10 posts tagged “florence”

Back to normality after 2 special days. I had fun preparing the little things to make the blog look nicer and that is what it is all about really. Everything is nice when you enjoy it.
144 visitors in two days (98+44) and 412 page views (270+142), big numbers.
Now 18 Hughenden Road is back to normality, the song is no longer in auto-play, color have gone back to standard as well as the background picture. Just in case someone missed the beautiful Florence Edition here is a little screen-shot. The blog as it used to be...

24th of June, St. John the Baptist, Saint Patron of Florence. It is a feast day in Florence. The day of the final of the Calcio Storico, the day of the fireworks, dei fohi. Thus I took this occasion to make something a bit more special. A way to say thanks to my city, a way to feel closer to it. I bring it always with me but at the same time I miss it lot. It is eight years by now that I left, first in Pisa, then in the UK. It is eight years that I don't live my the city anymore, but every time I come back I try to find sometime for a walk in the city centre, or on the surrounding hills.
You can't describe Florence, you can't explain what it is that makes it so special, that move you, deeply, every single time you see the places you have seen a hundred time. Every corner, every street, every place has its own story, in a city which is full of history, every where you go. This is what makes it so beautiful, what makes its people so proud of it. I apologize for the English readers, but I would like to paste something that my friend Tommy wrote (some time ago, in Italian) about Santa Maria Novella, one of the most beautiful Church in Florence. For everyone instead I made a little slideshow with some terrific pictures I have found on the web (actually some are mine as well :) ).

I titoli a volte si scelgono per catturare l’attenzione di lettori distratti o pigri che selezionano così le poche righe sulle quali spendere il loro poco tempo di webnauti.In questa italica riscoperta di miti un po’ impolverati e forse per questo ciclicamente riproponibili, il titolo del cavallo di battaglia di quello che sembra essere rinato come l’idolo delle ragazzine di mezz’età, mi è sembrato un ottimo catalizzatore per gli assonnati occhi dei miei due o tre lettori di poetica memoria.E’ sabato a Firenze; stranieri con improbabili magliette corte e cartina in mano, i banchi di S. Lorenzo che aprono i battenti e le urla becere e condite di fiorentina “sacralità” dei garzoni del mercato centrale. C’è già un po’ di viola nell’aria con le civette quotidiani che già ammiccano ad una partita teoricamente abbordabile. E’ sabato a Firenze e nonostante il lavoro chiami, ho deciso di passare per un attimo in piazza S. Maria Novella.Per il viaggiatore che giunge a Firenze ed esce dalle austere e razionaliste forme della stazione, di lei vede solo l’imponente e cupo tergo. Finestroni enormi e paramenti di pietra forte. Dovrebbe incuriosire trovarsi davanti l’unica chiesa che invece del suo volto bello ti mostra le spalle, come una donna civettuola d’altri tempi. Fai via degli Avelli e cerchi di guardarle i fianchi, capire se val la pena fare altri 50 metri e farle svelare il viso. Entri in piazza e capisci che Leon Battista Alberti era uno che, primo, voleva bene a Firenze e secondo, era innamorato della bellezza della geometria. Qualche raggio di sole esce dalle nuvole e rende immacolato ciò che molti direbbero “bianco”, meraviglioso qualcosa che gli stessi direbbero banalmente “bello” e l’occhio innamorato di un fiorentino qualunque si riempie di orgogliosa commozione.Mancano pochi minuti all’appuntamento ma cedo alla tentazione di entrare nella pancia di questa meraviglia dove, solitario ed unico, Giotto ha appeso la sua eterna preghiera a Dio: l’immagine di un uomo affisso mani e piedi ad una rigida croce, morente e misteriosamente trionfante. Il capolavoro di Masaccio e Masolino, lì accanto sembrano quasi una lieve appendice a tale bellezza.La nostra città è così, è un luogo dove capita di camminare distrattamente accanto ad un pezzo di muro dipinto per il quale a New York, solo per quello, costruirebbero un immenso museo. Firenze è così, è lo scrigno più grande riempito delle più belle gemme e pietre preziose che attende sempre l’occhio di un fiorentino qualunque che lo guardi non con bramosia ed interesse ma con amore e desiderio

The visit to Glasgow was good...! Maybe the match was the worst part of it...but even if it was a short visit we had really good fun...
We got to Glasgow at 4 pm ish. The city centre was busy, most of the people were showing football colors...definitely all the over 2000 people from Florence...but most of the local supporters as well...
The welcoming and the atmosphere was really cool...Rangers supporters were wishing good luck, Celtic fans instead we encouraging, (almost begging) us to beat their reveals...!!
Ibrox Park is a great stadium...it is really beautiful inside, with an amazing view of the ground...as usual in British stadia...
The walls of the stadium are all made by red bricks...The cool thing is that you can engrave your name on them for just £35..."be a part of Ibrox forever". You can write there whatever you want...your name, a phrase, some greetings...and it will be recordered forever...
We got there slightly before 6 o'clock...on time to have a walk around Ibrox, take some pictures, have a chat with some Rangers supporters and visit the official store...
We got in at 7 ish...45 minutes before the kick off. To be honest though...I was expecting local fans to be louder.True that when they started to sing it was hard to talk to the person next to you...however it was not continuosly... Goodison Park (against Everton) was much much more impressive from this point of view.
As said before the match was probably the worst part...Rangers with their ultra-defensive, anti-football tactics didn't let Fiorentina play...therefore we didn't found many spaces to create them problems... 0-0 is the worse of the good results...I am a bit disapponted we did not get an away goal...now we have to be careful in Florence. I am confident we can do it though...
After the match we say good bye to Tommy and Lorenzo and made our way back towards the city centre for another walk and a pint... Not for too long though...the alarm was set at 6 o'clock , just time for a shower and a quick breakfast...there was a plane to catch...and another long day ahead...

 

Few minutes before saying goodbye to my dad (we where already at Pisa Airport) he asked me "How do you feel (by now), going back to England? What are you sensations every time you have to leave Italy?". That was a good question...and it was something I asked myself sometimes...Florence is my city, and it will always be where I will eventually go back; at the moment though most of my life is in Bristol. My job's here, many of my friends are here, all my stuff is here...I feel here to be my place...3 years are not a lot...but enough for me to say that.
In the beginning, every time I had to come back to UK, it was like I was going somewhere where "I had to go", where I was doing a great experience but still a place that in the very end I was not familiar with. It was a sort of burden...even though it vanished as soon I was boarding the plane...Today I am no longer crossed by this sort of perception, but I rather feel I am going back home...
The flight was OK apart from a the most noisy school trip ever...straight to work from the airport...and then back to Hughenden Road late in the afternoon...to get some rest after a tiring weekend...

So...with the victory tonight, Rosenborg is archived...Now it is time to think about Everton...which will be a really tough one...! First leg in Florence, second in Liverpool...Be there is a MUST...that's the first time Fiorentina plays in England since I moved here...and it will be only few days before my birthday... actually my 30th birthday... If anyone wants to come along please get in touch... :)
Other than that...back to Bristol and back to the routine...busy week...plenty of interesting stuff...the weekly football match...an annoying sore throat and lots of resting...I really needed it...

Guys guys guys...
when Fiorentina wins, it is always worth to have followed the lads...but if you travel so far away to watch a football match, even if it is UEFA Cup, it is something different...it lets you feel more proud of your team...and of your city...They were not the Real Madrid, or ManU or whatever... I know, but it doesn't really matter, does it?
What I will bring back home  with me is the culture they have here...500 km form the Arctic Circle... it is something that we cannot even imagine, miles far away from the idea we have of a football match. Before the kick off we spent at least 45 mins in the square just off the stadium (just off their sector I'd say) drinking beer together, talking to Rosenborg fans, taking pictures, shopping at Rosenborg official shop, listening some live music...I got a Rosenborg scarf, from one of them...I gave mine... That's something really impressive when you are not used to it...!
Fiorentina won...Mutu scored...we could have probably scored the second goal, but we didn't...they it the post 10 minutes to go... 0-1 is the right results I'd say...and good enough to wait the second leg trustful...in a week...in Florence.
I had a text from John...the guy I met Wednesday on the plane...the Everton Supporter..." Well done, I will see you in Liverpool..."

Cosa...son venuto a fare...?
Non ti posso lasciare...
è più forte di me...

What a long journey form Florence to Bristol...!
It's quicker to get to Vancouver I guess...! :)
I left my place at 5.20pm, to catch the 6 o'clock train...
My friend Angelica picked me up at Pisa station and took me to the Airport...
We had dinner together (slice of tuna pizza) and a nice conversation on the latest news...
It's a classic, by now, to see her on my way back to Bristol...and it's always cool...
Flight to London Stansted at 9.10pm.
I was a bit worried to have problems to restart the engine of my little Twingo...
instead...once again "she" didn't abandon her captain...! It's a very special relationship between me and her...! :)
Three hours driving in the rain (as if it wasn't enough the three days of rain I had in Italy),
a cappuccino and a muffin near Reading...and back to Bristol by 2.20 am...
10 hrs after the departure from my home town, Grassina...

But that's all right...it wasn't too heavy...and there is always an iPod that helps in this...!
Going to sleep now...that in less than 5 hours I have to get up...a new week is starting...with a day less...!!! ;)

It has been quite a long day...but finally I got home...even if a bit tired...
The flight was scheduled at 13.10, but by the time we got to the airport it was announced 1 hour of delay.
The queue at the security control was massive...you cannot believe...It occupied all the airport lounge...up and downstairs...It took 55 mins to get through...crazy...At the end the plane took off at 14.50...just 1h and 40 minutes late... :(
The flight was smooth...few chats with friends, Marco, il Sir (Alessandro AKA AlJazeera), la Sere and Francesco...
and a bit of reading. I have almost finished "Love Over Scotland", the third book form the "44 Scotland street" series.
I have already bought the new book (just added in the book session) which is called " The World according to Bertie"...Bertie, a clever 5 years old boy, is my favourite carachter...so it should be a good reading...
We got to Pisa at about 18:00...and then Taxi Patrizio, (my dad) took me, Marco and Francesco to Florence.

Mummy cook a good dinner...actually she made the second course, spezzatino con patate. As first course we had ribollita, a tipical florentine course. Nonna made it...just for me (you know, the grandson was coming back after 3 months...she had to do something...!!! GRAZIE NONNINA....!!!!!!!!!! ). It was just delicious...!!!

To finish the day, I went out with Tommy for a quick drink...we went da Bobino...but only for an hour...we were both tired...tomorrow it is gonna be another long day...

Happy to be back home...tiring as usual though...nite nite...

It all started over a year ago, when Bjorn bought his German mug in Munich during the world cup, promising to give it as a present to someone coming from the country of the world cup winner. Italy won...but too many Italians were around...so Bjoern decided to keep the mug...
Unfortunately though the mug was kidnapped...and some evidence that it was still alive were sent to him...

The mug then returned to his master as a prize for the best German dressed...during the "L party" in January.

Few days after the mug was kidnapped again from Gary...who gave it to Spenny...but while Spenny was keeping the mug at his desk , and looking after it very carefully...Bjoern spotted his mug again...and took it back...
That was a not acceptable...so few hours later Manch with a quick phone call gave order to one of his friend to nick the mug again from Bj's desk as soon as he had the chance... The job was done in the same afternoon... and here is where everything started to build up...

THE MUG AROUND THE WORLD
We decided to take the mug with us everywhere we would have gone...and then "we will do somethoing by then end of the year..." we said...

Here we are again...
Last working week started this morning with a good resolution...!
"Today I will leave at 16.30..." I thought...I got back home it was 19:40... A Good start... :)
However, I have to say that I spent the last hour finishing off something that me and some of my colleagues have prepared for a friend of ours...! I can't tell more than that about it now, cos he might find out... I will tell more in the next days...!!
It is gonna be a good laugh the delivery though... (and I have to say the present is not bad at all)
Tomorrow we have the monthly meeting with the team at work. We will going through all the works we have done this years, spotting achievements, issues and so on...! Everyone has to prepare a slide... I still have to do mine... :)
Tomorrow night I am at Serena's for dinner, and Wednesday at Marco's...which is good...
I have to empty the fridge by Saturday though since then I'm off in Italy for the Christmas break...

A brief Meteo recap for today

Still High Pressure over the UK. Overcast in the morning, then cleared up around lunch time, to end up with a mostly cloudy sky in the night. Light easterly breeze all day long. Very Cold.

Min. Temperature: -2.5 C°
Max. Temperature: +2.8 C°

PS. Serena and Marco are two of my friends, both from Tuscany...one from the countryside north, Marco from Massa...even if he lived in Florence a little bit...and Serena from the countryside south...Piombino...deh ma deh... :)