1) Michelangelo was 5’2 and ugly
2) Italian guys, and immigrants who pretend they are Italian, hit on American girls. I’ve never seen an American guy talk to an Italian girl.
3) Florentines are dependent on buses. In the two months I’ve been here I’ve only been checked for a bus pass once. The rest of the people on the bus fled.
4) Florence is a walking friendly city, but your feet start to hurt from the uneven cobble stone.
5) The unemployment rate is higher than the US (10-11% I think?)
6) Younger people are hesitant to work and “unmotivated”. They are more interested in living and having a good time. Sounds like Portland.
7) Food is given a lot of love and thought- fewer chemical reserves, more fresh.
8) Olive oil
9) Tourists!!!
10) There are reasonable student prices for lunch
11) All clothing is “50-90% off!” but still incredibly expensive! Nice anchoring strategy.
12) It is uncommon to take clothes or items off the shelves of stores unless you ask for permission first
13) It is uncommon to munch or eat on the street unless you are a tourist
14) There doesn’t seem to be any laws in Florence…
15) Clay Abraham’s “No Entrance” signs are illegal, but no one cares because they are cool.
16) All bridges were destroyed in World War II except for Ponte Vecchio which was built in the 1300′s I believe. It used to contain shops with greengrocers, butchers, and fishmongers, but were replaced during the War with goldsmiths, making the road more “elegant and clean”. Shops still sell gold to this day.
17) There are frequent bus strikes, even though bus drivers have extremely good benefits.
18) I hear ambulances a lot. My host parents say it’s because people aren’t afraid to call them because they have great health insurance.
19) The new Mayor of Florence and soon to be Prime Minister made wifi more accessible here.
20) My host family thinks that the Mayor is “all talk.”
21) It is impossible to find a bathroom
22) Snacks = Panini
23) I prefer speaking Italian over Spanish. The language is beautiful.
24) Fra Filippo Lippi depicts women as realistic and beautiful in his paintings. He also got it on with nuns.
25) The Medici family, in the Gothic and Renaissance era, were the most prominent patrons of the art. They were extremely influential, but managed their power intelligently. Cosimo Medici dressed and ate like the peasants. He knew how to blend in with the people and appear humble. At first I was cynical because I’m American and thought he was just a good politician, but after living in Florence for 2 months it seems possible that the government actually takes care of it’s citizens. I am grossly generalizing of course.
xoxogossipflondon 