98 Steps to Paradise

I know, I know.  It seems as if my blog just ended.  I returned home, never to write again.  Well, not true.  I simply got caught up in my last days with Alex and spent every moment with him or exploring my Firenze for the the last time, likely in a long time.  The blog fun will still continue, as I still have a lot to share.

Today I want to recall one of the most memorable nights I have ever spent in Florence: dinner at Lucca's house.  Lucca is Alex' sales partner and a born and bred Italian.  He was born in Torino, but has live in Florene for many years and owns his tiny little apartment at No. 10 Via Giuseppe Verdi.  As our last nights were upon us, Lucca insisted we come for dinner, as it was an unseasonable cool night.  "This is important," he said.

As we walked to the apartment with our friend Fabbio in arm, Alex said he needed to give me a little warning about the place we were going.  "It's very small."  "OK," I think.  I wasn't really that concerned.  We have been living in a small studio this whole time with a bathroom that is about 3X5 feet.  No, I am not kidding.  As were reached the door to the building, Alex finally added: "And there is no elevator." The fact that there was no elevator wasn't extremely shocking or disconcerting to me.  Maybe if I had known he lived on the absolute top floor, I would have cringed a little, but we went forth.

I have always had this weird habit of counting stairs.  No matter where I am or how many times I have climbed a set of stairs, I count as I go.  And so we began.  One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine....one landing down.  It continued this way until we reached his door step: the 98th step.

As we walked in, the first thing I noticed was the amazing smell filling the place.  Sage and rosemary!  Parsley and thyme did not make an appearance on this night.  The second thing I noticed was the kitchen.  THE KITCHEN!  I am sorry, what is this?  This is a quarter of a closet, not a kitchen.  It was smaller than our bathroom, which we have established is ridiculously small.  All I could think about was my mom preparing Thanksgiving dinner and how it seems we never have enough kitchen space.  How could a person possibly live with such a small kitchen? And then, there it was.  I caught a glimpse out of the tiny square window in the tiny rectangle of a kitchen and that was the moment I realized I was in Paradiso - Heaven.

I quickly turned to my right and entered what was the bedroom/dining room/living room all in one.  On my right was a huge window with a glorious view of the Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence's Duomo.  Duomo means head, or cap and refers to the main church in an Italian city.  Many people believe it is called the Duomo because of the huge dome built by Brunelleschi.  However, this is false.  A dome is called a Cuppola.  It's the Duomo because it is the main church in Florence.

To my left, above the dining table was an even more amazing view: that of the Basilica Santa Croce and further up, Piazzale Michelangelo and even San Miniato al Monte (my favorite attraction in Florence).

Ahead, there was another huge window, but some super rich and powerful person had fought with the city to build his building higher and eventually won, much to the chagrin of his neighbors.  If he had not made his house taller, Lucca also would have had a view of Fiesole, a cute little hill town just above Florence.  The rich person, however, does have a pool on the top level and you could just make out a statue of Batman.  So, you know, Batman....Fiesole...pretty much the same in awesomeness......

To make matters more magical, the sun was on it's fiery descent from the sky, painting everything gold and pink. It was as if we were in a tiny museum and the window's were masterpieces of this gorgeous city.

Alex' apartment offers a wonderful location, but we are smooshed down into the city.  No view, other than what is across the street from us.  This was like being released into the sky above Florence and seeing it from inside the city, yet outside the city.  To be frank, these pictures do no justice to the glory.  I turned to Lucca and I said, "Lucca, if you ever sell this place, talk to us first."  It was a moment that I realized I could quite possibly sacrifice space and material goods altogether just to sit upon this heavenly cloud every day of my life.



As the sky grew dark, we sat for dinner.  But first I had to run to the loo on the other end of the house.  Usually I don't share potty talk, but it's relevant, I promise.  Surprisingly, the bathroom was an adequate size and I fantasized for a minute about showering in a shower where I could actually bend over to pick up my soap, rather than shimmy down our skinny walled-in shower.  But as I sat, I saw one more masterpiece.....another window; another view.  This time is was the golden tower of Palazzo Vecchio.  From this one apartment, one could see all the most fabulous parts of Florence.  It was simply amazing.

Now don't think you are getting away from this without any food discussion.  I mentioned the house smelled wonderful and there was good reason  We began with a pasta dish that was more like a soup of capellini, small white beans, sage, rosemary and salt.  My tummy had been off all day and Lucca knew this, so he prepared this healing soup just for me.  It was delicious and cradled my belly in warm, salty nourishment.  He announced that our meal tonight would be vegetarian in order to help cleanse and make us feel whole.  He bought organic veggies from the Sant'Ambrosio market and after our soup we enjoyed some delicious cheeses, salad, tomatoes, onions and carrots.  It was one of the best meals I have had in Florence....maybe because all of it together was so perfect with the friends and setting.  All I know is that I felt whole, loved and at peace.

Being a visitor is like visiting an onion.  If you go to a city like Florence for three days, you are on the outer skin.  You have plenty of time in three days to see all the big sights and eat amazing food.  The city is small enough to do this and see a lot.  A week, maybe more of a second layer trip.  You get to know your way around better and may even have a favorite spot you visit more than once.  A month - 3- 4 layers.  You maybe make friends and start to visit the outlying areas and find hidden treasures.  After several months, you get to go deep.  This even includes the domestic layer where you may spend some of your days cleaning the house and doing laundry, like you are at home.  Hey, laundry has to be done.  I felt like this night was a deep layer.  I never would have met Lucca without having met Alex.  I never would have seen this place and been able to enjoy or comprehend the beauty and significance of this visit.  All the little details were so simple, yet so special.  Novantotto scale al Paradiso!  Ninety-eight steps I will happily climb again and again.  I mentioned Lucca said it was a cool night and so we had to come that night.  Living in Paradise in Florence in summer can also be like living in hell.  It's hot and heat rises.  98 Steps to the Inferno doesn't have as good a ring to it, right?

Enjoy your view,

ZM

Our Trip out of Italy

Hello to all!  I know it has been far too long, but Alex and I took a trip up to Holland to see his family for a week.  It was a really nice time, despite rain most of the time.  However, I will choose rain over summer heat any day!

We were able to take a day trip to Belgium to see my friend Alex from college and her husband Matthieu and son Guillaume.  The were wonderful hosts and prepared a beautiful brunch with many Belgian cheeses and chocolates, of course.  We made it to the Grand Pace in the center just in time for a horrid downpour, so we did the natural thing and headed inside a chip shop for some fries with Curry Ketchup and Mayo.

We did not starve on the entire trip. As some may know, Alex family is originally from Iraq, so some of his family is Muslim celebrate Ramadan.  This means no food or beverages from sun up until soun down (10pm essentially).  Then it is very important to eat at 10 (which they are ready for) and boy do they feast! Alex and I did not participate in the fasting, but we certainly enjoyed the traditional foods that were prepared every night we were there, like Biryani, Dolma, grilled chicken and much more.  It was a very different experience for me and I can't imagine the will power and strength they have to do this for over a month!  It was really quite beautiful to see the family cook all day, restraining themselves and then all come together as one for a splendid celebration and end to their fasting.

Ramadan is the sacred ninth month of the Muslim calendar and is similar to Lent in the Catholic faith.  It is not just a time to fast, but to reflect on your life, strengthen relations with friends and family, purify your soul and focus on positive changes you many want to make for the year ahead.  Of course, for those who have medical restrictions and children, participation does not occur, or is modified.  A child will participate when they have chosen to and typically not before puberty; 14 or 15 is the norm.  Children under 12 fasting is not commonly practiced and is not encouraged by most of the Islamic community.

But, of course, Alex and I managed to explore the culture and cuisine of Holland as much as possible, although we stuck to a lot of Doner Kebab.  It is everywhere and a huge favorite for both of us.  I especially am trying to get my fill before returning home ;)

We made it to Amsterdam for a short day.  It was pouring and, frankly, miserable.  We saw the Rijksmuseum and it was overwhelmingly large, but amazing.  I had visited Amsterdam in 2001, so we just made it a short trip and returned to spend time with the family.

I finally met Alex' mom and older brother.  I know, almost 8 years and I never had.  I also met his brother Omar's wife Linda and their children Sama, Ali and Roya (my nieces and nephew!)  They are so sweet, giving and kind.  They took care of everything and made me feel welcome and loved.  It was nerve wracking and a challenge being around people with such a different culture and language, but they allowed me to be me and didn't make me feel out of place for observing or being quiet.

We also travelled to meet his aunt and uncle and their 4 children.  They were awesome and so sweet.  We spent two nights there watching crazy Egyptian tv shows and melodramas, laughing and just being loud.  It was fantastic.

So, despite some rental car drama, the trip was a success and we really spent most of the time lounging and talking/catching up.  Holland is gorgeous and the part we were in really reminded me of home.  I started to feel like I loved it more that Italy; it's clean, quiet.......and then we came home.  We were exhausted and plopped onto the bed as a light rain began.  I laid there listening to the chatter of people walking, the organ music across the street, the chink of spoons stirring in coffee cups, the clop of the horse hooves pulling the carriages on the street, the sirens, the hollering....and I thought.."Ahhhh, we are home!"  I felt a sense of completeness and the feeling I had missed the chaos that is Firenze in summertime!

Hope you are all well and enjoying your summer!

Love,
ZM

The Beauty of the Sun in Firenze!

I don't know if it is different, but something about the sun has been majestic in Florence this summer. Perhaps it is the unseasonably cool weather.  It ain't cold, but the weather really has been lovely and that suffocating, humid heat where every part of you drips sweat has not been as present as usual.

I remember in 2007 whenI came for the summer it was so hot.  Alex did not have an AC and we were DYING.  His uncle generously offered to buy us a portable unit, so we drove out to the Gigli shopping center to buy one.  We get it home, take it out of the box and get ready.  Directions: must let sit for 24 hours before use.  I cried.  I cried.  I CRIED!  It was so hot and all I could imagine was the cool relief that would come from that machine.  It was eventually up and running and we survived.  

But this summer is different...so far.  There is a breeze and the nights are cool and refreshing.  It has been perfect for strolls and exploration.

I mentioned the sun.  I don't know what it is or if it has always been there, but the way it bounces off everything is glorious.  Almost like it is reflecting sparkle and glory off the buildings.  

There is nothing more I love to do in Florence than visit Piazalle Michelangelo just above the city, south-east of the center.  It is a great workout hiking up there and once you arrive, you are set for 20 minutes...2 hours or all day!  If you walk up the hill a tiny, you will find the church of San Miniato.  This is my favorite church in Florence.  We did not make it the other night, but I will return and you must go at sunset.  The church is dark inside, so as the sun sets and you sit inside, it is dark like a tomb, but the sun peeks through the doors and stained glass window.  It is magic.  Alex and I ventured up there the other night after his long day at work and the sunset was unreal.  People strolled, enjoying cold water, cocktails and more.  A set of stairs was filled with young people listening to music and enjoying their bottles of wine poured into tiny plastic cups.  It was as if we were in a pocket of harmony where everyone was sun kissed and in love with life. 

I am hiding my bag from the pharmacy, not picking a wedgie

Jumping for Joy!

Half way there......

Il Duoma: Santa Maria del Fiore

Ponte Vecchio

I promise Alex is not mad

Give a girl some wind and the sky is the limit #Boticellibabe

Imagining I am Michelangelo in the old days

 They even have a cute little bar with tables.  Overpriced I am sure, but absolutely worth the view it offers of the entire city of Florence.

Having spent a lot of time in Florence, I have seen a lot: the churches, the museums and eaten in a lot of places.  And now, I find myself just being.  I don't feel a need to pack it all in.  I can enjoy the simplicity of dinner-in and strolling the streets with no destination in mind.  I can take the day to do laundry or simply sit and read.  I find joy in the smaller things, the parts that Italians may not take notice of on any normal day.   Just being here with Alex and blending in feels perfect for me in this moment and I am feeling the peace and the sun on my face!

Ciao Amori,

ZM

Ode to Fit Culture Studio

You are probably wondering, what does Fit Culture Studio have to do with Italy?  A lot, I tell you.  If you have known me longer than the 2.5 years I have been going to Fit Culture, you know that fitness was not a priority of mine.  Aside from playing team sports growing up, I simply went through short...very short spurts of activity, but I never fully committed to anything that related to my health.

Like many people, it took a health issue to wake me up and get me going.  Through diet and exercise, I have been able to change my mind and body for the better.  You have seen my numerous posts and check-ins at the gym.  Maybe it's annoying to some.  In fact at least one person told me it was...until she tried it.  Now she is also a die hard member of the Fit Culture Nation.

But this is not fanaticism.  This has become a way of life for me and many other people.  Joey Bratton has created a culture of fitness, feeling good, and caring about ourselves.  Hello...it is called Fit Culture.  It isn't about filling a gym with a bunch of super hot lunks who intimidate any chubby who enters.  It is a place that helps us to learn how to make fitness a part of our culture... our tradition...our way of life.  So, with that said, being overseas is simply not an excuse to give up this tradition I have been participating in over the past few years.

Upon doing some research, I found what I thought was the prefect gym.  I stopped by Klab and was amazed at the beauty.  It looked like a 5 star gym.  It felt like a spa.  I was super pumped and ready to go.  That will be 185 Euro for one month, plus a 75 Euro Sign-up fee.  Plus, you have to go to a certified doctor for a physical at 60 Euro.  I will do the math for you: it's about $450.  I was disheartened.  Felt I wasn't cool enough to hang and I left.  As I collapsed in woe at home, Alex told me, "Dude, there are more gyms in Florence."  Of course, of course there are. Duh.  So, we found Swan and for 12 Euro per day, I could use it as much as I wanted.  12 Euro per day is still expensive, but worth it for the short time.

My first day.  I could only think of all the times I have heard people ask me, "But are people nice at Fit Culture?  Are they going to watch me and make fun of me?"  I laugh when I hear this, as I have come to know and love all the people there and it is such a safe space.  But on my first trip to a Total Body class at Swan, I was put right back into that place, asking all these questions in my head:  where do I stand?  Do I need a mat?  How do I say mat in Italian? Weights?  What if I really don't understand the directions?  Will people think I am an idiot if I can't pick it up?  Are they watching me?  They are going to watch me, aren't they?  Sure, I speak Italian ok, but I don't know gym speak!  I got there early to get a spot in the far back corner, my own little den of safety.  I simply sat and watched.  As people funneled in, I knew which direction to face.  As it turns out, I have had plenty of gym experience and was able to catch on just fine.  Five minutes into the workout and I realized the hardest part was over.  Despite there being no AC and it being a hot, humid day...the hardest part was over.  I even stayed for Pilates and have been to six classes in less than a week!  The teacher knows me and has never once spoken to me in English and I have gotten by just fine!

It's Getting' Hot in Herrrrre

Is red my color?

When it comes to fitness, why do we feel such fear?  We are told we have to look a certain way and if we don't, then we aren't allowed to participate.  What a cycle.  The biggest lesson I have learned on this journey is that it isn't about anyone else but me.  If becoming a super sexy model is your goal, then go for it.  But for most of us, fitness needs to be about health and nothing should keep us from that if we want it.

So, what I want to say in my Ode to Fit Culture is thank you so much to Joey, John, Steven and Wendy for instilling in me an understanding of the importance of making this time and effort for myself.  No matter how hard, uncomfortable, intimidating, hot, humid or new it is.  I am worth it!

If I have inspired you in the tiniest way to check it out, I will absolutely come with you to Fit Culture Studio.  I'll show you where to stand and how things work.  No fear!  Click here to learn more about Fit Culture Studio.

Grazie a St. John and That Time I Drank That Thingy 'Cause Everyone Else was Doing it!

I have to say thank you tonight to Saint John the Baptist and the Italian's devotion to him.  They had a lovely celebration in his honor throughout the day (June 24th), culminating in an unbelievable fireworks show.  All around, Alex and I had an amazing day.  I was finally feeling better from the crud and feeling human.  I was starting to think all I was going to want to do here is sleep.

I actually began the day by sleeping in a bit and taking the time to do all the things girls do in the morning, like shower and blow-dry their hair.  I went to the shop and we were lucky to have two wonderful visitors:  Abramo, Alex' boss, brought his daughters in for the day.  Tamara is 22 and amazingly brilliant and Yara is 3.  Her eyes are the most gorgeous eyes you have ever seen and we had a very nice day.  Oh, and I am aware being jealous of a 3 year-olds hair is shallow, but, there you have it.  Call me Shallow M.  Abramo took us all to lunch (Risotto al Funghi if you care) and Yara definitely warmed up to me.  By the time we left for the day, she was actually talking to me and not just staring blankly when I asked her questions.  She even posed for some photos.  Alex and I took her out for a soda and everyone thought she was ours...not that far fetched, as I would imagine our child would look like Yara. We shall see, we keep saying to everyone...we shall see.

Growing tired of sitting in the shop, I decided to head out for a jaunt.  Did a little shopping, finding the perfect gift for Stella.  Being around Yara made me miss her and the twins so much.  As I walked, and in the few days leading up to it, I kept seeing people sitting at sidewalk cafes, drinking something orange that looked very refreshing. I suppose having spent so much time here, I should have known what it was, or at least noticed it before.  So, I couldn't hold my curiosity andy longer and I decided to splurge and have a seat outside Rivoire in Piazza Signoria, overlooking Pallazzo Vecchio.  Yes, I am aware I could have ordered the same beverage at half the price elsewhere, but elsewhere wouldn't have given me pistachios, ham and cheese croissant bites and olives, so there.  Luckily, some people were having the drink I had been seeing, so I asked the server,  He said it was an Aperol Spritz.  Now, in my old age, I have learned to stay away from things called Schnapps, Jagermeister, Pucker and...let's be honest, Aperol?  It sounds like a bad idea.  But I did it and it was delicious.  After some research, I learned that an Aperol Spritz is very similar to a Campari Soda, but instead a soda, they use Prosecco (sweet bubbly wine).  Don't get too excited.  Aperol has about half the alcohol content of Campari, so different mixers, same kind of party - ish ;)  It is sweet, with a tiny bitterness to it.  The garnish, I have not figured out quite yet.  And orange slice, which makes sense, and one green olive......And can I just say, "Go home umbrella...you're drunk."  Laugh if you get it.

Finally it was nap time...I mean, let's be real here.  Alex arrived home form work around 8:30 and off we went to a wonderful dinner at Gato e la Volpe, a casual favorite.  Like, oh my gawd, the people next to us were, like, so oh my gawd.  It was a little laugh.  There was another table who kept looking to us for reassurance...like we all were on the same team and this group was killing the mood all around.  But I remembered back to my time here as a student and what my perspective on life was like then.  I am sure I was in a very different place than I am now and we all grow and change.  It certainly didn't stop us from enjoying our pasta and mozzarella!

Finally, as we were finishing up, we could here the fireworks begin.  I, of course, got all antsy and upset we would miss them, but Alex assured us all they would last.  We busted a move the the river and were able to find a tight squeeze to see the glory.  They were setting them off from Piazalle Michelangelo, allowing a view of San Miniato al Monte and one of the best fireworks displays I have ever seen.

We ended our wonderful day with a trip to our favorite gelateria, Gelateria dei Neri where Italian Buck Rainey works.  He's this guy, who is Italian, but looks like my friend Buck!  It is crazy.  Same voice too.  He's worked there for at least 10 years.  I had Cookies and Cream and Alex had Chocolate...as always.  The highlight of the night was seeing young Tommy Chong!

Hope you are all doing well.  Missing home, but loving my time with Alex.  Ci vediamo!

ZM