12.02.2009

frolicking fridays, round 5

Thank god I write this down. We adore Fridays, but 2 days later are asking ourselves: what did we do again? Don't you hate that? When someone asks what you did over the weekend, and it takes serious concentration for you to revisit the pleasures of down time achieved in the past few days... though you know it was good.

So here we log our frolics. (And already I am beyond the 2 day limit of remembering: wish me luck!).

Friday is the day James and I shove off, venture out and experience Florence (with license to branch out beyond Florence... just not yet). This Friday was a tiny unique, as we have a penchant for standing in lines and thought we might add that onto our Friday 'fun' list.... right. Thursday was Thanksgiving, and we spent the entire day in line at the police station/immigration office. All four of us, waiting. And waiting.

And waiting.

And around 4pm we received signature on our permits to reside in Italy. Which really was much to be grateful for (and the reason we took a 3 week segue to the states). And the footnote is: we have receipts, but need to go back again in one month to pick up actual cards. We have stood in so many lines, it was a case of taking it in stride.

Then Friday morning James and I---receipt in hand---went to pick up another official card (you need two, they are distinct yet related... one is permission, one is residence). We took a number, sat in line and waited a mere hour... at which point we set up our appointment to return the following week. So it goes with red tape.


It didn't take much from our day, and we wouldn't have spent the extra time out of our 'day of touring' to stand in another line BUT we are excited about obtaining requisite cards because it gives us license to explore more of Italy. And by license, I mean, literally license. If we are official residents, we qualify for car-sharing, which means for a small fee we can participate in renting a car to go explore cities for a few hours or all day (less expense and hassle than renting a car).

Lines aside, Friday we managed to visit: the Buonarotti house (Michelangelo plus family line), the Medici Chapel (see dome photo) and Laurentian Library (top photo), and a lovely little cafe---Mangiafoco Caffe---to enjoy wine and a pile of cheeses, salami and prosciutto (plus truffle honey and reduce chianti glaze...). Although I love absorbing the rich tiles on the floor of the library, there is something about closing your eyes to truffle honey and the lingering notes of Chianti that cements memories in my brain...

Anyway, the Medici Chapel (including a room with works by Michelangelo) is on the backside of the famous San Lorenzo Church (the church has an unfinished facade---a sort of tribute to Michelangelo, who had grandiose plans for the front of Lorenzo the Magnificent's church). There are basically 3 different entrances around this large church complex (with separate entrance fees): 1. the church and old sacristy, 2. the Library (which includes a famous staircase designed by Michelangelo), and 3. the domed Medici Chapel (includes sacristy and Chapel of Princes with 'mini-me' dome similar to that of the Duomo).

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous5.12.09

    Your posts are delightful! I absolutely love reading about your wonderful adventures (how I would love to do the same thing! well, who wouldn't?)...even the amazing amount of time spent getting to be 'legal' in Italy is fascinating (but perhaps a bit frustrating?)

    Thank you (again) for sharing this with the rest of us.

    Barb

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  2. Thanks Barb! Yup, it has been frustrating, but we keep trying to employ the attitude: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And all such sayings;). I am finding, among other things, that much of life is character building...

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  3. What a great experience! And I love your photos.

    ReplyDelete

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