Me, My Heart, and I

by Melinda Gallo

Thursday, May 29, 2014
Me, My Heart, and I :: Exploring and enjoying other cities in Italy

I love discovering more about Italy. I find Italy to be one of the most interesting countries I have ever visited. Each region (and even each town in a region) varies from the next one. Each place has its own charm that can be unveiled, enjoyed, and appreciated. In France, at the beginning of May we had two Thursdays in a row that were holidays. By taking Friday off, we did a pont (bridge), which allowed us to have two four-day weekends. My beau joined me a week after I returned to Florence and we traveled around Italy.

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Saturday, April 5, 2014

It’s not that I’m afraid to fly, but I honestly didn’t feel safe in the Avro RJ85 that took me between Florence and Paris. It felt a bit like an economy car that was certainly efficient, but just wasn’t as sturdy. When we hit turbulence, it felt more like we were in a car racing over a speed bump. I dislike, however, thinking that my last moment on Earth could be while sitting on an airplane with a bunch of people I don’t even know. I probably wouldn’t think so much about my mortality if everyone would stop saying, “Have a safe flight.” I used to cringe at the words and once said, “Of course I will; I’m not flying the plane.” Even though my friends mean well, that seed of fear lingered in my head for an hour and a half (the entire length of my flight between Florence and Paris).

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Monday, March 10, 2014
Me, My Heart, and I :: A weekend basking in Paris

Because I live with my beau in the suburbs of Paris, I feel as if I am completely out of touch with it now. We go in from time to time, but it feels more like a quick visit to do something specific, eat out, visit a museum, or go shopping. Each time I go, I never feel as if I have much time to truly enjoy the city, connect with it, and bask in it. I love to feel the rhythm of a place as it flows through me by watching the sun as it progresses through the sky, admiring the change in colors of the buildings, and breathing in the air.

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Monday, August 26, 2013

My girlfriend and I planned on taking a day trip to the beach yesterday because it was my last weekend in Florence before heading back to Paris. We made plans to go to Viareggio because it’s the easiest beach to get to from Florence. I hadn’t been to Viareggio in many years and didn’t have a great memory of the beach, but decided to go anyway.

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Thursday, August 15, 2013

The Tuscan countryside is a blur from the window of the train. I try to focus on the rustic buildings in the distance, but am easily distracted by the large fields of girasoli (sunflowers). Its burst of yellow always puts a smile on my face. My beau and I planned on going to trip at the last minute and hopped on a train this morning. I can’t even remember the last time I went to visit Pisa, maybe about 8 years ago.

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Monday, August 12, 2013

This weekend I wanted to take in more of Paris and was fortunate to be able to do so. With many of the Parisians away, the city is left open like a large museum for tourists to enjoy. On Saturday, we drove into Paris for dinner and then went to the théâtre (theatre) to see a comédie (comedy). We ate at a restaurant off of the rue Montorgueil. This street reminds me of Florence with food shops, cafés, and restaurants lined up on both sides. Besides the many people strolling down the street, the terraces are filled with people sipping drinks, smoking cigarettes (since no smoking is allowed inside) and nibbling on their food.

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Sunday, August 4, 2013
Me, My Heart, and I :: Enjoying summer in Paris

Since the end of May, I’ve been traveling around quite a bit. I visited my family in the US, went on a cruise through the Greek islands, returned to Florence for a few days, went to Corsica for the weekend and then spent a few days on the coast in Brittany. Now, while many of my colleagues are off on vacation, I’m happy to be staying put for a while. To celebrate my time home, my beau and I spent some time in Paris so we could walk around and take in the city while it’s calm.

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Saturday, June 15, 2013

After my last trip to Florence, I came back to Paris and then left for California for a couple of weeks. Now that I am back in France where I plan on staying put for a little while. In the last couple of months, I have put my blog on the back burner, but have continued taking photos and publishing them via Instagram. During my last trip to Florence, my beau and I also visited the Cinque Terre and Siena. Even though I love Florence, I enjoy visiting Italy and sharing it with others.

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

After a few days in Florence and one workday in Paris, my beau and I headed to London on Friday for a three-day weekend. I hadn’t been to London for a real visit in at least nine years and was looking forward to it. In 1995, I lived in Surrey, to the west of London, for almost two years. I moved there after leaving Paris and right before I moved to Florence.

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