An Interview with Felicia

Q1: This was your first time to Italy and to Florence. What were your impressions? Was it what you expected and if not how did it differ?
FA: “Believe it or not I had no expectations. I already had a lot of information from the blog as well as from you and Anna, so I tried to go with no expectations so I could experience it from your eyes. Florence is a place trapped in time. The clothes change, technology changes and time goes on, but the people of Florence seemed to be trapped in the past. I don’t mean this in a bad way. You can really see how much the past influences how people live today. It seems that you have an opportunity to see how life was lived four or five hundred years ago as people are so proud that they continue to live that way today. There is so much pride in the details in Florence down to the way that the people dress, the food that they serve you and the architecture. I’ve been to old cities before like Malta, Athens and Teheran, but have never seen such attention to detail and the pride that goes along with it as I did in Florence.”

Q2: You have seen the castle in many of our past blogs. How did it compare to being there in person?
FA: “At first your just in awe of it, but it takes a little while to really truly appreciate it and notice all the little details that have been buried and hidden over time. The first time I walked around I just wanted to explore every inch of it but I just gave it the once over. The second and third time that I want outside, I focused on certain areas like the fountains, the property wall and tried to imagine what it must have been like to have lived there four hundred years ago. It’s a very magical place.”

Q3: Felicia, how was it to see Anna so surprised and to be the key gift in her birthday week?
FA: “I was really nervous. I’m not sure why, but I was. To see the surprise on her face was so worth it and it was great to know that Trey was in on the surprise. When he walked around the corner and gave me the eye but didn’t say anything. You know, its one thing to go to Italy for the first time, but something totally different to be someone’s surprise. It was hard keeping the secret for so long. For months I didn’t want to e-mail her because I was afraid that I was going to ruin it and slip!”

Q4: Felicia, you’re a major food fan so your opinion and critique on the food in Florence is more than valid. What were your opinions?
FA: “The food is indescribable. Again attention to detail and simplicity. The Florentine people really know that you can get more out of three flavors rather than trying to stick twenty flavors on one plate. The food is not so much about eating, its also about friendship and socializing and spending time together and this enhances your taste experience. I cant see a Florentine who is hungry every saying “I’m hungry and I think I will stop into a Jack In The Box for a fries. They are very hedonistic in the way that they please themselves with their food as opposed to Americans who eat to live, rather than live to eat.”

Q5: When you think back ten years from now to your memories of Florence, what are some of the things you would expect to stand out in your mind?
FA: “I hope that I have the chance to go back to Florence again. I can not put things in order as to what left the greatest impression on me, but I can tell you that the beauty of the countryside near the castle was incredible. I will always remember the food and the way of life that the Florentines live. I will remember the architecture as well. But the best part of it was that I was seeing it not so much as a tourist but rather the guest of people who live there and doing the things that you do every day.”

Q6: What were your impressions on the difference in lifestyle in Florence versus California?
FA: “There are obviously pros and cons to living in Florence. In America everything is accessible to you whenever you need it. Because it’s so accessible we take it for granted. When things are not so easy to obtain, you appreciate them more. I hope that when I go back to the states that I will be able to appreciate things more and live a bit more in the moment.”