"My Relationship With Firenze " a Florence Travel Page by ForestqueenNYC

FROM ORIGINAL POSTING. SEE UPDATE FROM MAY AND JUNE 2006 BELOW

I lived in Florence for two years,1992-1994. Although the city made me crazy, because I didn't find it to be a polite city, it is addictive and I wish I were still there. However, I know that if I were to go back to live, I would once again be pulling my hair out.

My relationship with this city is like a bad marriage. I love it dearly, but we don't get along. We fight all the time, I leave, I miss it desperately, I deceive myself into believing that everything will be better the next time. So, I go back again, and we start all over, fighting, anger, leaving. Maybe, next time, I'll try Bologna.

The food is good though.

As you can see, I was quite a bit younger in the photo taken in 1994. I had blond hair then. And of course fewer wrinkles. In fact in spite of the delicious food, I was also quite thin. Never have I walked so much and I think that is what helped keep the weight off.

My restaurant tips are based on my time there as a resident and not as a tourist. I did return a couple of years ago and those restaurants were still in business and still excellent.

I will write later, after I sort through photos. Not sure I have many because I didn't want to be identified as a tourist at that time. I was trying to be so Italian.

This was my first trip to Florence in around 1991. I am with one of my dearest friends who is a Roman. I believe once you make a friend with an Italian, which is not necessarily the easiest thing to do, you will be friends forever. I have two Italian friends and we have kept in touch for 15 and 12 years with regular phone calls, visits, and emails (used to be letters).

As most of you know these doors are replicas.

Well I am back in Florence until June. My son will marry here so I decided to come for a month from Paris rather than return to the US.

I must say that I am having a completely different reaction. Even though the tourist groups are worse than ever, they dont seem to bother me as much and I am actually finding that many of the Florentines are friendly. Maybe aging 14 years has mellowed me.

BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO MY ADOBE PHOTOSHOP, I HAVE HAD TO USE ANOTHER VERY POOR SUBSTITUTE PROGRAM SO SOME TIP PICTURES ARE CORRECTED VERY BADLY. PLEASE TRY TO OVERLOOK THIS.

Reading List:

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

Medici Money by Tim Parks