“Friending ” in Florence: Special People in a Special Place

Part II

Francesca Battisti at the Caffe’ Dolce Amaro

The Friendship Journey Continues

I am wishing my Florence friends a better year to come in 2021, filled with happiness and success in spite of this surreal time with the COVID-19 virus Pandemic. As we approach gradual lifting of restrictions for businesses and more relaxed social gatherings, my hope is that a vaccine is approved and that our world will return to some type of normalcy. Unfortunately, at this time, the United States, along with other countries, has been in a terrible crisis with COVID cases. I am glad that Italy rose like the “Phoenix” out of the ashes by being a great success at controlling the virus after suffering through a total lock down for months.

At this time, I am sad to say that my trip to Florence this year has been delayed. I am keeping my fingers crossed and filling my mind with optimistic thoughts of seeing my lovely Italian friends soon. In this latest blog addition, I would like to share more of my delightful moments with Florentine friends during the summer of 2019.

During my two week visit to Florence in the summer of August 2019, after attending language school, I would walk back to Via La Luna (Literal translation:The Moon Street) to take a break in my cozy first floor apartment while passing numerous places to eat. One of my favorite places, which I chose just because the food looked so appetizing, was Cafe’ Dolce Amaro. There I met Francesca Battisti, a friendly, dedicated worker. Francesca could quickly and efficiently deliver whatever food a customer requested. I became hooked on a delicious veggie “panini” that was warm and very tasty. I would ask for it to be “porta via” (To go and the literal translation is “take away.”). Once inside my apartment, I used the microwave to reheat this delectable, juicy veggie sandwich. During one of my trips to Dolce Amaro, I couldn’t resist adding a dessert. Sorry I can’t recall the name of it….I just know it was super creamy and delicious! Check out the photo below. I’m sure it will make your mouth water! Francesca was a pleasure to converse with and enjoyed having her photo taken.

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Author: vmcarson

Traveling has always been in my blood since I was very young. My family moved frequently to different locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the United States due to my mother's teaching jobs. As a young girl, I would accompany my mother on bus trips to visit her relatives in different parts of the United States. Throughout my younger years, I could only dream of traveling to Italy and being fluent in the language. My father was Sicilian but rarely spoke in Italian. In 2013, my mother took me on my first international trip to Italy. I felt so fortunate to see Rome, Venice, Florence, and other regions of Tuscany. At that time, I became determined to return to Italy. I was obsessed with discovering the most economical way to solo travel. Eventually, I took a chance and learned along the way to solo travel. I was able to return to one of my favorite cities in Italy, Florence. In this area, I have enjoyed studying the Italian language and familiarizing myself with the art and culture. Furthermore, I have gained a new inner strength and the ability to expand my life. Every year, I try to explore and write about my travel experiences. I have made many wonderful friends and found endless new places to explore. It is my pleasure to inspire other travelers to unhook the inner fears of trying something that seems impossible. The results are incredible! You may contact me at vmcarson@aol.com with any solo traveling questions!

2 thoughts on ““Friending ” in Florence: Special People in a Special Place”

  1. Nice post and photos! Sorry you aren’t able to visit this year. Maybe things will be back to normal next year and we can all travel to our favorite places again. Hope you are well! Take Care!  ~Carm 

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