It has taken me a few days back to get back in the swing of things here in Florence. We were only in France for a week and it has taken me almost half that time to get used to living here again. I almost feel as if I was more comfortable in France than I am here in Italy.
I went to the mercato on Tuesday and the supermercato on Wednesday. I talked with the people I know there and most asked me where I went and that they missed me. It was nice to see them, but I still felt a little disconnected. I was happy that I got to use my two re-usable nylon bags that I got at Monoprix in France. They work great because I could place my plastic bags inside and swing one over each shoulder like a handbag. On Tuesday when I went to the mercato, I was able to carry even more home than usual.
When I was in France, many of the people I know talked to me about Italy. Some asked me why I don't live in France instead. Most thought that Italy was great for a vacation, but not to live. When I told them that we can't buy crême fraîche and fromage blanc in Italy they were even more convinced of their opinion.
There are many great and wonderful things in both countries. It's hard to choose if you're standing on the border and could go either way. When I'm in France, I feel at home and then when we come back to Florence, I don't want to leave it. But when I'm in France, I almost forget all about Florence. It's as if Florence is a dream that I wake up from and can't remember all of it until I'm dreaming again.
The weather hasn't helped much either. When we arrived Monday night, we felt like we were practically suffocating because of the heat, humidity, and lack of wind. On Tuesday, it was nice in the morning and then began to rain in the afternoon. On Wednesday, it rained in the early morning and was cool and cloudy. Today, the temperatures were mild, but at least there weren't many clouds in the sky.
I also haven't talked to any of my friends except Simone. Many of my friends are busy and we haven't touched base yet.
So, hopefully I will adapt some more to get back into my life here. The Ponte Vecchio, via Calzaiuoli, the San Miniato church, Piazza della Signoria, and the Duomo could make anyone fall in love with Florence. So, I think I need to walk around town again to be enchanted once again by its beauty.
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