Some people leave the city when they have a day off, but when I have a day off, I visit my city. I had been wanting to go back to the Mostra dei Cristalli (Crystal Exhibition) since I first went in May. I thought I had missed my chance because it was supposed to end at the end of October, but fortunately it will be open until June 2010. I milled around the museo at least an hour contemplating certain cristalli (crystals). It was hard to leave, but i watned to visit the Giardino di Boboli while it was still light outside. I walked out to the courtyard of the museo and through the short passage that led to the giardino (garden).
I walked toward Porta Romana along a wide and less frequented gravel path. I turned down another trail as soon as I saw tall light-colored trees with their orange leaves covering the area below. I kicked them up as I walked through them, like I did when I was a child, and looked up to see a few leaves floating in the air. I inhaled the sweet smell of the wet leaves and grass, and felt a wave of tranquility come over me.
After walking along different paths in the giardino and around the pond where I took the photo above, I sat down on a cold stone bench above Palazzo Pitti where I could see the rooftops in the Oltrarno area around Santo Spirito and the Cestello. I enjoyed the view of my city and saw how it spread out to the hills in the distance where a few villas were sprinkled around. The bells of a church rang in the distance, and its sound reminded me that this sprawling city is at its core a provincial town.
I haven't had much free time lately, so I cherish every moment I get for myself. On mild autumnal days like today, I enjoy walking around my city and especially the giardino. Every time I visit Boboli, I promise myself that I will come more often. I hope this time I keep my promise and return to see that the orange leaves have disappeared and the trees are left bare.
NOTE: If you'd like to see more photos, I've posted them on my blog's FaceBook page.
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