Tuesday, February 5, 2008
This Month in Florentine Braheem
* Lots of Photos!
* The Arrival of the Tyorans!
* Carnival (A Party Like no Other!)
* Notes from the Cheap Seats (Get ready for some laughs!)
* Walking and Architecture (A photo journey)
* Lo Sport (Our First Soccer Game)
* The Italian Economy (How do they live?)
* Trey and Olivia
* Bologna (A weekend of eating!)
* Lucca (The Great Walled City)
* The Arrival of the Tyorans!
* Carnival (A Party Like no Other!)
* Notes from the Cheap Seats (Get ready for some laughs!)
* Walking and Architecture (A photo journey)
* Lo Sport (Our First Soccer Game)
* The Italian Economy (How do they live?)
* Trey and Olivia
* Bologna (A weekend of eating!)
* Lucca (The Great Walled City)
The Arrival of the Tyorans
In June of this past year, a group of parents and children jumped into their cars following a little league all star baseball game and headed to one of mine and Anna’s favorite Italian restaurants in Santa Barbara (Via Vai). The purpose of the excursion was to enjoy a great lunch while killing three and a half hours in between double headers. As it turned out, Mark Tyoran a local Realtor in Westlake of over twenty years and the father of one of our players (Spencer) sat next to Anna and I. Over the course of the meal we were asked by one of my fellow coaches Randy and his wife Dianna about the family adventure that we were scheduled to embark upon in just 60 days. Mark sat quietly and absorbed the answers that we gave with a sheepish smile on his face…
Two days later we received a call from his wife Tracy, who Anna had met a few times at the kid’s school and ball field. “We want to know more about your trip to Italy. We’ve often talked about doing something like this and are inspired by your decision to do so”, she said. Within one week the four of us were having dinner at a local restaurant, where we answered the dozens of questions they had. The Tyoran’s arrived with their three children here in Florence one week before Christmas. They plan to live here for six months! Now, how’s that for living by the seat of your pants!
We’ve gotten to know the Tyoran family pretty well in a short period of time (Not having many fellow Americans around can do that to you!) and it’s been simply a blast since they arrived. They seem to be enjoying living here ever bit as much as we do and between the four of us, we are helping each other in discovering the secrets to successful Italian living. The Tyoran’s have two boys (Spencer who is 8 and Brendon who is 6) as well as one girl (Sophia who is 2). Trey and Spencer have instantly hit it off and so have Brendon and Olivia. The four of them ride the bus to school together every day and we have already introduced them to our favorite Italian water park! The nice thing is that they live only five minutes away from us. Not that Anna and I have disliked the significant amount of quality one on one time that we have spent together in the past five months (Especially during the day time), but its really nice to be able to pick up the phone and call our friends about joining us for a day trip to a local village or a long afternoon lunch over a bottle of wine. Case in point was a day in late January when Anna and I returned from the gym and decided that we wanted to drive about forty five minutes North to an area in the Appenine Mountains known as the Mugello. Our objective was to have a nice long lunch in the beautiful mountain environment and to hit the shopping outlets that were in this area. We picked up the phone and called Mark and Tracy and they were “game” for joining us. The four of us had a wonderful day exploring this peaceful landscape even though we all agreed that the outlets reminded us too much of those in Camarillo!
It’s a bit odd that we needed to travel half way around the planet to become friends with a family that resides in our own backyard. The really neat thing about our friendship (Even though it’s in its early stages) is that I already have a feeling that we will be friends for a very long time. There’s a bond that is rapidly growing between us that will be difficult to break. This bond of course is our love of Florence and the amazing and beautiful experiences we are having in Italy. For those that have children, you will likely recall that when you had your first child, you immediately found kinship with other parents of your age who were going through similar adjustments and experiences. This of course fostered the sharing of personal feelings and the advising of one another regarding parenthood. These were people that not only understood you and what you were going through, but they also differed greatly from your friends who had never been through the experience. Living here is not something that Anna and I can fully describe. It’s a feeling that we have inside ourselves that words, photos and stories can not fully portray. The ability to have another family here that can relate so directly to what we are feeling is quite a nice blessing and one that will surely result in a very unique friendship. I’m sure that future pages of Florentine Braheem will have many references to our friends from So Cal.
Two days later we received a call from his wife Tracy, who Anna had met a few times at the kid’s school and ball field. “We want to know more about your trip to Italy. We’ve often talked about doing something like this and are inspired by your decision to do so”, she said. Within one week the four of us were having dinner at a local restaurant, where we answered the dozens of questions they had. The Tyoran’s arrived with their three children here in Florence one week before Christmas. They plan to live here for six months! Now, how’s that for living by the seat of your pants!
We’ve gotten to know the Tyoran family pretty well in a short period of time (Not having many fellow Americans around can do that to you!) and it’s been simply a blast since they arrived. They seem to be enjoying living here ever bit as much as we do and between the four of us, we are helping each other in discovering the secrets to successful Italian living. The Tyoran’s have two boys (Spencer who is 8 and Brendon who is 6) as well as one girl (Sophia who is 2). Trey and Spencer have instantly hit it off and so have Brendon and Olivia. The four of them ride the bus to school together every day and we have already introduced them to our favorite Italian water park! The nice thing is that they live only five minutes away from us. Not that Anna and I have disliked the significant amount of quality one on one time that we have spent together in the past five months (Especially during the day time), but its really nice to be able to pick up the phone and call our friends about joining us for a day trip to a local village or a long afternoon lunch over a bottle of wine. Case in point was a day in late January when Anna and I returned from the gym and decided that we wanted to drive about forty five minutes North to an area in the Appenine Mountains known as the Mugello. Our objective was to have a nice long lunch in the beautiful mountain environment and to hit the shopping outlets that were in this area. We picked up the phone and called Mark and Tracy and they were “game” for joining us. The four of us had a wonderful day exploring this peaceful landscape even though we all agreed that the outlets reminded us too much of those in Camarillo!
It’s a bit odd that we needed to travel half way around the planet to become friends with a family that resides in our own backyard. The really neat thing about our friendship (Even though it’s in its early stages) is that I already have a feeling that we will be friends for a very long time. There’s a bond that is rapidly growing between us that will be difficult to break. This bond of course is our love of Florence and the amazing and beautiful experiences we are having in Italy. For those that have children, you will likely recall that when you had your first child, you immediately found kinship with other parents of your age who were going through similar adjustments and experiences. This of course fostered the sharing of personal feelings and the advising of one another regarding parenthood. These were people that not only understood you and what you were going through, but they also differed greatly from your friends who had never been through the experience. Living here is not something that Anna and I can fully describe. It’s a feeling that we have inside ourselves that words, photos and stories can not fully portray. The ability to have another family here that can relate so directly to what we are feeling is quite a nice blessing and one that will surely result in a very unique friendship. I’m sure that future pages of Florentine Braheem will have many references to our friends from So Cal.
Carnival
Every year in various places throughout the world, there are celebrations that begin 12 days after Christmas and that continue to the beginning of Lent. Lent begins exactly 47 days prior to Easter Sunday, which is of course the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. These celebrations are known as Carnival and the cities that celebrate them are known for putting on a show like you have never seen, with parties going into the late hours of the evening that generally entail activities not found at normal celebrations (If you know what I mean :>). In New Orleans, Carnival is a major event that culminates with Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday). The largest Carnival in the World is held each year in Brazil (With Rio Di Janeiro being the hot spot). Perhaps the worlds most opulent Carnival is held in Venice Italy (The extraordinary beauty of Venice is a perfect setting for such a celebration). For those that have not read the second addition of Florentine Braheem, our experience when visiting Venice in September was nothing shy of magical. To this day it is certainly the most unique and beautiful place that we have ever visited. The only way to describe Venice is to imagine what it would be like to live in a fairytale! (See previous issue for more information).
In Italy, there are two locations that host huge Carnival Celebrations (Viareggio on the coast of Tuscany and afore mentioned Venice). Viareggio is only a one hour drive from Florence and is considered more appropriate for kids, so it was our plan to make the drive to Viareggio for the celebration. Our goal was to spend the day on the seaside taking in the festivities on February 3rd. A few days before our house keeper Stella, who is from Veneto (The region that Venice is located) got a hold of us and passionately talked us into changing our plans. “Venezia is the most beautiful Carnivale in the World, you must go!” she told us.
In addition to her passion, we too wondered if we were settling for second best, so we consulted the Tyoran family. The decision was unanimous, we needed to make the three hour train ride to Venice or we just might regret missing out. The decision was made easier when a friend of ours from Veneto named Andrea decided to pay a visit to Florence for a day to spend time with us at the castle. This was the perfect opportunity to spend the day in Venice with a knowledgeable local friend (Our Italian teacher and friend Giselle introduced us to Andrea last summer when he visited California and we have since stayed in touch). The plan was set. We would take the kids out of school for the day and travel via train to the land of enchantment on the Adriatic Sea for a glimpse of what has become one of the world’s most famous celebrations and are we glad we did!
We arrived in the late morning to this foggy and somewhat brisk enchanting city (The high was 43 degrees). The fog was light compared to what it could be at this time of the year. If you have been to Venice, you know that the magic is the amazing architecture and the fact that the city itself is a compilation of over 100 little islands all connected by magical bridges (Please don’t be fooled by the bogus replication in Vegas, it simply doesn’t do it justice). We spent the day strolling and like the thousands of others in attendance, admiring the spectacle that are the dozens of people who are on display in the traditional Venetian Carnival Costumes (If you have seen the movie Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, you know these costumes well). The history behind the costume is quit interesting. It dates back to 1268 when the first Carnival was held in Venezia. Masks have always been a major feature of the Venetian carnival. Originally masks were allowed during Asencion (The weeks after Lent) and from October 5th through Christmas as well, but this was outlawed as people could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise! The masks are truly amazing and the allure as to who is behind the mask is riveting! The masks are typically made of papier-mache and the attention to detail is simply stunning. The result is a city full of people walking among to observers in full costume!
Historically, masquerading was practiced by all Venetians, who sought to keep themselves anonymous. Masked prostitutes would engage in games of eroticism, and could be certain that their anonymity would be kept in check!
Those of high society, who would go to great lengths not to disclose even a clue of their sexual preferences, were able to wear masks and star in acts that back then were not only sinful but also against the law. Even gamblers wore masks to remain anonymous, so personal wins and losses would not be known by the community.
The city of Venice, because of its crowded city conditions, didn't really allow for much seclusion or solitude; therefore individual anonymity or privacy was difficult to come by. Thus, the "mask" became an outlet for many to depart from the mainstream life they were leading. Today the masks are only worn during Carnival (Or perhaps at certain parties that I would love to be invited too :>) What a better way to live it up right before its time to repent during Lent!!!
Our day was spent in observation and of course over a great long lunch with wine and desert. Get your minds out of the gutter, NOT that kind of desert!
In Italy, there are two locations that host huge Carnival Celebrations (Viareggio on the coast of Tuscany and afore mentioned Venice). Viareggio is only a one hour drive from Florence and is considered more appropriate for kids, so it was our plan to make the drive to Viareggio for the celebration. Our goal was to spend the day on the seaside taking in the festivities on February 3rd. A few days before our house keeper Stella, who is from Veneto (The region that Venice is located) got a hold of us and passionately talked us into changing our plans. “Venezia is the most beautiful Carnivale in the World, you must go!” she told us.
In addition to her passion, we too wondered if we were settling for second best, so we consulted the Tyoran family. The decision was unanimous, we needed to make the three hour train ride to Venice or we just might regret missing out. The decision was made easier when a friend of ours from Veneto named Andrea decided to pay a visit to Florence for a day to spend time with us at the castle. This was the perfect opportunity to spend the day in Venice with a knowledgeable local friend (Our Italian teacher and friend Giselle introduced us to Andrea last summer when he visited California and we have since stayed in touch). The plan was set. We would take the kids out of school for the day and travel via train to the land of enchantment on the Adriatic Sea for a glimpse of what has become one of the world’s most famous celebrations and are we glad we did!
We arrived in the late morning to this foggy and somewhat brisk enchanting city (The high was 43 degrees). The fog was light compared to what it could be at this time of the year. If you have been to Venice, you know that the magic is the amazing architecture and the fact that the city itself is a compilation of over 100 little islands all connected by magical bridges (Please don’t be fooled by the bogus replication in Vegas, it simply doesn’t do it justice). We spent the day strolling and like the thousands of others in attendance, admiring the spectacle that are the dozens of people who are on display in the traditional Venetian Carnival Costumes (If you have seen the movie Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, you know these costumes well). The history behind the costume is quit interesting. It dates back to 1268 when the first Carnival was held in Venezia. Masks have always been a major feature of the Venetian carnival. Originally masks were allowed during Asencion (The weeks after Lent) and from October 5th through Christmas as well, but this was outlawed as people could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise! The masks are truly amazing and the allure as to who is behind the mask is riveting! The masks are typically made of papier-mache and the attention to detail is simply stunning. The result is a city full of people walking among to observers in full costume!
Historically, masquerading was practiced by all Venetians, who sought to keep themselves anonymous. Masked prostitutes would engage in games of eroticism, and could be certain that their anonymity would be kept in check!
Those of high society, who would go to great lengths not to disclose even a clue of their sexual preferences, were able to wear masks and star in acts that back then were not only sinful but also against the law. Even gamblers wore masks to remain anonymous, so personal wins and losses would not be known by the community.
The city of Venice, because of its crowded city conditions, didn't really allow for much seclusion or solitude; therefore individual anonymity or privacy was difficult to come by. Thus, the "mask" became an outlet for many to depart from the mainstream life they were leading. Today the masks are only worn during Carnival (Or perhaps at certain parties that I would love to be invited too :>) What a better way to live it up right before its time to repent during Lent!!!
Our day was spent in observation and of course over a great long lunch with wine and desert. Get your minds out of the gutter, NOT that kind of desert!
Notes from the Cheap Seats
Bathing – For many reasons stated previous, it’s been great having Mark and Tracy Tyoran in town with us. One of the very valuable contributions that they make is being as inquisitive about “Oddities” of Italian society as Anna and I are. This helps us in discovering answers to many of our pressing questions, like “Why do many Italian people (Both men and woman) have really bad body odor?” Now, I would never want to make this a generalization about all Italians but without question “Natural Perfume” is more plentiful here than in the states. We put our crack investigative team, Mark and Tracy on this one and they uncovered something quite interesting:
As it turns out, the answer lies with the reason that every Italian bathroom has a bidet. My assumption was the bidet was a conscientious effort on the part to Italians to be “Green” and cut down on toilet paper. Oh contraire! As it turns out, the average Italian does not shower everyday! In fact three showers a week is about the norm according to reliable sources. The odd days are spent cleaning “The Privates” in the “Chuch Fountain” as Anna calls it! The bidet is expressly meant for the cleaning of ones private parts, however this didn’t stop my dad from washing his feet in it one night while in Rome! For those that have not seen a bidet, its an elongated rectangular sink that looks interestingly similar to a toilet, minus the seat and the tank. The distinguishing feature is a small adjustable faucet that can be aimed to “Shoot” in the desired area, leaving one with the spring freshness of a lamb roaming in green pastures (God, we have fun writing this blog sometimes :>)
The results of this “Targeted Cleansing” are not quite as amusing for those with a keen sense of smell (Or for those giving out hugs for that matter). Here’s where we’re having a tough time with this rationale, as Anna puts it “How can you feel good about cleansing the privates when your pits smell like a truck driver whose been on the road for five days?”
Case in point is a nice lady who we know from the gym and who will remain anonymous. She’s really cute (Looks like Gwyneth Paltrow with really short hair) and is in good shape. Anna pointed out to me one day that she can’t bare the smell when she is near her. This lovely young lady often wears a pink top along with grey workout pants each morning. To give you an idea, she works out for approximately 90 minutes each day and has been to wear the same outfit three days in a row. Anna has officially named her “Stinky Pinky”!
After this report on bathing was drafted, our crack investigative crew (Mark and Tracy) obtained further data that may to at least some extent explain why the phenomenon of occasional bathing occurs here. It seems (Anna can verify this as resoundingly true) that the faucet water in Italy is full of chlorine and other nasty chemicals (This is why Italians only drink bottled water for the most part as well). These chemicals are bad for your hair and skin, which may explain the reason for only occasional bathing. Between us, I’ll take the dry hair and skin over stench any day!
The contradiction in hygiene – Somewhat akin to that of body odor is what seems to be a major contradiction in Italian culture relating to hygiene in general. Its quite interesting that on one hand you have a society that only baths once every couple of days, many of its woman have hair under their arm pits and no one wears flip flops in the “Bagno Turko” Turkish bath or as we know it steam room. Apparently planter warts don’t exist here! Additionally, we find that the definition of “hand washing” dishes is much more loose here than in our home. I wont name names, however we have found several plates, knives and forks with remnants of this mornings breakfast, or last nights dinner clinging to the supposedly clean cutlery (This is not by any means specific to one individual but certainly commonplace!)
On the other hand, when you enter the Bagno Turko, there are several hoses on the wall and every single man and woman uses them to diligently hose off the marble seats in the steam room to ensure that they are not sitting on one single drop of someone else’s sweat. In the men’s locker room, there are no less than ten hair dryers mounted to the walls (When I first joined the gym I thought “Hmmm, Italian men must really like to style their hair after showering”) and it seems that these are there at least in great part for the drying of ones genital hair! I must tell you it’s a strange sight seeing a man standing naked, with the hose of a hair dryer pointed right at his package! You will never see Italians walking barefoot (Other than the beach perhaps) either, unless of course they are in the Bagno Turko! Lastly, I also find that Italian’s are much better at cleaning up after themselves when using the gym equipment. Not only does everyone lay a towel down to ensure that their perspiration doesn’t come close to touching the seat of the bike or workout bench, but they also diligently use a paper towel and disinfectant on the machine when they are done! I guess in the end, it’s pretty simple. Italians despise sweat, but not so much that they will bath everyday :>)
Dog Poop – I wouldn’t call “Curbing your Dog” an Italian past time any more than I would call Dominos a good pizza! How’s that for a comparison, “Crap” and “Dominos” I’m sure you may the connection. Anyway, it’s funny as you see so many people out and about with their canine, but so few with the necessary “Tools” to making picking up after them a reality. I would imagine in most American cities, you have the same phenomenon (People needing to walk their dogs due to the lack of a yard) but here in Florence, the act of walking your dog also includes “Fido” dropping a few pounds on the old cobblestone! It’s so rampant that I literally live in constant fear of Trey and Olivia stepping in poop when we are walking through the city. Anna and I would estimate that there is at least one dropping per city block.
This is why I have instituted a rule with the kids. If you step in it, you lick it up! I know its gross, but man does it have them looking down when they walk with me now! In the end, I think that it should be an Italian law to exercise the habits of our housekeeper Stella. She puts a diaper on her dog every morning to take care of the problem while he is left home alone.
The gym’s new Social Butterfly – I’m most serious when I say this and those that know me in business can verify, that I am an introvert in social settings. I do well when I know people or when it’s a one on one situation, but large rooms with strangers is not my scene. A part of my problem is a pathetic inability to remember people’s names! Strangely enough, if you asked me what aspect of my life has been most positively impacted by the first six months in Italy, it just might be this area. Since our December posting (Where we highlighted the difficulties of making friends in Italia) I have turned a new leaf and even my sweet shy Anna is benefiting as well! Beginning in early December, I had enough and decided, that the blank stares and an unwelcome looks were no longer going to be a deterrent to my making friends. There were so many people who we had pre-judged as being snobs or just downright unfriendly when our half smiles and soft welcoming stares fell upon blind eyes. We were downright bumbed about it and had many a conversation over lunch regarding who stared us down today at the gym, or who I smiled at this morning and didn’t even get an acknowledgment in return. Well I decided one day “Nope, I’m coming out of my shell and am going to win people over whether they like it or not!” The fact is even the meanest people are victims to being won over with kindness I thought…
The first order of business was to figure out how to engage in conversation with my fellow “Gym Rats”. I decided that the best course was to determine how to ask for help when lifting weights “Spotting” as we call it in America. The simple phrase “Poui aiutare me per favore?” (Can you help me please) became the secret weapon for making friends. I made it my mission to ask a different person nearly everyday for help (Even woman who were likely shocked by the request!). This would lead into them typically asking me where I was from (Since I speak so poorly :>), and Walla! The conversations had begun.
In the span of just over forty five days, I have gone from knowing virtually no one at the gym to perhaps knowing more people by name than anyone! It’s hilarious! Everyday there are at least five to seven people to high five (I’ve taught the Italians how to give knuckles too! :>) I must say that it sure makes going to the gym a lot more fun when you know people. The results are multi faceted:
An average increase in my workout time by about twenty minutes as the social dynamic has gotten a little too social. (Slight negative)
A dramatic increase in utilization of the Italian language because very few of these folks speak a lick of English. (Big positive)
The receipt of many gifts (Man Italians sure are generous). I’ve received three bottles of wine, two bottles of olive oil, a 2008 calendar of beautiful Italian photographs, a t-shirt with the local football team’s logo on it, and have had several cups of coffee bought for me! (Positive)
I have set up four lunch appointments with various people that I have become friends with (The results of these lunches will surely grace the pages of this blog) (Positive both for language learning and cultural integration)
Anna and I have had dinner with one couple who we met at the gym and we have gotten together with a single mom and her two children for social time (This has been the nice side benefit for Anna who isn’t very social at the palestra).
Lastly and perhaps most importantly is that I have found a workout partner named Stefano. He and I work out together a couple of days a week. (Positive as he is a great guy)
It just goes to show you that everyone has a little extravert in them. I guess in the past I have been able to get by without having to draw upon it. Call it laziness I guess or perhaps insecurity. Heck I even have avoided saying hello to new employees of mine for up to two weeks as I was so embarrassed by not remembering their name! Not proud of it but true. No a great lesson has been taught to me here in Italia. Sometimes you need to make the first move to make friends and often times the person on the other side of that straight face is actually someone really cool who is living in a shell of their own…
The efficiency of the Train – One of the great institutions of European transportation is the train. I know that we have Amtrak in the US, but I can’t say that I know of anyone who has every traveled this way! I would imagine that the sheer size of the US makes this form of transport less desirable, but even if you take a state like California, with all of its wonderful cities and interesting places to visit you would think that a serious public transit system throughout the state would be supported by its residents (Especially with gas prices these days).
I would never have guessed that we would like the train so much prior to coming here, but at this point it’s my preferred way of travel in most cases. Santa Maria Novella is the train station here in Florence (Most cities have one station and near if not in the city’s center). From Santa Maria, I can be in Rome in one hour forty minutes, Milan in three hours, Venice in three hours, Bologna in one hour and a whole slew of other much smaller destinations with little problem. The train has so many benefits that you almost can’t count!
When we ride first class (More leg room and electrical outlets at each seat for DVD players and computers) the cost (as an example) to take the train to Rome is about sixty dollars a person. The drive to Rome takes about two and a half hours while the train takes an hour forty. You get to sit back and take a nap, play on the computer, read or just daydream as the Tuscan hillside passes you by. The drink cart comes by and serves you a beverage, or you can simply walk to the food car, stand at the bar and have a drink or a snack. There’s no fighting the highway traffic and more importantly no dealing with the busy Italian city streets when you have reached your destination. What makes train travel even more enjoyable is that unlike flying, you need not get to the train station more than ten minutes before the train is scheduled to depart. We have yet to experience anything other than an on time departure and arrival.
For those that travel to Europe in the future, we could not recommend this form of transportation highly enough.
As it turns out, the answer lies with the reason that every Italian bathroom has a bidet. My assumption was the bidet was a conscientious effort on the part to Italians to be “Green” and cut down on toilet paper. Oh contraire! As it turns out, the average Italian does not shower everyday! In fact three showers a week is about the norm according to reliable sources. The odd days are spent cleaning “The Privates” in the “Chuch Fountain” as Anna calls it! The bidet is expressly meant for the cleaning of ones private parts, however this didn’t stop my dad from washing his feet in it one night while in Rome! For those that have not seen a bidet, its an elongated rectangular sink that looks interestingly similar to a toilet, minus the seat and the tank. The distinguishing feature is a small adjustable faucet that can be aimed to “Shoot” in the desired area, leaving one with the spring freshness of a lamb roaming in green pastures (God, we have fun writing this blog sometimes :>)
The results of this “Targeted Cleansing” are not quite as amusing for those with a keen sense of smell (Or for those giving out hugs for that matter). Here’s where we’re having a tough time with this rationale, as Anna puts it “How can you feel good about cleansing the privates when your pits smell like a truck driver whose been on the road for five days?”
Case in point is a nice lady who we know from the gym and who will remain anonymous. She’s really cute (Looks like Gwyneth Paltrow with really short hair) and is in good shape. Anna pointed out to me one day that she can’t bare the smell when she is near her. This lovely young lady often wears a pink top along with grey workout pants each morning. To give you an idea, she works out for approximately 90 minutes each day and has been to wear the same outfit three days in a row. Anna has officially named her “Stinky Pinky”!
After this report on bathing was drafted, our crack investigative crew (Mark and Tracy) obtained further data that may to at least some extent explain why the phenomenon of occasional bathing occurs here. It seems (Anna can verify this as resoundingly true) that the faucet water in Italy is full of chlorine and other nasty chemicals (This is why Italians only drink bottled water for the most part as well). These chemicals are bad for your hair and skin, which may explain the reason for only occasional bathing. Between us, I’ll take the dry hair and skin over stench any day!
The contradiction in hygiene – Somewhat akin to that of body odor is what seems to be a major contradiction in Italian culture relating to hygiene in general. Its quite interesting that on one hand you have a society that only baths once every couple of days, many of its woman have hair under their arm pits and no one wears flip flops in the “Bagno Turko” Turkish bath or as we know it steam room. Apparently planter warts don’t exist here! Additionally, we find that the definition of “hand washing” dishes is much more loose here than in our home. I wont name names, however we have found several plates, knives and forks with remnants of this mornings breakfast, or last nights dinner clinging to the supposedly clean cutlery (This is not by any means specific to one individual but certainly commonplace!)
On the other hand, when you enter the Bagno Turko, there are several hoses on the wall and every single man and woman uses them to diligently hose off the marble seats in the steam room to ensure that they are not sitting on one single drop of someone else’s sweat. In the men’s locker room, there are no less than ten hair dryers mounted to the walls (When I first joined the gym I thought “Hmmm, Italian men must really like to style their hair after showering”) and it seems that these are there at least in great part for the drying of ones genital hair! I must tell you it’s a strange sight seeing a man standing naked, with the hose of a hair dryer pointed right at his package! You will never see Italians walking barefoot (Other than the beach perhaps) either, unless of course they are in the Bagno Turko! Lastly, I also find that Italian’s are much better at cleaning up after themselves when using the gym equipment. Not only does everyone lay a towel down to ensure that their perspiration doesn’t come close to touching the seat of the bike or workout bench, but they also diligently use a paper towel and disinfectant on the machine when they are done! I guess in the end, it’s pretty simple. Italians despise sweat, but not so much that they will bath everyday :>)
Dog Poop – I wouldn’t call “Curbing your Dog” an Italian past time any more than I would call Dominos a good pizza! How’s that for a comparison, “Crap” and “Dominos” I’m sure you may the connection. Anyway, it’s funny as you see so many people out and about with their canine, but so few with the necessary “Tools” to making picking up after them a reality. I would imagine in most American cities, you have the same phenomenon (People needing to walk their dogs due to the lack of a yard) but here in Florence, the act of walking your dog also includes “Fido” dropping a few pounds on the old cobblestone! It’s so rampant that I literally live in constant fear of Trey and Olivia stepping in poop when we are walking through the city. Anna and I would estimate that there is at least one dropping per city block.
This is why I have instituted a rule with the kids. If you step in it, you lick it up! I know its gross, but man does it have them looking down when they walk with me now! In the end, I think that it should be an Italian law to exercise the habits of our housekeeper Stella. She puts a diaper on her dog every morning to take care of the problem while he is left home alone.
The gym’s new Social Butterfly – I’m most serious when I say this and those that know me in business can verify, that I am an introvert in social settings. I do well when I know people or when it’s a one on one situation, but large rooms with strangers is not my scene. A part of my problem is a pathetic inability to remember people’s names! Strangely enough, if you asked me what aspect of my life has been most positively impacted by the first six months in Italy, it just might be this area. Since our December posting (Where we highlighted the difficulties of making friends in Italia) I have turned a new leaf and even my sweet shy Anna is benefiting as well! Beginning in early December, I had enough and decided, that the blank stares and an unwelcome looks were no longer going to be a deterrent to my making friends. There were so many people who we had pre-judged as being snobs or just downright unfriendly when our half smiles and soft welcoming stares fell upon blind eyes. We were downright bumbed about it and had many a conversation over lunch regarding who stared us down today at the gym, or who I smiled at this morning and didn’t even get an acknowledgment in return. Well I decided one day “Nope, I’m coming out of my shell and am going to win people over whether they like it or not!” The fact is even the meanest people are victims to being won over with kindness I thought…
The first order of business was to figure out how to engage in conversation with my fellow “Gym Rats”. I decided that the best course was to determine how to ask for help when lifting weights “Spotting” as we call it in America. The simple phrase “Poui aiutare me per favore?” (Can you help me please) became the secret weapon for making friends. I made it my mission to ask a different person nearly everyday for help (Even woman who were likely shocked by the request!). This would lead into them typically asking me where I was from (Since I speak so poorly :>), and Walla! The conversations had begun.
In the span of just over forty five days, I have gone from knowing virtually no one at the gym to perhaps knowing more people by name than anyone! It’s hilarious! Everyday there are at least five to seven people to high five (I’ve taught the Italians how to give knuckles too! :>) I must say that it sure makes going to the gym a lot more fun when you know people. The results are multi faceted:
An average increase in my workout time by about twenty minutes as the social dynamic has gotten a little too social. (Slight negative)
A dramatic increase in utilization of the Italian language because very few of these folks speak a lick of English. (Big positive)
The receipt of many gifts (Man Italians sure are generous). I’ve received three bottles of wine, two bottles of olive oil, a 2008 calendar of beautiful Italian photographs, a t-shirt with the local football team’s logo on it, and have had several cups of coffee bought for me! (Positive)
I have set up four lunch appointments with various people that I have become friends with (The results of these lunches will surely grace the pages of this blog) (Positive both for language learning and cultural integration)
Anna and I have had dinner with one couple who we met at the gym and we have gotten together with a single mom and her two children for social time (This has been the nice side benefit for Anna who isn’t very social at the palestra).
Lastly and perhaps most importantly is that I have found a workout partner named Stefano. He and I work out together a couple of days a week. (Positive as he is a great guy)
It just goes to show you that everyone has a little extravert in them. I guess in the past I have been able to get by without having to draw upon it. Call it laziness I guess or perhaps insecurity. Heck I even have avoided saying hello to new employees of mine for up to two weeks as I was so embarrassed by not remembering their name! Not proud of it but true. No a great lesson has been taught to me here in Italia. Sometimes you need to make the first move to make friends and often times the person on the other side of that straight face is actually someone really cool who is living in a shell of their own…
The efficiency of the Train – One of the great institutions of European transportation is the train. I know that we have Amtrak in the US, but I can’t say that I know of anyone who has every traveled this way! I would imagine that the sheer size of the US makes this form of transport less desirable, but even if you take a state like California, with all of its wonderful cities and interesting places to visit you would think that a serious public transit system throughout the state would be supported by its residents (Especially with gas prices these days).
I would never have guessed that we would like the train so much prior to coming here, but at this point it’s my preferred way of travel in most cases. Santa Maria Novella is the train station here in Florence (Most cities have one station and near if not in the city’s center). From Santa Maria, I can be in Rome in one hour forty minutes, Milan in three hours, Venice in three hours, Bologna in one hour and a whole slew of other much smaller destinations with little problem. The train has so many benefits that you almost can’t count!
When we ride first class (More leg room and electrical outlets at each seat for DVD players and computers) the cost (as an example) to take the train to Rome is about sixty dollars a person. The drive to Rome takes about two and a half hours while the train takes an hour forty. You get to sit back and take a nap, play on the computer, read or just daydream as the Tuscan hillside passes you by. The drink cart comes by and serves you a beverage, or you can simply walk to the food car, stand at the bar and have a drink or a snack. There’s no fighting the highway traffic and more importantly no dealing with the busy Italian city streets when you have reached your destination. What makes train travel even more enjoyable is that unlike flying, you need not get to the train station more than ten minutes before the train is scheduled to depart. We have yet to experience anything other than an on time departure and arrival.
For those that travel to Europe in the future, we could not recommend this form of transportation highly enough.
Walking and Architecture (A Beautiful Combination)
In past issues we have discussed the subject of walking as it relates to staying fit. There’s so much more to share relating to this subject and it was certainly highlighted upon our return to Thousand Oaks for the holiday break, where the extent of our walking was to head upstairs for bed at night.
I would imagine that those that live in places such as New York City or San Francisco would think that this is a mundane account, but for a California family that lives in the suburbs, the experience of walking extensively on a daily basis is a new thing to us. There will be many things that we will surely miss when we leave Italia, as for myself, walking will be at the top of the list. Beyond that of aiding in digestion after a long meal and providing the obvious additional cardio activity, walking is a way of absorbing the city, its history and its people that can not be matched when driving in a car. It’s a way of life here in Florence as we know countless Florentines who not only don’t own a car, but don’t even know how to drive!
In the US, suburbs like ours are not set up for walking. Of course we could take a stroll after dinner in our neighborhood, or walk to lunch and back during the work week. The question is, why don’t we then? Anna and I feel that the answer is simply that there’s nothing to look at! Dare we say, “Its boring”? This is the exact feeling that raced through me when we returned home for the holidays. I recall driving from shopping center to shopping center in Thousand Oaks while running errands and being lulled to utter boredom by what was an endless supply of esthetically unappealing structures filled with mass produced proprietors. I will never forget the day in December that I drove down Thousand Oaks Blvd and noticed that a brand new strip mall had been erected. Candidly, as far as strip malls go, this one was quite nice, but the inaugural proprietor to set up shop was none other than Subway, how depressing! This has become the magic and even addiction of walking for both of us. The architecture of Florence is so stunning that it is literally “Eye Candy” every time we venture into the city’s labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Every time we walk in Florence we notice a new detail on a building that we have passed a dozen times before, another monument of history on a street corner or a proprietor who has a store with unique items. There are no shopping centers, strip malls or 7-11’s to make one stop shopping a reality THANK GOD! This is precisely what makes walking an activity that is at the heart of the cultures fabric.
A simple stroll on the way to picking up a loaf or bread or to drop a pair of shoes to Leonardo for polishing at his little shop (that is the size of our walk in closet at home!), can reveal countless enjoyable moments. One day you may see an old woman dressed to the “9’s” waiting for the bus, while the next day may provide the unveiling of a new street corner whose architecture is so stunning that it causes you stop dead in your stride.
There is something much more however, that walking creates. There is an indescribable energy that exists within the cities streets that can only be brought about by interacting with others. As our friend Tracy Tyoran says, “I literally get a buzz when I walk in the streets every day. There is a sense of a “Village” that exists where people are meeting and interacting with one another.”
This is surely a subject matter that is difficult to describe and ever do justice. Perhaps some of these photos will assist you in understanding our passion and love for this pedestrian behavior…
I would imagine that those that live in places such as New York City or San Francisco would think that this is a mundane account, but for a California family that lives in the suburbs, the experience of walking extensively on a daily basis is a new thing to us. There will be many things that we will surely miss when we leave Italia, as for myself, walking will be at the top of the list. Beyond that of aiding in digestion after a long meal and providing the obvious additional cardio activity, walking is a way of absorbing the city, its history and its people that can not be matched when driving in a car. It’s a way of life here in Florence as we know countless Florentines who not only don’t own a car, but don’t even know how to drive!
In the US, suburbs like ours are not set up for walking. Of course we could take a stroll after dinner in our neighborhood, or walk to lunch and back during the work week. The question is, why don’t we then? Anna and I feel that the answer is simply that there’s nothing to look at! Dare we say, “Its boring”? This is the exact feeling that raced through me when we returned home for the holidays. I recall driving from shopping center to shopping center in Thousand Oaks while running errands and being lulled to utter boredom by what was an endless supply of esthetically unappealing structures filled with mass produced proprietors. I will never forget the day in December that I drove down Thousand Oaks Blvd and noticed that a brand new strip mall had been erected. Candidly, as far as strip malls go, this one was quite nice, but the inaugural proprietor to set up shop was none other than Subway, how depressing! This has become the magic and even addiction of walking for both of us. The architecture of Florence is so stunning that it is literally “Eye Candy” every time we venture into the city’s labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Every time we walk in Florence we notice a new detail on a building that we have passed a dozen times before, another monument of history on a street corner or a proprietor who has a store with unique items. There are no shopping centers, strip malls or 7-11’s to make one stop shopping a reality THANK GOD! This is precisely what makes walking an activity that is at the heart of the cultures fabric.
A simple stroll on the way to picking up a loaf or bread or to drop a pair of shoes to Leonardo for polishing at his little shop (that is the size of our walk in closet at home!), can reveal countless enjoyable moments. One day you may see an old woman dressed to the “9’s” waiting for the bus, while the next day may provide the unveiling of a new street corner whose architecture is so stunning that it causes you stop dead in your stride.
There is something much more however, that walking creates. There is an indescribable energy that exists within the cities streets that can only be brought about by interacting with others. As our friend Tracy Tyoran says, “I literally get a buzz when I walk in the streets every day. There is a sense of a “Village” that exists where people are meeting and interacting with one another.”
This is surely a subject matter that is difficult to describe and ever do justice. Perhaps some of these photos will assist you in understanding our passion and love for this pedestrian behavior…
The Italian Government and Its Economy (Magic?)
After having been in Italy for about two months, the questions immediately began to develop and have consistently evolved ever since. “How the hell do people live here? I mean, how can they afford it? It’s so bloody expensive?” I kept asking Anna.
I think that the best way to explain this issue is to first provide you with some facts:
Gas and or Diesel prices are roughly twice the price of what we pay in the US.
Most all food is ala carte in restaurants, meaning that when you order chicken, that’s what you get, chicken and nothing else. This is an important fact because, when you add it all up (Soup or salad, a main dish, veggies and desert) you will generally find that it runs about 20.00 euro per person to eat (This would be a moderately priced restaurant, not including wine).
The exchange rate is currently 1.5 dollars to 1 euro, so that 20.00 euro dinner is $30.00 per person!
Real Estate costs (As best I can tell as we have looked at about seven or eight properties for sale) are roughly twice as much per square foot as they are in Los Angeles! This was a shocker to us!
Utilities are outrageous. We have a 2600 square foot place (And use only about 1800 square feet of it) and our utilities (Gas, phone and electric) run us an average of 1300.00 euro per month (This is about $2000.00)
The average Florentine makes only 1000.00 euro per month! When these numbers became clear to me over time, the question begged for an answer. How do they live? I asked my neighbor Jeanette Nardi this question. She simply turned around and looked at me with a smile on her face and said “Its magic!”
Obviously it can’t be magic, but I still can’t find a complete explanation for this enigma. Certainly the average Florentine can’t possibly live the life style that we are blessed to live here in Florence. I do know that many people rarely use their heaters with the exception of the coldest nights in winter (Where temperatures can get into the high 20’s) opting to simply bundle up in extra clothes and blankets to save on the heating bill. Additionally, the average apartment/flat here in Florence is somewhere around 800 square feet, keeping both electric and heating costs much lower. This certainly aids in the explanation as to why so many of my fellow “Gym Rats” use the showers at the club as it costs nothing to use the water at the Palestra versus at home.
Consider this additional fact about Italy, that the North is much better off financially than the South. If you look at a map of Italy, the North constitutes everything from Rome to the Swiss/Austrian border therefore certainly including Florence. Conditions are so bad in the South that some have told me that they think that Italy is in constant danger of civil unrest as the poverty and standard of living in places like Naples and throughout what is known as “The Boot” are down right unreasonable. The result is a country that has a very small if not no middle class, a large lower class (Or large percentage of people near what we would think of as the poverty line) and a small to medium upper class.
Italy, has had a long history of political challenges, which is evident even in present times. At the time of this writing, the government is in disarray (You may have recently read about the resignation of Romano Prodi, Italy’s Prime Minister) and elections are soon to follow with the former controversial Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi likely to win and serve for the third different time!
In Naples, the situation is terrible as residents have had to endure yet another major trash collecting strike (Which has become common place in this region). If these Neapolitan trash troubles sound familiar, it's no wonder. The Italian region of Campania has been experiencing a garbage crisis for almost 14 years, during which time little has changed beyond the contents of the overflowing bins. Indeed, it's become so routine that there's now a predictable pattern. First, the Camorra—the local mafia, which controls the city's garbage industry—stuffs the area's dumps and incineration facilities with garbage imported from northern Italy and other European countries. That leaves nowhere to put the local garbage, forcing collectors to let it pile up on the streets! Next, angry residents burn the garbage, spewing dioxins into the air. Eventually the government squeezes space out of existing dumps to alleviate the problem temporarily. At the time of this writing, some areas have not had trash collected in nearly six weeks!!!
Some people have intimated to me that the problem is so bad in the South that its only a matter of time before we see the civil unrest that many people fear. The mafia appears to be the source of the problem as it is active at even the highest levels of the Italian government. I have often felt that understanding the inner workings of the US government is difficult, but it pales in comparison to figuring out how things work around here. It appears to be a complicated mess as there are so many unseen forces in play with the Mafia and Catholic Church as the backbone of corruption.
In my daily interactions with friends, I often find myself trying to consult with them on their jobs and how to improve their financial situation. Time and again the answer that I get from these people is that of a defeated society, one that has in many ways lost hope. “Its not like it is in your country, we can’t get ahead here and the situation is hopeless as we have so much corruption in our government that the Italian people know that it’s a lost cause” one person told me. My good friend and cooking teacher Marcella tells me that the major difference between Americans and Italians is that “Americans know that with hard work and a vision they can get ahead in life, but Italians know that there is no hope for them to achieve financial success and therefore they simply are afraid to have hope.”
Yes, it’s a very sad situation for us as we begin to grow fond of many people here who have become our friends. We see a sadness inside of them that troubles us greatly. One friend of mine named Serena, who works at the gym told me only yesterday that she had worked sixteen straight days without a day off! Another friend Chiara who works as a supervisor for one of the leading high end tour companies in the world told me that her contract does not allow her to be paid for overtime. In fact, last week she was on the road for four straight days looking at properties throughout Italy, working in many cases fifteen hour days. She was only paid for eight!
To say that our appreciation for the American system has skyrocketed would be a fair statement. We are very lucky indeed…
I think that the best way to explain this issue is to first provide you with some facts:
Gas and or Diesel prices are roughly twice the price of what we pay in the US.
Most all food is ala carte in restaurants, meaning that when you order chicken, that’s what you get, chicken and nothing else. This is an important fact because, when you add it all up (Soup or salad, a main dish, veggies and desert) you will generally find that it runs about 20.00 euro per person to eat (This would be a moderately priced restaurant, not including wine).
The exchange rate is currently 1.5 dollars to 1 euro, so that 20.00 euro dinner is $30.00 per person!
Real Estate costs (As best I can tell as we have looked at about seven or eight properties for sale) are roughly twice as much per square foot as they are in Los Angeles! This was a shocker to us!
Utilities are outrageous. We have a 2600 square foot place (And use only about 1800 square feet of it) and our utilities (Gas, phone and electric) run us an average of 1300.00 euro per month (This is about $2000.00)
The average Florentine makes only 1000.00 euro per month! When these numbers became clear to me over time, the question begged for an answer. How do they live? I asked my neighbor Jeanette Nardi this question. She simply turned around and looked at me with a smile on her face and said “Its magic!”
Obviously it can’t be magic, but I still can’t find a complete explanation for this enigma. Certainly the average Florentine can’t possibly live the life style that we are blessed to live here in Florence. I do know that many people rarely use their heaters with the exception of the coldest nights in winter (Where temperatures can get into the high 20’s) opting to simply bundle up in extra clothes and blankets to save on the heating bill. Additionally, the average apartment/flat here in Florence is somewhere around 800 square feet, keeping both electric and heating costs much lower. This certainly aids in the explanation as to why so many of my fellow “Gym Rats” use the showers at the club as it costs nothing to use the water at the Palestra versus at home.
Consider this additional fact about Italy, that the North is much better off financially than the South. If you look at a map of Italy, the North constitutes everything from Rome to the Swiss/Austrian border therefore certainly including Florence. Conditions are so bad in the South that some have told me that they think that Italy is in constant danger of civil unrest as the poverty and standard of living in places like Naples and throughout what is known as “The Boot” are down right unreasonable. The result is a country that has a very small if not no middle class, a large lower class (Or large percentage of people near what we would think of as the poverty line) and a small to medium upper class.
Italy, has had a long history of political challenges, which is evident even in present times. At the time of this writing, the government is in disarray (You may have recently read about the resignation of Romano Prodi, Italy’s Prime Minister) and elections are soon to follow with the former controversial Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi likely to win and serve for the third different time!
In Naples, the situation is terrible as residents have had to endure yet another major trash collecting strike (Which has become common place in this region). If these Neapolitan trash troubles sound familiar, it's no wonder. The Italian region of Campania has been experiencing a garbage crisis for almost 14 years, during which time little has changed beyond the contents of the overflowing bins. Indeed, it's become so routine that there's now a predictable pattern. First, the Camorra—the local mafia, which controls the city's garbage industry—stuffs the area's dumps and incineration facilities with garbage imported from northern Italy and other European countries. That leaves nowhere to put the local garbage, forcing collectors to let it pile up on the streets! Next, angry residents burn the garbage, spewing dioxins into the air. Eventually the government squeezes space out of existing dumps to alleviate the problem temporarily. At the time of this writing, some areas have not had trash collected in nearly six weeks!!!
Some people have intimated to me that the problem is so bad in the South that its only a matter of time before we see the civil unrest that many people fear. The mafia appears to be the source of the problem as it is active at even the highest levels of the Italian government. I have often felt that understanding the inner workings of the US government is difficult, but it pales in comparison to figuring out how things work around here. It appears to be a complicated mess as there are so many unseen forces in play with the Mafia and Catholic Church as the backbone of corruption.
In my daily interactions with friends, I often find myself trying to consult with them on their jobs and how to improve their financial situation. Time and again the answer that I get from these people is that of a defeated society, one that has in many ways lost hope. “Its not like it is in your country, we can’t get ahead here and the situation is hopeless as we have so much corruption in our government that the Italian people know that it’s a lost cause” one person told me. My good friend and cooking teacher Marcella tells me that the major difference between Americans and Italians is that “Americans know that with hard work and a vision they can get ahead in life, but Italians know that there is no hope for them to achieve financial success and therefore they simply are afraid to have hope.”
Yes, it’s a very sad situation for us as we begin to grow fond of many people here who have become our friends. We see a sadness inside of them that troubles us greatly. One friend of mine named Serena, who works at the gym told me only yesterday that she had worked sixteen straight days without a day off! Another friend Chiara who works as a supervisor for one of the leading high end tour companies in the world told me that her contract does not allow her to be paid for overtime. In fact, last week she was on the road for four straight days looking at properties throughout Italy, working in many cases fifteen hour days. She was only paid for eight!
To say that our appreciation for the American system has skyrocketed would be a fair statement. We are very lucky indeed…
Lo Sport (Fiorentina)
In past issues of Florentine Braheem we have touched upon our admiration for the pride that the native Florentine’s have for their famous city. This pride is evident throughout daily life here in Florence and is one of the things that Anna’s loves the most about the city. Sport, and the love of their soccer team is no exception where the local people are crazy for “Fiorentina” the city’s football team.
Trey and I have been threatening to go to a game for a few months now and the time finally came where we bought tickets to “The Stadio” for Fiorentina versus AC Milan, a game that had significant ramifications in the nine month long season that is Italian Soccer. In order to understand the magnitude of the game, one must first understand how things work in Italian soccer. The Holly Grail is to be in what is known as the “Champions League” which consists of the thirty two best teams in Europe. Some examples of these teams this year are Roma, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter. These teams compete for the championship each year. There are however literally dozens of teams from cities around Europe who compete within their region each year in what is known as Series B. As an example, in Italy there are teams from Turin (Juventis), two from Milan (AC Milan and Inter), two from Rome (Lazio and Roma), Fiorentina, Sienna, Napoli, Catania etc…Each country has similar representation from the various regions within their county (Spain, England, Germany, France etc…) These teams compete within their country all year round with the first four places advancing “Next year” to the Champions League and having a shot at the title. So think of it this way sports fans, it would be like there being a sub-league in the NBA that consisted of eight teams that had a chance at the title this year and the way that you get into that sub league for next year is to finish in the top two spots in one of the four divisions “This year”! A bit confusing yes, but it sure makes for an important regular season. Additionally, those that are in the Champions League this year need to finish in the top four spots within their regional competition within their own country to maintain their spot in the Champions League for next year.
Heading into the match in Florence on February 2nd, the regular season was about 70% complete and Fiorentina was holding onto the precious 4th spot in the standings by the thin margin of only 1 point, with AC Milan in 5th place. The two collided in a big time match and Trey and I were there to witness it.
The city of Florence is not built to hold a forty thousand person stadium from a parking and traffic perspective. Those that have been to Wriggly Field or Fenway Park are familiar with stadiums that are built in the heart of a city. The “Stadio” in Florence is exactly this way, with residences and places of business directly across the street and no real formal parking facility. In fact people literally park on the sidewalks all around the stadium because there is no other option unless you want to walk two or three miles! I would estimate that the time that it would taken to arrive home had we taken our car would have approached two hours (Keep in mind we can see the lights of the stadium from our kitchen as it is only about four to five miles away as the crow flies)! For this reason, Trey and I took the Motorino on this chilly and rainy Sunday evening to the big match.
The outside of the stadium reminded me of an Italian version of the streets outside Fenway with plenty of energy and enthusiasm in the air and every one of the diehard fans donning the purple colors of their beloved team. The major difference would of course be in the food being served by the street vendors on the city streets. In Boston, you can buy some of the best sausage sandwiches you have every tasted on the streets near Fenway, complete with grilled onions, sauerkraut and bell peppers. There is certainly now problem finding a sausage sandwich in Italy either but you can add a whole array of additional options to the mix as well, including fresh pizza, carved pork loin sandwiches and hot Italian Soups served in large do go cups. Leave it to the Italians to take the art of ‘Ball Game Food” to another level!
The game was as expected, a very tight match, with Fiorentina dominating the action throughout but without having the ability to stuff one into the goal. At halftime the score was tied at zero. I am a fan of old fashioned “Pitcher’s Duels” in baseball, so where some might consider a zero to zero tie to be a yawner, I found the first half quite entertaining. The fans themselves are worth the price of admission! If you haven’t figured it out yet, I just love the Italian people anyway, and something about seeing them in the cold damp night routing for their team, with the passion of an eighteen year old sitting in the student section in his freshman year in college, made them that much more endearing to me. The areas behind the goals (End Zone areas to us American Football fans) are where all the action is. I was told to keep Trey and I clear of this area as it can be flat out dangerous (The old adage “I went to a fight and a soccer game broke out!). This area has no assigned seating and hosts the most raucous of fan. The interesting thing is that throughout the game the fans sing songs at the top of their lungs in unison! I’m not talking about once and while, but certainly more often than not. I only wish that I could understand what they were singing, but it sure entertained Trey and I. In fact, during the game I received a text message from Mark Tyoran who lives all the way across town near us (About five miles from the stadium). He was standing out on his balcony and could hear the fans singing at the stadium! Adding to the entertainment was the sounds that I heard throughout the game. Italian fans love to yell “Bravo” when someone makes a good defensive play or a fine pass to a teammate and when a shot on goal is missed or the other team has a breakaway the shouts of “Mama Mia” are plentiful. I should also note that in Italy its apparently not illegal for fans to smoke cigarettes as everyone around us was lighting up, especially in the later part of the second half when things got a bit nervous!
I also found that the viewing of a soccer game in person is far superior to watching on television. Beyond that of the raw energy of the fans, the perspective is much better as you can see plays develop in person that you would never be able to see on the tube. This is very similar to the experience of watching hockey in person versus on TV. For those that question whether these guys are good at what they do, get that out of your mind right now. They are flat out amazing. The ability to kick a ball on the dead run all the way across the field to a teammate with pinpoint accuracy is shocked me (Not to mention the teammate catching the long pass with his foot as if he had a first baseman’s mitt strapped to it!) These guys are real athletes, but they are also some of the biggest wussies on the planet too! Man talk about being cry babies. Three different times a player took a fall that would have you think that he had snapped his femur in two, leaving him painfully flailing on the ground looking for a favorable call from the official. In soccer, the clock never stops, so its imperative that if there is an injured player on the field that he be removed from the action as soon as possible. In all three cases medical teams came sprinting across the field with stretchers, leaving Trey to moan, “Oh God here come the paramedics again!” Once the stretchers arrived, the sight of them prompted a miraculous recovery of the player who would bounce to his feet and slowly jog off the field under his own power!
On to the second half. The action continued to be dictated by Fiorentina who ended up winning the infamous shots on goals 15-6, but with only ten minutes left in the game, AC Milan got a two on one break away which resulted in the first and only goal of the game! The crowd was in shock and a silence fell over the stadium that resembled the feeling of being in a mausoleum. One last ditch effort fell short for Fiorentina to tie the game when a corner kick created a “Header” that was knocked away with a brilliant diving save by the Milan goal keeper, “Mama Mia” groaned the crowd!
Following the game, Trey and I did what any good Italian would do following a loss. We went and had a gelato to take away our sadness! Form there it was off to the castle on the motorino where Mark and I hunkered down and watched one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time!
Trey and I have been threatening to go to a game for a few months now and the time finally came where we bought tickets to “The Stadio” for Fiorentina versus AC Milan, a game that had significant ramifications in the nine month long season that is Italian Soccer. In order to understand the magnitude of the game, one must first understand how things work in Italian soccer. The Holly Grail is to be in what is known as the “Champions League” which consists of the thirty two best teams in Europe. Some examples of these teams this year are Roma, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter. These teams compete for the championship each year. There are however literally dozens of teams from cities around Europe who compete within their region each year in what is known as Series B. As an example, in Italy there are teams from Turin (Juventis), two from Milan (AC Milan and Inter), two from Rome (Lazio and Roma), Fiorentina, Sienna, Napoli, Catania etc…Each country has similar representation from the various regions within their county (Spain, England, Germany, France etc…) These teams compete within their country all year round with the first four places advancing “Next year” to the Champions League and having a shot at the title. So think of it this way sports fans, it would be like there being a sub-league in the NBA that consisted of eight teams that had a chance at the title this year and the way that you get into that sub league for next year is to finish in the top two spots in one of the four divisions “This year”! A bit confusing yes, but it sure makes for an important regular season. Additionally, those that are in the Champions League this year need to finish in the top four spots within their regional competition within their own country to maintain their spot in the Champions League for next year.
Heading into the match in Florence on February 2nd, the regular season was about 70% complete and Fiorentina was holding onto the precious 4th spot in the standings by the thin margin of only 1 point, with AC Milan in 5th place. The two collided in a big time match and Trey and I were there to witness it.
The city of Florence is not built to hold a forty thousand person stadium from a parking and traffic perspective. Those that have been to Wriggly Field or Fenway Park are familiar with stadiums that are built in the heart of a city. The “Stadio” in Florence is exactly this way, with residences and places of business directly across the street and no real formal parking facility. In fact people literally park on the sidewalks all around the stadium because there is no other option unless you want to walk two or three miles! I would estimate that the time that it would taken to arrive home had we taken our car would have approached two hours (Keep in mind we can see the lights of the stadium from our kitchen as it is only about four to five miles away as the crow flies)! For this reason, Trey and I took the Motorino on this chilly and rainy Sunday evening to the big match.
The outside of the stadium reminded me of an Italian version of the streets outside Fenway with plenty of energy and enthusiasm in the air and every one of the diehard fans donning the purple colors of their beloved team. The major difference would of course be in the food being served by the street vendors on the city streets. In Boston, you can buy some of the best sausage sandwiches you have every tasted on the streets near Fenway, complete with grilled onions, sauerkraut and bell peppers. There is certainly now problem finding a sausage sandwich in Italy either but you can add a whole array of additional options to the mix as well, including fresh pizza, carved pork loin sandwiches and hot Italian Soups served in large do go cups. Leave it to the Italians to take the art of ‘Ball Game Food” to another level!
The game was as expected, a very tight match, with Fiorentina dominating the action throughout but without having the ability to stuff one into the goal. At halftime the score was tied at zero. I am a fan of old fashioned “Pitcher’s Duels” in baseball, so where some might consider a zero to zero tie to be a yawner, I found the first half quite entertaining. The fans themselves are worth the price of admission! If you haven’t figured it out yet, I just love the Italian people anyway, and something about seeing them in the cold damp night routing for their team, with the passion of an eighteen year old sitting in the student section in his freshman year in college, made them that much more endearing to me. The areas behind the goals (End Zone areas to us American Football fans) are where all the action is. I was told to keep Trey and I clear of this area as it can be flat out dangerous (The old adage “I went to a fight and a soccer game broke out!). This area has no assigned seating and hosts the most raucous of fan. The interesting thing is that throughout the game the fans sing songs at the top of their lungs in unison! I’m not talking about once and while, but certainly more often than not. I only wish that I could understand what they were singing, but it sure entertained Trey and I. In fact, during the game I received a text message from Mark Tyoran who lives all the way across town near us (About five miles from the stadium). He was standing out on his balcony and could hear the fans singing at the stadium! Adding to the entertainment was the sounds that I heard throughout the game. Italian fans love to yell “Bravo” when someone makes a good defensive play or a fine pass to a teammate and when a shot on goal is missed or the other team has a breakaway the shouts of “Mama Mia” are plentiful. I should also note that in Italy its apparently not illegal for fans to smoke cigarettes as everyone around us was lighting up, especially in the later part of the second half when things got a bit nervous!
I also found that the viewing of a soccer game in person is far superior to watching on television. Beyond that of the raw energy of the fans, the perspective is much better as you can see plays develop in person that you would never be able to see on the tube. This is very similar to the experience of watching hockey in person versus on TV. For those that question whether these guys are good at what they do, get that out of your mind right now. They are flat out amazing. The ability to kick a ball on the dead run all the way across the field to a teammate with pinpoint accuracy is shocked me (Not to mention the teammate catching the long pass with his foot as if he had a first baseman’s mitt strapped to it!) These guys are real athletes, but they are also some of the biggest wussies on the planet too! Man talk about being cry babies. Three different times a player took a fall that would have you think that he had snapped his femur in two, leaving him painfully flailing on the ground looking for a favorable call from the official. In soccer, the clock never stops, so its imperative that if there is an injured player on the field that he be removed from the action as soon as possible. In all three cases medical teams came sprinting across the field with stretchers, leaving Trey to moan, “Oh God here come the paramedics again!” Once the stretchers arrived, the sight of them prompted a miraculous recovery of the player who would bounce to his feet and slowly jog off the field under his own power!
On to the second half. The action continued to be dictated by Fiorentina who ended up winning the infamous shots on goals 15-6, but with only ten minutes left in the game, AC Milan got a two on one break away which resulted in the first and only goal of the game! The crowd was in shock and a silence fell over the stadium that resembled the feeling of being in a mausoleum. One last ditch effort fell short for Fiorentina to tie the game when a corner kick created a “Header” that was knocked away with a brilliant diving save by the Milan goal keeper, “Mama Mia” groaned the crowd!
Following the game, Trey and I did what any good Italian would do following a loss. We went and had a gelato to take away our sadness! Form there it was off to the castle on the motorino where Mark and I hunkered down and watched one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time!
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