Last Day Blues, Shoutouts, and Reflections

If yesterday brought a tinge of bittersweet, today was straight up melancholy. I considered what might happen if I “missed my flight” and stayed another week to do all the things on the ever expanding must-see list that became didn’t-quite-get-tos. Taking a high-speed train, spending days roaming Padua and Ravenna, climbing to the top of the Duomo and Campanile, to name only a few.

As many of the days over the last three weeks had started, Deb and I met in the lobby for a final trek to language class at Accademia Europea di Firenze. On the way, we decided to stop at Antico Caffè Cavour one last time. Over cappuccino e dolce, we wondered if there would be an actual lesson or more of a quick farewell.

After two full fun lessons with ample opportunity to say grazie mille to all our insegnanti, it was time to go. As we came down the stairs, the President of the school greeted us to say thank you and bid farewell. During our conversation, we learned he had come to Florence from Brazil upon invitation by the school due to his extensive experience in study abroad programs. It was refreshing to know that like the rest of us, he was still working towards fluency.

The four linguists departed Accademia Europea and crossed the street to say arrivederci to the baristas at Pasticceria Ciapetti who, by this time, knew our beverage of choice. They too had welcomed us and what was once foreign became familiar, even if only temporarily.

While everyone returned to the apartments to pack, I set off to find a suitcase. We had passed a luggage store on the way to class one day and I thought I had a good idea of where it was. Maps wanted to bring me to high-end shops that offered quality items at premium prices. Almost ready to give up and surrender to the cost of shipping, I finally stumbled upon it. With a meager 35€ spent, I boarded the tram in true tourist style.

That evening at PopArtment, our home away from home, Nadia hosted a brief and final farewell to coordinate transportation for myriad departure times. With many hugs and well wishes, we parted ways.

Shout Outs

There are so many people that made this trip exceptional, to whom I would like to express my utmost gratitude.

Nadia

Our director was nothing short of amazing. Should something have happened, if we had questions, or needed anything, she was on call twenty-four seven. When one of the ladies fell, Nadia brought her to the hospital and stayed until she was released. Over the course of any three-week trip there are bound to be some changes to the planned itinerary. She handled all with absolute grace and provided a marvelous experience from day one. And I haven’t yet mentioned how knowledgeable she was of Florence and every destination we went to. When occasion called for more in-depth expertise, each of the guides that joined us were excellent. I can’t say enough good things about Nadia and highly recommend seeking out any tour she is directing.

PopArtment

Located at the intersection of Via Alfredo Catalani e Viale Francesco Redi in the San Jacopino neighborhood, I felt welcome from the moment I stepped through the sliding door. As a family-run establishment, they were more than hospitable and genuinely wanted each of their guests to feel at home.

The studio was more spacious than expected, with more than adequate storage for clothes and personal items. While there wasn’t a full service restaurant on site, the apartment had a well-equipped kitchenette for those who might wish to cook at home. My preference was to go out, and there were plenty of options at very reasonable prices within a few blocks. Most importantly, the bed was quite comfortable. Housekeeping came once a week, which was the perfect cadence to refresh towels and linens. Laundry was available on site, but with one washer and dryer, you may have to wait your turn. I found that to be a great opportunity for meeting neighbors.

Accademia Europea di Firenze

I’ve mentioned language class in passing to avoid belaboring readers with unnecessary details on grammar lessons. As a school that specializes in semester long study abroad programs, it seemed they didn’t quite know what to do with us at first. We had all learned some basics, so didn’t need to start with the ABCs, nor were we anywhere close to conversant. Our insegnanti, Luca, Giusy, and Anna, were wonderful, and the administration was flexible and accommodating. All told, learning and practicing Italian almost daily was truly at the heart of my time there.

Smithsonian Journeys

From the moment I booked, the team at SJ was responsive and courteous. The tour in April was full for solo travel, so I was placed on the waiting list. It was reassuring to know there was flexibility should things open up, or if I needed to postpone for some unforeseen reason. Being my first time abroad, questions were bound to come up in the months leading to departure. From payment options, to logistics, to amenities at the apartments, if my liaison wasn’t sure of the answer, they found out and replied promptly. Though I don’t have another European tour to compare it to, I was very pleased and would book with Smithsonian Journeys again without hesitation.

The kindness of strangers

Let me begin with the tour group—Jim and Linda, Glenn and Joan, Bill and Anahi, Chris, Maxine, Susi, and Deb. Everyone was so interesting, pleasant to be with, and eager to engage with our experiences and one another. Most had traveled rather extensively over their careers, for pleasure, or both, and shared stories of safaris, global treasure hunts, and international intrigue. As my first time abroad with a tour, I couldn’t have asked for a better set of fabulous people to have shared it with.

Deb played a huge part in elevating the trip from enjoyable to extraordinary. It meant so much to have a companion at times others were more inclined to stay closer to home. While walking to class, exploring on our own, or having dinner, conversations that ranged from light to philosophical were always engaging. On a few occasions she was also a confidant—someone I could talk with openly. Moments in which her insight and advice were delivered with good humor and a smile are as memorable as any other. Grazie mille per tutto!

Being in a large metropolitan area such as Florence, most people spoke better English than I did Italian and like any other big city, residents are accustomed to visitors from around the world. Wherever we went in Tuscany, I found Italians to be warm and friendly. Learn some basic language skills and use what you know as much as possible. They’ll know you’re American and will speak to you in English, but a little effort does go a long way.

Some of the most memorable experiences I had were from initiating conversations in Italian. With Eleanora at Palazzo Vecchio, Antonio Gatto in his Atelier, Adela while having a spritz, and Mauro at Il Principe. Speaking a little, leading with a smile, being open, and bringing some warmth of your own will take you far in the world.

Reflections

As Florentines during the golden age of Renaissance were inspired by the Greeks and Romans before projecting into the world ideals that would carry humanity towards the Enlightenment, it is now, in the modern era, that we should reflect upon, and gain inspiration from, all that has come before. 

Of course, a vast majority of the population did not witness a sea change in upward mobility and this age of wonder and prosperity was wrought with enormous challenges—war, famine, plague. It was also a time in which sentiments seeded during the Middle Ages that began to question the absolute rule of monarchs blossomed.

When there was no recourse other than to fight or defend, he did. More than anything, stability is what Lorenzo de’ Medici strove for. It was no simple task to maintain the delicate and ever-shifting balance of interests between populace, guilds, nobles, the papacy, and rival city-states. It cannot be ignored that he also served the interests of his family and the Medici bank. While there is no doubt he was a great patron of the arts, perhaps it is this proclivity towards peace, precisely because it meant greater prosperity for all, as well as his efforts to unify the Italian peninsula, that were the most significant factors in being designated as the Magnificent.

To have spent three weeks in a country where my ancestry is known, in a city that contributed so much to the values of modern Western democracies, was nothing short of a dream come true. Seeing countless paintings, sculptures, and architectural marvels by Renaissance figures who were often masters in all three disciplines was breathtaking. Yet seeing so much in three weeks barely scratched the surface.

Italy has long called to me. After this unforgettable adventure, it beckons with siren song.