Riding in the country and descending back into Florence to see the sun glistening on the Arno, then spending the rest of the day at an art exhibit or classical music concert. Or just going to the market or stopping by my church for vespers, or taking a passeggiata in my piazza or along the river...I have never known a place on earth which affords me this sense of balance.
Even watching cultural channels on Italian TV is so entertaining. And what beats recovering from a Sunday morning bike ride while downing a beer and watching Papa Francesco's Angelus? Or walking out of my apartment to see a musical quartet or a flute or violin player on the streets. Or absorbing the tranquility of my apartment, watching from my window an old lady hanging clothes out on the line. Or watching from my home the excited tourists standing on the balcony of the duomo like I used to see tourists standing on the crown of the Statue of Liberty from my window in NYC. What a contrast, but what a balance.
