It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Florence is a beautiful city.  I’ve been over this a million and a half times.  Things I haven’t yet mentioned about Florence? How incredibly beautiful it is in December.  For the past few weeks the city has been miraculously transforming itself into the perfect, little Christmas wonderland.

Don’t get me wrong, my usual homes are lovely at Christmastime.  I can’t wait to see the tree in Danvers square and I’ll certainly miss Holy Cross’ Christmas greenery...that hangs out on campus until March. However, this is the first time in my life, that I am actually living in a city during the holidays and, honestly, I couldn’t be happier--it’s a dream come true.  A smaller, cuter, cleaner edition of a New York city Christmas.

Enjoying some delicious strudel at the Christmas markets

There is Christmasy garb dressing all of the store windows, a giant Christmas tree neighboring the Duomo, and Christmas markets filling Piazza Santa Croce.  Best of all, though, are the Christmas lights strung throughout the city.  Each street is lined with them and at nighttime (essentially anytime past 430 pm now hah) they sparkle brilliantly.  No, we’re not talking your basic, rainbow lights here. We are talking star-shaped lights, cylindrical lights, and my personal favorites--the Florence-fleur-de-lis-shaped lights. Too perfect.

Needless to say, yesterday afternoon--a sunny day accompanied by all of this Florentine cheer--set the perfect stage for our long-anticipated family Christmas card photo.  How humiliating was it to ask a complete stranger to photograph this? Pretty darn humiliating. Worth it? I’d say.

With the Christmas card photo taken, my Christmas tunes (courtesy of Lauren) downloaded, and the chocolate advent calendar opened to day 13, I am in quite the holiday spirit.  However, not even my daily, waxy chocolate candy can convince me that I will be heading home for the holidays at the end of this week. 

Things I’m dreaming about:

*My first bite into a fabulous, American burger

*My first night’s sleep in a bed with two, actual pillows

*My first Tilton hockey game 

And of course... these guys...

Things that are standing in my way:

*1 class at the University

*2 classes at the language school

*1 presentation on the Archdukes’ patronage of Rubens

*2 days of joyous Italian exams

Can't wait to see you so soon, famiglia! xoxoxo