Before the sun set, I walked down via dello Studio, which is a lovely stone street that leads up to the Duomo. The view of the Duomo is one of my favorites in the entire city; however, I always have to watch my step on the uneven street because I love looking up at the Duomo while I walk. Via dello Studio is a narrow street with four to six-story buildings on each side, and at the end of the street I can see a sliver of the Duomo. As I look up toward the sky, I take in a view of the cupola (cupola) that dominates the street. I'm always envious when I see people walking around at the top of the cupola taking in Florence.
I turned down via delle Oche to go to the Paperback Exchange where Lise Apatoff was invited to present a book she co-authored with Louise Filli called Italianissimo. Ms. Apatoff spoke of how the idea to write the book came about. She has a unique perspective of Italy because she has lived in Tuscany for over 35 years and is also a tour guide in Florence. In the book, she and her co-author have expanded on many of the Italian customs and traditions. I enjoyed reading about some of the things that I have experienced living here, like the hand gestures and the autorità (authority figures).
At exactly 7pm, the campane (bells) rang, and Ms. Apatoff stopped talking and smiled. She mentioned how amazing it is to hear the campane in the city. I couldn't agree more: Florence is the only city I've lived in where the campane sound every hour without fail. No matter where I am in town, I can hear the campane of a chiesa (church) go off.
After Ms. Apatoff's talk, we were offered an aperitivo (appetizers and drinks). Everyone in the audience--Florentine residents, expats, and tourists--stayed to gather around the other room and chat. It was interesting to meet other people who live in or want to live in Florence as well as speak with the author.
When I left the libreria (bookshop), I turned down via dello Studio and looked up at the illuminated cupola. A giddiness came over me as I felt so happy to be living in Florence. I'm so fortunate to be able to catch a glimpse of the Duomo at different times of the day and from different angles; each time I see the Duomo it seems more beautiful to me.
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