When I was searching for an apartment, my Belgian friend (whom I have renamed Jean Claude, as his native language is francese and he is a Van Damme fan) suggested renting a room in his friend’s flat. So one day after classes Jean Claude brought me here to view the flat and meet with my potential flatmates and their dog. Well, the place was quite nice, the flatmates are creative types who I knew I would get on with, but the fact is that I fell in love with the dog, so I took the room. I’ve been here for three weeks and it’s now a home to me.
I live in a neighborhood between Piazza della Cure and lo stadio (where Fiorentina plays calcio). It’s a residential area outside the old city walls. Around the corner is a pastry shop, a bar, a small grocery store, banks, and clothing shops. From the flat if you walk for 10 minutes into the hills toward Fiesole, there are palazzi and groves of olive trees. In the opposite direction it’s a 15 or 20 minute walk into il centro.
The flat is at ground level. From the street you enter an old wooden door and step down a few concrete steps to another old wooden door. This is where my flatmates’ dog Buskapé greets you. Buska is a good dog that gives hugs and kisses just like a human. He loves to walk and his favorite pastime is chasing i gattini (cats).
There is a sizeable kitchen with modern cabinetry and a dishwasher. It is combined with a living area with a leather chair and loveseat. The window looks out onto the sidewalk. On the average day I’m the first one up and about. I (try to) get to my classes by 11am. I return to the flat around 8:30pm. We prepare dinner while listening to music, dine around 9:30pm, then make caffé and watch TV. During the shows Antonio makes music on his computer, Francesca knits and I work on my drawings. Bedtime happens sometime in the wee hours.
My bedroom is at the end of the hallway. It has tile flooring and opens up to a patio with a mimosa tree and a palm tree. We have herbs growing on the patio. This is also the location of the lavatrice (washing machine) and biciclette (bicycles).
My bed has orange-colored sheets. Well, specifically one orange-colored sheet. When I went to shop for bedding I thought I had chosen two flat sheets and two pillowcases. The idea was to just hospital corner the bottom sheet. Shopping for sheets here is difficult, as the words on the packaging aren’t words they teach you in Italian grammar studies. Also the measurements are metric and I’m an American, so the entire exercise proved to be a bit of a challenge. The end result is that I now have two fitted sheets and not just two, but four pillowcases. The pillowcase packaging didn’t state that it was a set of two. Also on my bed you’ll find a Williams-Sonoma Home travel throw and a multicolor quilt.
Additional room accessories include two wardrobes, some hooks on the wall for coats and scarves, a shoe cabinet and a desk with drawers. Also some brushed-metal Ikea lighting and a radiator. Whenever I come home Buska asks to go out onto the patio. It’s a routine we have. He stands in front of the double doors, and I open them.
The neighborhood:
> Satellite view
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