I know things have been a bit quiet of here but I call it the fault of colder weather. While yes, technically I should be holed up at home tapping away my computer while sipping mug after mug of hot tea. Ps. Hot tea & coffee is my Florentine version of a ‘heater’. Houses are pretty cold here, and due to gas & electricity being so expensive, no one leaves their heat on unless it’s included in their condo fees. What’s a girl to do? Throw on a fuzzy ikea blanket, buy a cheesy santa mug and wear a sweater in your house. That’s just how we do it.

The city of Florence has now deemed it time to set up the city with pretty Christmas lights. This of course means that camera-happy people like myself are in awe and snapping pics like this to no avail. Tinkerbell would be proud.

So what I have been up to this past week instead of writing?

First up was a visit to one of my absolute favorite cafe’s in Florence, Teatro dell’Ozio. A french shabby sheek concept store/cafe that while being almost ‘out of place’ on via lanza (Florence south) is certainly worth visiting. Going there is like entering a world where your only worry is which flavor macaron to try.

Celebrated Thanksgiving with friends

Obviously I couldn’t let this huge holiday slide on by without doing something. This year me and Nico headed to my friend’s house for a Thanksgiving potluck. We ordered our Turkey {already roasted and stuffed with chestnuts & sausage} from a local rosticceria near my house for only 5 euros a person (we were in 15). It probably took about 5 or 6 phone calls to get the order totally complete, but only because the people who worked there wanted it to be absolutely perfect for us. Plus they made me laugh in the process. This meant a lot less work for us, a less expensive Enel gas bill and the chance for me to snap a photo of a Frenchman carrying a Thanksgiving turkey on the Ponte Vecchio.

Picking up photography tips at a Yelp Event

Obviously you all know I am a fan of Yelp, or rather the interesting, international community it creates. I have met some great people via Yelp meetups and had a pretty good time doing it. This past event was at the IED institute of design and included several (free) workshops all based on cell-phone photography. What ensued what a photo contest with great prizes & a cool shindig with music. I could think of worse ways to spend a Saturday.

Plus did I mention the candy corner?

If you are wondering if I snuck some into my purse, you would be correct. Guilty as charged! 

An Italian Baptism

Live in Italy long enough, integrate like a pro – and chances are you will see your fair share of weddings and baptisms. This time we were in the church of San Piero a Sieve in the outskirts of Florence. A beautiful church from the XIIth century, one of the most ancient parishes in the Mugello Territory. I loved the bit of fresco peeking out from the white ceiling. It was a beautiful ceremony with a aperitivo to follow. This is of course meant a huge amount of delicious food that just kept coming. In fact, they weren’t content to just feed us, they did the very un-Italian action of packing some food to go for us as well. Tuscans are truly generous people. 

Stumbled upon a design exposition 

Just by taking walks in the center of Florence, you never know what your going to get {yes, I might have quoted Forrest Gump here}. Monday night after work, I took a nighttime walk and stumbled upon a design exposition at the Galleria dei Medici at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi by students at a local school. Everything was either funky or a sort of fashion extreme – and decorated chairs were in the mix as well. It was a nice diversion from my normal Monday activities of being overwhelmed by work and procrastinating on food shopping. I hate the supermarket.

Lights over Florence

If you are following me on my blog Facebook page, you probably have noticed an abundance of photos of Christmas lights around town. I can’t help myself, but really can’t help myself! 

Getting ready for #winteroadtrip

All of that along with finalizing preparations for my #winteroadtrip {which you can follow via this hashtag on FB, twitter and instagram & google plus}.Basically me and Frenchy and heading to his hometown in the South of France for Christmas and then taking a road trip to Lisbon, Portugal with stops at Andorra (and an amazing thermal spa), Toledo, Spain to then spend New Year’s Eve under the stars in Lisbon. I am super excited to eat, drink, and be merry. And of course, I can’t wait to blog about it! I Have never been to Portugal, Andorra or Toledo so this will be a real treat. Truth be told, it’s been a very long year with some very extreme ups and downs for this Tuscan Texan so I can’t imagine a better way to begin a new year 🙂

In the meantime, stay tuned to see what the rest of December has in store. Plus tell me your winter plans? Also ever been to Lisbon? Your tips are much needed!

Related articles

• December events in Florence, Italy (girlinflorence.com)
• Happy Thanksgiving from Girl in Florence (girlinflorence.com)