A Room with a View

Here I sit on my bed in Florence, morning sun shining through my open shutters, and Brunelleschi's world-famous Duomo towering before the light. That's right, she stares at me in the morning and watches me undress at night. What a life. I love it. I've been reading people's thoughts on Firenze and there are so many warnings to avoid la Piazza del Duomo, known for the thousands of tourists who pass through every day. But I have an advantage over the herds of Asians, Americans, Italian school kids, Immigrant street vendors, and Gypsy thefts--a literal advantage over the whole buzzing scene as I sit at my window with a smirk on my face. I can't help but chuckle at the dumbfoundedness and mayhem. I could take pictures for hours on end of tourist faces and pseudo-photographer body positions as they try desperately to capture the entire magnitude of il Duomo in one dinky shot. (Good luck!) Or the way the gypsies know exactly who to ask (or who not to ask=§) for a little extra spare change. And of course, how a man and a woman can't even talk without a 2€ rose thrown in their faces and a tricky situation as he tries to say no without offending the woman.

But nevertheless, despite these quarks and potential annoyances, it would kill me to tell someone, "Avoid this piazza if you visit Florence". If not for the architectural genius that draws so many to its doorsteps each day, one MUST visit this piazza--at least for witnessing these clusters of life, these exchanges of oppotunity, that make up the huge cultural element of Florence known as tourism.

I love my location right in the heart of this ancient city where hardly any walk home poses a serious threat. I'm no more than 3 minutes from all the best bars, clubs, and music venues in Florence, and the streets by the Duomo are some of the best lit in town. Is this really my front yard for the next 3 months? Yes. Yes it is. Somebody pinch me!

All my love and wishing you grand adventures wherever you might be these days...
Pace,
Rach

(and my view in the other direction)