Travel – ValVentures

Part IV

Shopping in Florence can be quite overwhelming at times! Where to go..how much time there is……to look for jewelry, clothes, souvenirs, etc., etc. especially when you are not sure where to go. If you are not on a tour and being rushed around like a herd of cattle, it is relaxing to take a day to browse around the Ponte Vecchio and the center of Florence near the Duomo and Giatto’s tower. My addiction to costume jewelry led me to a discovery of the Colours & Beauty store located along one of the main streets coming from the center of the city. Not only does the store jump out at you with bright “colours” and a tempting glittery array of pretty jewelry, but the smiles radiate from the store employees.

Laurie and her coworker were very patient and accommodating as I took my time to choose from what seemed to be an endless selection of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and so much more, packed into this quaint store. (Here is a link to the website for you to window shop from the comfort of your home! https://www.coloursandbeauty.it/) The next time you are able to shop in Florence, put the name of this store in your Google search and follow the walking map. You won’t be disappointed! Laurie loves interacting with customers and speaks English very well.

More shopping friends!

Friendly and a bit shy, Raffaela tried to hide from my cell phone camera in the “Accessorize” store, which I have visited for the past 4 years. This store is easy to find and always has a lot of good sales on jewelry and other fashionable items for your wardrobe! During this visit, I was searching for a small leather backpack to bring home to my daughter. I found the perfect size in black just at a reasonable cost. For the past two years I had recognized two employees but did not see them this year. I introduced myself to a shy young woman stationed behind the register counter. She listened attentively as I explained in Italian who I was looking for, one of which had a beautiful detailed tattoo of a rose on her arm. I showed Raffaela photos on my phone and she told me the two employees were off that day. At first, she tried to duck behind the counter to avoid having her photo taken. But, after my insistence and words of encouragement, she kindly obliged. Thank you Raffaela!

Towels? Who buys them while on vacation? Me, of course! In my apartment everything was wonderful, however, I only wanted a softer towel. Therefore, during one of my leisurely strolls, on a nice warm sunny day in Florence, I decided to try a quaint store with towels and many other types of linens. I introduced myself in Italian to an amicable trio of grinning sales associates and asked them to pose for a photo. The men struck a pose right away. However, the woman tried to escape and hide in another aisle! My coaxing words (Tu sei bella! Ma dai! – You are beautiful! Come on!) led her back to join the others in a lovely photo.

After a friendly conversation with these fun folks, I found a set pretty pink set of soft bath towels. The store owner was so kind to cut the price for me to 20 euros! (I didn’t ask him to!) Memories of people like this in Florence make me even more sad that I cannot board a plane yet to revisit what felt like my second home!

Uddin Md Nazim happily selling his abundance of colorful scarves & shawls!

This vendor seemed to really enjoy what he was doing! A great big smile for all who passed in one of many crowded areas of central Florence. Uddin was very patient and kind while I chose a beautiful orange scarf to give to my daughter! (I enjoy spoiling my family!) I hope one day soon to see these vendors again. I loved seeing all the varieties of souvenirs and talking with the sellers. Many came from Morocco and Bangladesh and would tell me stories of their family backgrounds. Other vendors were natives of Florence and quite proud to have been doing their jobs for a long time. Now, during this difficult world pandemic, the streets are more subdued without the presence of vendors and tourists. I hope my vendor friends are safe and have found another way to financially support their families.

Part I

Share my latest visits to San Miniato al Monte, Santa Maria Novella Parfumeria, & and a special opera in San Casciano, Pisa!

The Apartment

“How many times you coming in Florence now?,” a friendly Italian clothing store owner asked me. I responded to him with a confident, “This is my fifth time!” To which he exclaimed, “Meraviglioso! I am happy that you love our country so much!”

My return to Florence, Italy in the beginning of August 2019 was a wondrous maze of experiences intertwined with new adventures and a few unexpected situations. (When traveling, I always know there will be little surprises of possible interruptions to my comfort zone!) My first stop after a nice fight on Swiss airlines to Zurich and then to Petrola airport in Florence was my apartment on Via La Luna (La Luna Street). I always enjoy trying out my Italian language skills even though I am a little hesitant starting out. Taxi drivers are always kind and willing to engage in conversation when I explain how long I have been learning Italian! As the taxi approached my street I texted one of the owners, Matteo, about my arrival. As the taxi pulled directly up to the street in front of a walkway leading directly to the apartment there was Matteo waiting for me.

I was so surprised because this never happened to me before. Usually, I have to struggle with my luggage going up at least one flight of stairs. However, this time, Matteo was there promptly to greet me and assisted with taking my belongings to the ground level apartment. He was very kind and immediately spoke in Italian to me because he knew I was trying to learn. He was very courteous and encouraging as I did my best to converse in his language! Matteo took his time explaining about the apartment and local stores, tours, etc. I was happy to listen to him talk about his personal experience of living in the United States for several years as a musician. There was even a lovely bottle of wine on the table in the kitchen. This is why I love Airbnb .com for finding places to stay when traveling! They always seem to be true to their ratings and Matteo and Monica were rated highly on the website!

This apartment was a gem! Everything was clean and there was a full kitchen/living room complete with two coffee makers (one american and the other an Italian percolator that Matteo taught me how to use on the stove top.). There were plenty of various spices and pasta on the shelves, in case I wanted to cook and even a bottle of Lemoncello in the refrigerator. The bedroom was a nice large size complete with a spacious mirrored closet. There were even 2 air conditioners, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Two bathrooms were available as well! One had a toilet and the other had a shower…both had sinks! I was happy there was a washer and a portable fold-up wire stand that was a perfect size to dry my clothes. The cost for my two week stay was very affordable!

The walk to the apartment was nice in this quiet area.
A solid door with a solid glass screen door inside. Very secure!
These lovely flowered vines belonged to the La Luna restaurant which I passed every day on my way to the apartment.
This cat loved to lie among the aloe plants near the apartment and gradually became my little friend.
Nice efficient kitchen – just the right size for me!
The bedroom was perfect!
I loved the closet space and took full advantage of the hanging post for my long sun dresses!
Some days I didn’t mind grabbing a sandwich from the local supermarket for a quick lunch.
I sat at this table daily to relax and watch a nice TV. I left those bottles of wine for Matteo and Monica as a gift on my last day.

La Luna

Matteo told me there was a convenient place to eat, which was just a few steps away from the apartment. Of course, this restaurant was named after the street of La Luna. I enjoyed some delicious meals there and even a take away pizza one night. The wait staff was delighted to make my acquaintance and would give me two menus every time I visited – one in English and the other in Italian! I enjoyed talking to the waitresses and they were delighted to pose in photos for me. In the photo below, the manager was making Corina, Kejsi, Jessica and I laugh. Everyone laughed even harder when I said, “Che cosa fai?!” (What are you doing?)

San Miniato al Monte

San Miniato Al Monte basilica, was my first researched tour and is located very close to the famous Piazzale Michelangelo. This year the church turned a thousand years old! It is located atop one of the highest points in Florence with a reputation as being one of the most scenic views in Italy. The day before I planned to see this church, I was told by several of my Florentine friends to take a bus or taxi because walking would be difficult due to the distance from my apartment. Additionally, there are many steps to climb leading up to this attraction. However, I challenged myself into braving the walk from my apartment since Google maps showed the walking distance to be a half hour. Even though it was a very hot day, walking turned out to be a good choice for me and as I approached my destination, I noticed quite a few helpful street signs pointing out the direction of both San Minato and Piazzale Michelangelo. When I finally reached the cascade of wide steps and ascended to the top, I exclaimed to an artist seated on the steps with his paintings for sale, “Ho fatto!” (I did it He responded by lightly slapping my hand with a high five and cheery “Fantastico!”

Piazzale Michelangelo was my first reward at the top of the steps with a magnificent view of the city and a replica statue of Michelangelo’s David. Seeing the great icons of Florence from this height, such as the Duomo and Giatto’s tower, was breathtaking.

After taking endless photos with my camera and cell phone, I followed Google maps to San Miniato al Monte. More steps were there for me to climb and the second reward appeared at the top as I witnessed another gorgeous view of the city.