I think to myself quite a lot of nonsense every time I throw the garbage in Florence. Depending on where one resides, garbage disposal in Florence requires a walk of 200 or 300 meters to the nearest container. In other cities you can do so in pyjamas or in slippers, with tousled hair and bleary-eyed, but in Florence certain composure and sophistication is needed. You never know whom you could meet on such particularly long journey ……
On Easter Sunday every year, Florence celebrates the religious holiday in a very special way. The Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) dates back over three centuries. A particular wagon built in 1622 is pulled by a pair of oxen decorated in garlands through the streets of Florence to the square between the Baptistry and Cathedral. The Scoppio del Carro is a folk tradition of Florence.
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Florence on March 25 celebrates the ancient Florentine New Year with some events open to all. On this day, the Catholic Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in honor of the Virgin, from the Middle Ages up until 1750 this date decreed the beginning of the civil year in Florence.…
Writing about a fascination incites to living it twice. Florence (and all Italy) transmits a special magnetism to me, either at night or in the daylight. Indeed, I feel the more you visit a site, the more your identity will be linked to it. Choosing a place is never incidental, but caused by a wish, a certain object of desire. I have felt in love with Florence just as I could have with a person, thus looking to make the affair last, and staying here forever. Is it a whim? Certainly, one that´s rooted deep inside of me.
There is life beyond the historical centre and, above all, many areas for the bucolic self-recreation. In this not so travelled — excluding joggers and some gite scolastiche — public garden of Montughi, in the vicinity of Florence, there are an exotic Egyptian temple by Frederick Stibbert in the middle of an artificial lake, a circular Hellenic temple with a dome of enamelled tiles, as well as sculptures, caves, benches and picnic areas here and there. One just needs to take a pleasant half-hour walk from the historic centre to reach the Stibbert Museum. Born in Florence in 1838, Frederick Stibbert, a regular traveller and passionate collector of antiques, brought together the three family traditions, the British, the Anglo-Indian and the Italian, which influenced his education and cultural taste. The great project of his life was to transform the family house of Montughi into a museum, which today belongs to the cultural heritage´s of Florence. There´s nothing like to start the day feeling intoxicated by the life and the freshness of these gardens.
Museo-Parco Stibbert
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The first edition of the Festival delle Mongolfiere Firenze, highlighting hot air balloons and all things flight-related, will color the Florentine sky for two weekends of full-blown fun at Ipodromo del Visarno, within Le Cascine park. A perfect plan for families and kids! There will be children’s activities, including a LEGO area, plus a kite-making workshop. Not to miss the illuminated hot air-balloon shows, set to music and scheduled for every night during the festival around 7 p. m. Completing the program, a risotto marketplace will run concurrently with the balloon festival, with various dishes. Tickets: 6 euro (5 euro if pre-purchased online) or 3 euro for children. October 28-29, November 4-5.
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Certainly, the Arno is quite photogenic and never disappoints. There´s such pleasure in being dragged by the craving of the camera and by the rays of the sun to the bridges of this river! Populated by crowds courting storks, older gentlemen fishing, young people smoking pot and drinking beer, troops of tourists in pursuit of their next great selfie, Asian couples just married with the Ponte Vecchio in the background … and especially, when the weather is good, canoeists. They embellish the Arno and suit wonderfully in any photograph of the Ponte (or even without it), either during sunset or broad daylight. The camera will always find its reward. Canoeing is a much more complex sport than people think. It involves a lot of physical work, concentration and excellent coordination. Luckily, in the Società Canottieri Firenze they count with excellent and patient instructors.
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