Underwhelming Firenze

I was feeling very lazy Sunday, yet I somehow got the energy to see one of the Medici villas just north of town. My housemate Barbara decided to join me.

The bus leaves from just across the street from my apartment. The bus system in Florence is comprehensive... you can get everywhere in town, there are many busses. They're a bit like New York... there's no indication of where you are, there's no map on the bus; the driver doesn't announce where the hell you are. I am forever openin up my big bus map to figure out if I'm going in the right direction.

So we get on this bus, and we ask if he knows where this Medici villa is. He says, "sure, sure. I'll tell you." At some point, Barbara says "I think it has passed." We look confused, and some of the old men on the bus say they think it is time to get off. They tell the bus driver to stop. He doesn't stop for 3 stops even though we pressed the light to get off. Turns out he was totally wrong, and he was listening to his ipod.

So we walk a nice distance back, and up some big hill, to get to this villa that didn't seem open. The ticket window had no one in it, and now there was a sign that said "Free entry." A guide is required, and we arrived just at the time when the next guide was.

So this old man, looking quite the bit a janitor, opens the door and says "you want to go in?" So Barbara and I, followed by some random English couple, go into the villa, and this man takes us around IN COMPLETE SILENCE, even though we made it known that we understood Italian.

It was very strange. But it was free, so we couldn't complain.

The villa was very opulent. Not very impressive, considering the villas I have seen elsewhere. The walls were all covered in reproductions of Florentine wallpaper (that sort of flowery, swirly print) or were completely painted in Trompe l'oeil frescoes. It was O.K. Once again, as for most of what I have experienced in Florence, underwhelming.

I am not unhappy here. I like it well enough. It's hot, and sunny, and not humid. This is enough to keep me happy, really. New York is unbearably humid as of late, so just being comfortable (albeit hot) is great.

I look forward to preparing myself meals from what is available here. I have "Total" greek yogurt, ($2 a container in the US so I've never tried it) thick and creamy and topped with honey is like ambrosia.

I have a salad once a day of rucola (rocket) greens, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, anchovies, and balsamic.

I have made orriechette with pesto, tortelli with a sort of vegetable caponata I invented. And one time a cutlet of beef stuffed with taleggio and sage.

Whatever I don't finish, I try to push off on my housemates, as they are poor students who I often catch eating bread and butter. That makes me so sad.

There's a wonderful patisseria below my apartment where they sell the most beautiful miniature italian pastries, and make a fine macchiatto (my favorite version of coffee thus far.)

But I digress. I cannot seem to figure out why people fall in love with this city. Before I came, everone told me, "oh, FLORENCE." It's my favorite city.

It's FULL of tourists (not that I have any right to talk.) You hear English more than Italian. It is thoroughly overpriced. The markets that take up all the piazzas in town are full of overpriced, crappy leather. I don't know how any of these tourists are fooled by this "vera pelle" label that is all over town. You can get better leather at Century 21 in the city for 1/2 the price.

There are hardly any green spaces. The parks are dry and dirty, and anywhere you want to sit costs $.

And most of the students I have spoken to feel the same. Two of my housemates are here for 2 months, and one poor girl signed on for 2 years. She is not too happy about it.

Sure, it is the opera and classical music capitol of the world. There are tons of museums, classic art, if you feel like paying through the nose and waiting in a line for three hours just to catch a glimpse of David, a naked, pre-pubescent boy you've seen 1000 times.

It's fine, but not nearly what everyone said it would be.