We came to Firenze figuring that a three month residence would be long enough to force us into local-like routines. This meant packing and planning to a degree so diminished from our previous family trips that our sum-luggage for a 3-month ‘residenza’ could only be considered to be minimalist. “We’ll figure it out when we get there”, was the mantra instead of, “Amazon – send me one of everything!”
There is no jam-packed itinerary. Instead of espresso-fueled jet walking from site-to-site-to-site, our days here are a more like the first week at college. We don’t have any friends, we don’t know where anything is, we have nowhere to be, we do everything 2-3 hours later than at home, it’s a long walk to ‘campus’ and we booze / carb-load at lunch and dinner.
So, in contrast to our prior Blog Pics featuring: Tuscan Landscapes, Delicious Food & Wine, Renaissance Masterworks and Picturesque Cityscapes this post features some of the differences between our Florentine villa and our carefully crafted BUBBLE, left in the creature-comfort and convenience-centered U.S. of A.
Enjoy!! This is the GOOD STUFF!!
We suddenly are forced to care about saving electricity. Here, you see that the Villa’s hallway in two states of illumination. It defaults to pitch black… but has motion activated lights. Walking in a strange and dark corridor is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get: stubbed toe, flattened nose, carpet trip… etc. Speaking English from behind a mask in the US is hard enough. In Italy, those fibrous germ-catchers just make our already poor Italian even harder to understand. “I said, ‘Prego – due Biscotti e due caffe.'”We lack access to adequate electricity. After the previously Blogged-about bedroom heater debacle, our house manager advised that while away we should turn off the heaters. Ok, no problem. Instead of SMART thermostats … we now have kitchen timer HVAC. It’s easy, but where’s the convenience factor, man?! We have four room timers to set each time we leave the Villa. And don’t even get us started on organizing/sorting the GARBAGE!!Every pair of shoes that we thought would be BOTH fashionably versatile and comfortable enough to walk 7-10 miles per day are not constructed for anything more than walking from the valet stand to your table, sir. The above photo captures the futility of trying to turn my fashionable black jimmies into city-walkers. Didn’t figure on this one. Anne just bought new shoes.Anne still loves (read: is obsessed about) keeping up with laundry – but piccolo-sized appliances and electric driers that accumulate residual water left behind by their washing machine counterpart just make life so… NOT in the bubble. Anne says, “I love the kids but LONG FOR my LG Appliances.”Italian hospitality such as Roberto’s and Alessandro’s (father and son restauranteurs) makes eating late (~8:00pm) two hour dinners something we look forward to. In THE BUBBLE, opting for early-bird specials and 90 minute dining was the standard.We open our mail via FaceTime – with our real-life Executive Assistant. Opening EVERY piece of mail is tediousness defined. Despite Hannah’s over-qualification for this work, she loves the free room and board given in trade for her mad skills. Oh, yeah – she also runs the cars so the batteries don’t trickle down to nil.Ok; we under-packed for cold weather. Here’s the lovely American Woman modeling her: New coat (cappotto) . New gloves (guanti). New scarf (sciarpa). Back in THE BUBBLE, Anne’s apparel increments with each 5 degree change in temperature between 0 – 100F. When it gets warmer here in Firenze, will we be similarly under packed? So, why pack anything at all?? 😊😊
The Brandt Blog 
January 29, 2022 at 11:55
This post made me laugh! I should be getting paid for all this mail opening, I have paper cuts to prove it.
January 29, 2022 at 13:21
That’s fair. And in turn you’ll henceforth be paying rent; you have a degree from IU and are highly employable.