April 21

Now that I have updated you all on the sounds of Florence, I thought it was only appropriate to give you the sights of Florence. You may be thinking, "The sights of Florence? All of your photo posts are the sights of Florence." Well, I am here to tell you that there are, in fact, two Florences. One Florence is the glamorous art city, tipsy on pleasing tourists, and indulging us in her sophisticated churches and museums. In a way, Florence "for tourists" is a facade; a city designed to be an adult playground. The second Florence is the real Florence--where people live and breathe their normal lives and view tourist season as the price one must pay to live in their home city. I think clotheslines are the best metaphor of the "second Florence:" they are hidden away from the street's view (as dictated by law), they are unpretentious, they are simply a no nonsense necessity. But, upon closer inspection, the clothesline is more telling about the culture of Florence than any Rick Steves travel guide could ever reveal. It shows us how the people--not the people saying "Hello Lady Gaga American, do you want an umbrella?"--truly live. I believe that the greatest travelers are the ones that seek to learn how the other half--the second half--go about their days.