CASA VALENTINE…

………WHEREVER WE ARE TOGETHER, WE ARE HOME

Mid-August in Florence….Question of the day!

Written By: Arlene Ridolfi Valentine - Aug• 18•22

 

Piazza Repubblica, Florence, Italy, dressed for Christmas

Piazza della Repubbllca….one of the most visited piazzas in Florence with its wonderful arches and that carousel operating year-round.  What a steep contrast to see it cloaked in protective coverings as work is carried out this month……and here’s the the real question of the day……

Piazza Repubblica, Florence, Italy Summer Work in Progress

Who decided to allow the  statues who stand guard over this magnificent square to continue their vigilance while the rest of the structure is shielded from view?

Piazza Repubblica, Florence, Italy, Work in Progress

A Winding Road?

Written By: Arlene Ridolfi Valentine - Aug• 03•22
Winding Road, Vermont

Winding Road, Montpelier, Vermont

Nothing like a winding road to lead you somewhere…..and in our case, it did.  Back to Italy.  Florence continued to call to us and so after six years of traveling between Vermont and Italy (with winter made glorious each year by four months in St. Croix), we decided to make Italy more permanent.  Maybe it was the pandemic, maybe it was age, maybe it was some unspoken sense of something unfinished, but we just knew it was time.

Vermont Living Room, May 2022

We left our sweet apartment in Montpelier, put our things in storage, and packed our bags…..

Vermont Living Room, June 2022

Vermont Living Room, June 2022

We arrived in Florence in the midst of a heatwave and as most Florentines headed to the sea, we settled into a top floor flat (with air-conditioning and a rooftop terrace).  What comes next?

Rooftop Terrace View, Florence

Rooftop Terrace View, Florence, Italy

We’re not really sure what will come next, but we’re happy we’re here and I’m very happy to be posting again!