concrete jungle of Florence. I am seriously considering renting a little apartment in this area sometime in the Fall. I have always thought this stuff was only made in the movies, but it really does happen if the setting is right.

Happiness all around us.

Happy 150th Birthday bella Italia!

2011-03-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last night & today we are celebrating the unification of Italy from 1861 where Turin was once the capital, then Florence, then finally settling in Rome. Celebrations took place all over the historic centre of Florence last night, but we decided to watch the fireworks & listen to the orchestra play at Palazzo Vecchio!

Complimenti to a unified Italia!

Happiness Project 2 - The Florentine Cat

2011-03-16T04:24:00.000-07:00

Well it's official. My sweet American cat has now lived more of her life in Florence than in the United States. People that do not have animals do not understand how important they are for us. I don't know what I would do without my Abigail here with me. She has lived in three Florentine apartments, stayed in three other apartments while I was in America, and always does just fine. I am thankful she is adaptable :)

Her favorite thing to do is to jump out of the big windows onto the tiled rooftops of my building. She can hear the pigeons outside, and is eager to catch one! I have to be careful because there is a 4 story drop just outside one of the windows, but she always seems to manage around it.

When I do not feel good, she snuggles with me. When I work from home, she sits on my lap. When my boyfriend comes over she rolls around on her back wanting to be pet. The way he says her name is so cute: pronounced "Ahhhh Beeee, Vieni qua!" (Abby, come here). I think at this point she knows more Italian than her mother!

My quirky Italian home

2011-03-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

I realized I have lived in this apartment for over a year now and never wrote about it. I was so spoiled when I first moved to Florence, because I rented one of the most charming apartments close to the Arno River. But living here like a resident is very different than living like a tourist, I needed to "down grade" just a little bit. As you can imagine when I first moved I was still living off the Euro / Dollar exchange so it made no sense to stay in that nice of an apartment. Fortunately over time I adjusted to earning and living with only the Euro, so it was not a problem anymore, but generally housing in Florence is expensive. Especially for the standard that we are used to back in the United States.

My boss had an "attic" apartment that his family was renovating so I decided to take him up on the offer to move here in his families palazzo. Do not be distracted by the word "palazzo = palace" as I live in the old servants quarters "on top" of the palazzo. This is my little (but big for Italian standards) 50 sq meters, or 540 square feet apartment sitting up on the the palace rooftop:


Santa Croce cathedral bell tower in the background


Abby attempting to escape to catch pigeons!

In has been a year of trial & error getting the apartment ready for potential clients after I decide to move into another apartment. We will rent this apartment through Apartments Florence after I move. Some of the challenges have been getting the kitchen & bathrooms in perfect working order. This is a common issue in Italy, something that we are not used to in America. Sometimes, there is no water. Sometimes, there is no hot water. Sometimes, there is no heat. I have been without heaters for the entire winter, but fortunately in one of the rooms there is an electric AC / heating unit that I use when it's chilly. Recently, we have gotten a new boiler for the hot water, so now I have hot water & water pressure in the bathroom! Yippee!! No more French baths. Still no hot water in the kitchen, but who cares right?

My gawdy colorful kitchen :)

It all functions now! That is all that matters!

For months the oven & the dishwasher did not work, but my landlord eventually did get them replaced and they work perfectly. The washing machine has always worked great, so points there! The funny (and sometimes not so funny) thing about living in this apartment is the wiring is so old that you cannot run two electrical appliances at the same time or the power cuts out. For example, if I want to take a hot shower, I have to make sure that the : Hot water dial is turn to "On", then the :Dishwasher, Oven, Washing machine, AC unit and all lights are turned "Off"... Only one at a time. I can only use the hair dryer in one outlet in the whole apartment. So when I am in my kitchen, I cannot be washing clothes or running the dishwasher at the same time. I think the portiere lady downstairs is officially tired of me calling her to adjust my circuit breaker. Cest la vie.

Generally, the apartments come furnished. So its up to the owner to decide how they want it decorated. Usually its a combination of throw away antiques combined with poor selection of cheap Ikea furniture. In almost every apartment I have been in, there is old sofa & side chairs covered with blankets or window panels....Absolutely hysterical! My girlfriend said she thought my apartment was having and "identity crisis" so I am doing my best to buy some fun things to make it more "me". However, home decor is very expensive in Italy. Unfortunately, we do not have throngs of retail homes to shop at. If I could ship anything from Atlanta to Florence, it would be my persian rugs, YES please. Grazie!

All in all, it has been a fun year of living here. I get itches to move into another apartment, because I see so many beautiful ones everyday through my job. But I keep coming back to this one, not only for the great price, but it is considered big and the location in Santa Croce is really good. Step by step (piano piano, slowly slowly) it is coming together. Even if I do live with tacky blue & white Italian tiled bathrooms & hot pink floors!

Happiness Project - Settimana 1

2011-03-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned in previous posts about my college friend & fellow blogger Leigh at leighvslaundry.blogspot.com. She has a weekly project for her and her friends about all the good stuff going on in their lives. Each week you select something that makes you happy. I have decided to take the 52 week challenge to blogging once a week about all the things in my life that bring me happiness.

Anything from a small cup of coffee, travels with friends, and experiences with new people....The list can go & on, and I am looking forward to the next weeks of discovery into all the big & small things that make me happy.

This week I would like to write about my love affair with Italy and how it started. When I started university back in 1995, during the orientation of UGA, they gave us a pamphlet about their study abroad program in Cortona, Italy. I knew at that moment that I wanted to finish my college career studying abroad. I spent the next years revolving all my classes around ending in Cortona. Fast forward to 1998, I was a plane to study art in Italy.

Months later I fell in love with all things Italian, except for how rude people can be at times. I remember complaining to my parents back then about how rude some of the Italian locals were to all of us students. Not all of us are loud & obnoxious, so it was frustrating being treated like you didn't appreciate Italy. The interesting thing is that this happens a lot in Florence too, again, mainly directed towards the inappropriate behavior of some, makes it harder for the people that really love living here.

Since coming back from my study abroad I always wanted to move back to Italy in some capacity. I think I talked my friends & families ears off about it. I loved the small markets in Cortona, how easy it was to access Florence & Rome by train, the beautiful Tuscan landscape, the laid back atmosphere. I always dreamed of coming back here, but never had enough courage to do it. That was until another failed relationship with someone I loved kicked me into gear. We had talked about spending some time in Italy after we got hitched, so after we went splitsville I decided I was still going to do it. It was my dream afterall, not his. Three years later, three jobs later : I moved to Florence.

Recently for my 35th birthday, I organized a small day trip to my first home in Italy...Now, Cortona is bustling with cute cafes, trendy shops, art galleries and antique stores. It still has the small town charm, but there are more things to see compared to when I lived there in 1998. I felt lucky to have a fun group of friends from Florence come with me to celebrate. Like I have mentioned before, that living as an expat, your friends become your family. The people who you rely on every day.

It brings me great happiness to discover and re-discover all the beauty of living in Italy, whether its the stunning landscapes or the relationships I have made.

Rose colored Florence

2011-03-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

It has been many weeks of long days at work, too many hours in front of the computer, and not enough time for myself. I start to get overwhelmed at the amount of hours I am spending working, and not enjoying some of the things I love about Florence. I am not going to pretend like everything is perfect here, because its not. So many things are done differently. But the bright side is, I have a beautiful Italian boyfriend who is helping me learn the language, I have great friends who I laugh with, I have a good job. The weather is getting better, the temperature rising, and the sky has turned to a bright, cobalt blue.

Florence is a magical place to live. The food & wine is plentiful. The men are passionate and romantic. However, I do not see Florence through rose colored glasses. Some days are more challenging than others, then some days are so joyous I cannot imagine ever moving. I suppose I am still trying to find the balance of living abroad.

Over the weekend, I was getting cabin fever from staring at the computer screen all day, so Antonio thought it would be a good idea to take a late night walk. We walked to Piazza Signoria and saw the Loggia lit in bright Rose colored lights. My favorite statue in the entire world is placed here, "Rape of the Sabine Woman" by Giambologna (rape = to take away, not the modern connotation as we know it). When I get tired, lonely, and frustrated I go look at this magnificent body of art. Somehow I can always put myself in this woman's position of struggle. I remember the first time I saw this in 1998, I cried at its beauty. Now, here it was lit so beautifully with rose colored highlights.

Experiences like this are constant reminders of why I am here.