Between Florence's long sweltering summer days where you can feel the sweat dripping down the back of your ears, and the winter rains (which have seemed never-ending this year continuing as we embrace February), there is autumn.
I use to hate autumn when I lived in Canada because it meant days and days of raking leaves and cutting back flowers in the gardens. Often as I looked at my raked lawn, and then over at my neighbour's yard full of leaves just waiting to blow over to my yard, I would pray that the winds would stay away. Every year my resentment of leaves grew and grew as I band-aided the blisters on my fingers after a long day of raking. With every stroke of the rake I would mutter to myself that greenery was overrated. I would dream of living amongst concrete, not caring that with the concrete came pollution. It was a price I was willing to pay to be free of raking leaves.
I now find myself embracing autumn, perhaps because Florence is more of a concrete masterpiece then a concrete jungle. Instead of autumn being a time of exhaustion, resentment and blistered hands, it is a time that I have come to love for these reasons.....
10. The tourists leave so those of us that live here get our streets back. Instead of facing what we call the gauntlet of hoards of tourists, we can go back to meandering through our streets.
9. When running in the hills above Florence the grass is green again after being scorched by the summer heat, and a smell of freshness returns in the air.
8. Cool, yet still warm, nights lounging on the terrazza sipping wine under the stars as the summer haze has lifted. Also, enjoying nights up at Piazza Michelangelo watching the sun set while sipping prosecco and nibbling on cheese and salami.
7. Day trips out to wineries in the countryside to see the grapes bursting on the vines ready to be harvested.
6. No need to have to change your clothes in the day because they got drenched with your sweat from the scorching summer temperatures.
5. The flower market full of colour as the cooler temperatures act like a second spring.
4. The vegetables and fruits in abundance again in the markets. While there is never really a bad time for produce here in Italy, unlike Canada where you can go months and months with tasteless produce, the fall and early winter bring on the tastiest time for produce. The oranges are so sweet and juicy that I eat three a day.
3. No leaves to rake!!!!! and no snow to shovel!!!!!
2. Clean feet. With autumn comes wearing socks or tights, which means no scrubbing the black from your feet at night.
1. The many fall festivals and outdoor markets. I especially look forward to the German Christmas market. There is just something inexplicably special about being able to sit outside and enjoy bratwurst and beer at the end of November. Oh, the simple pleasures.
0 comments:
Post a Comment