Ice Cream and Murder

In statistics circles, there's a common joke about correlation vs. causation. It has been widely observed that as ice cream sales rise, so do murder rates. This is not because ice cream causes people to feel homicidal (or that murder causes you to crave ice cream), but because heat encourages both of these behaviors.

So. Here I am in Florence. It's hot, I am loading up on the gelato, but I'm feeling anything but murderous. It's hard to feel anything but bliss when you get to take a stroll along the Arno or just stare at the Duomo for hours on end. 

Today makes a week since my arrival in Firenze, but it feels like I've been here for months (in the best of ways). I am slowly growing used to the lack of air conditioning and the abundance of stairs. I purchased my first leather bag from Via de Ginori 23, a cute little artisan shop where I got to meet the man who made my bag and see his laboratory. I got lost and found myself in front of the Uffizi Gallery. I sunbathed in Monterosso, one of the Cinque Terre towns (ok, I bathed in sunblock and then I sat in the sand). I explored Porto Venere and its medieval city walls with cliffs overlooking the Gulf of the Poets. Most of all, though, I've just been staring in awe. My jaw is permanently dropped. It is unbelievable to imagine people living here for so long. I wonder how many people have lived in the very room I sleep in. I can practically see Cosimo de' Medici smiling down at the gorgeous completed dome atop the Duomo.

So, while the 98 degree weather was a bit killer on the first few days (and we have thankfully cooled down since then), I can't say there's a hint of anonymity in me for this beautiful city.

Now, the cars are a different story. Traffic lights are more of a suggestion to most of them, so near death experiences have been plentiful for me and my classmates. The catcalling is also a bit much. Thankfully I've only heard the casual "Ciao bella!" as I've passed, but a friend of mine was actually followed by a group of men the other night. Definitely glad that "go away" was one of the first phrases I learned in Italian. 

The city itself, however, feels very safe. I'm always watchful of pickpockets and I've only been out at night with a group of friends, but for the time being I have not felt unsafe anywhere yet (except perhaps when our field trip advisors left us at the train station to find our way home alone at 9 PM). 

Of course, I know that it has only been a week since my arrival (I still cannot believe I've only been here for a week). There is so much more to discover in this city, and I haven't even ventured across the river yet. I can't wait to get to know Florence more over the next few months.