Relics

Today I partook in the Italian ritual of "Passeggiare." Passeggiare happens during the time of day right before sunset, and before dinner, when many Italians take walks. So this evening I put on my running shoes and ran along the Arno alongside many other Italians, of all ages, walking, strolling, running, or biking. (The picture below is from my terrace after I returned from my run and was stretching watching the sunset before dinner.) What I discovered from my run were two things: 1. that even Italians' exercise is at a more leisurely pace then what I seem to find in the US 2. That people fare le passeggiate because it makes them more hungry and thus able to consume all three "piatti" that are served during "la cena" (dinner).

Apart from exercising Italian style today I also enjoyed a beautiful walking art history class to the church of San Miniato. The church is one of the highest points in the city and it is a beautiful walk to find it. The church itself is made of multi-colored marble and inside there are frescos, paintings, and sculptures. The picture below is a view from the front of the church looking down over Firenze. What struck me the most about this incredible church aside from its breathtaking beauty was how long it had been standing in the same spot overlooking the city of Firenze. There was something really powerful about knowing how many people had come to this church before me for some reason. As well as to know that this church with all of it's brilliance stood watching over Firenze. There is something special about the fact that this city is so old and in many ways has changed very little. I realized that the whole city feels special for this reason. In some ways I feel I can never be lonely here because there are too many relics of the past to ever be truely alone.