clean laundry & red wine

On Friday night, I decided it was high time that I took myself out for dinner.  I still had not eaten any pasta in Italy (aside from that which I had cooked for myself at various hostels) nor had I sipped any Italian wine.  Many people have asked if this is my "Eat, Pray, Love" trip, and my reply has been that I am certainly open to all these experiences. :)  However, here I was in Italy, and I hadn't even tried the wine!

I took myself out to an "Enoteca" that Lonely Planet had recommended for its food, wine, and relatively inexpensive prices.  My Primo course was lasagna (all I can say is "wow"), and the secondo was a fabulous smelly cheese (starts with a "t" - I can't remember the name) with grilled veggies.  With this, I had a delightful local red wine (Chianti Colli Fiorentini), and I was in a nice enough spot that for once I did not take a picture of my food.

In terms of pleasures of the senses, I must say that lasagna, smelly cheese, and red wine on the streets of Florence rate quite high on the list.

Although, giving this experience quite a "run for its money" is the smell of clean laundry, which I did just prior to going out for dinner.  Two days later, I am still deliberately smelling my clothes and my money belt (yes, Sarah, I finally washed it!!!) with wonder, reminded of what clean actually smells like.  Lasagna.  Clean laundry.  The pleasures of Florence.

Friday saw me determined to not pay any more reservation fees for art galleries, and so, I was greeted with a 1 1/2 hour line to enter the Uffizi gallery, which houses the world's most famous and extensive collection of Italian Renaissance art. The line-up (or queue, as I am learning to say) provided me with the opportunity to finish Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray", which I had picked up in Bratislava, and which has no doubt got me thinking about pleasures of the senses (however, I am content to stick with my art, red wine and clean laundry for now...!) The most renowned works at this gallery include Botticelli's "Spring" and "The Birth of Venus".  Lovely.  Along with being very grand and stately, I am learning that Italy's art galleries are also very dense. In many rooms, there is art from floor to ceiling - perhaps sculptures on the ground, and then several layers of paintings on the walls.  It's gorgeous and also a bit overwhelming - difficult to know where to look and impossible (I'm learning) to "see everything" (especially when one already waited 1 1/2 hours to get in). I'm learning to allow my eyes to be drawn to what most resonates.

I was excited to find a lovely American bookstore Friday afternoon with loads of used English books. They offered me £0,20 for my battered Wilde (most hostels have free book exchanges, but unfortunately this one does not) and I found a copy of Naomi Wolf's "Misconceptions" for £1,50, £1,30 if you factor in my discount!  I had been craving a non-fiction read, and so, as heavy as this is (both literally and figuratively), it was a perfect find.

Shortly after I arrived in Florence I saw a familiar face - Alex, from Israel, who I had met at the hostel in Venice, was also staying in the same hostel as me here. Alex's travel style is that he stays put in one place for a while, taking many day trips to neighbouring towns, but then returning to the same place to sleep at night. Liking this idea, and, as previously noted, with more time in Florence than I had originally planned for, I took a day trip by bus to the little town of San Gimignano on Saturday (http://www.sangimignano.com/sghomei.htm).  Known as the "Medieval Manhattan" because of its tall towers (these ones were built in the 11th century, however), there were originally 72, and only 14 remain today. It was rather quaint, and it was lovely to be out of the big city, and to be able to find grass to lie down on! It also boasted breathtaking views of the surrounding Tuscan countryside, and many spots offering tastes of local wine from their very own vineyards (I briefly looked at the cost of shipping wine to Canada: One has to purchase a minimum of six bottles, and the cost for shipping alone is £80.  The woman at this little organic wine store appeared to be trying not to laugh, looking at my backpack, and then showing me the price. She gave me my sample begrudgingly..) :)

I had a fascinating conversation that night with Alex about his travels, for nearly two hours. I was feeling unsettled, and knew that Alex had been travelling for over a year; I thought perhaps he might have some wisdom to share with me about his experiences about being a nomad for such a long time. This developed into a conversation about his daily meditation/reiki practice which sustains him and provides him with energy, solace, etc. He certainly presents as an individual who is not shaken by much, and it was fascinating to hear this travel guru speak about his experiences, as I seek to find my own travel groove once again.

Yesterday: permission to take a day "off".  As of 2pm, I had eaten, journalled, emailed, eaten more, and still not ventured outside.  Yes, I'm in Florence, yes, the sun was shining, and yes, again, I am learning to "live", rather than be in tourist mode all of the time. It was the best possible thing I could have done, and for the first time on this trip, I did this without feeling like I "should" be out seeing the sights. Around 2pm I met up with Jackie, from Chicago, a gentle and warm spirit, who is currently living and working in France. We wandered some gardens, and went to Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte, a gorgeous gothic church which overlooks Florence, and where, everyday at 5:30, monks chant a traditional service.  One of the most striking churches I have been inside yet, we went into the lower chapel, columns, archways, and 13th century frescoes abounding, and witnessed 6 monks chanting and leading this traditional service. It was fantastic for its "reality" - this was not a polished presentation, but rather 6 individuals singing a deep expression of faith. One older monk, mostly bald with thick glasses, kept losing his place in the service book and would peer over the shoulder of the man beside him, desperately searching for his place. He also blew his nose loudly from time to time. Another older man's voice shook and wavered as he led a responsive portion of the service; he smiled through this though, and his sincerity was apparent.

I have one more night in Florence, and today I will take a short bus trip to nearby Siena, another medieval walled town in the Tuscan countryside. Perhaps more free wine samples await me there.  At the very least, I am still smelling pretty good...