Uno

Sometimes, brilliant opportunities cross our path when we least expect them to. A few months ago, I was given the chance to travel to Italy and study for the month of July at the Florence Academy of Art. Even as I write this from my little hotel room on Via Fiume, it still feels surreal.

My flight left LAX yesterday at 7pm. About 14 hours, nine timezones, a layover, and three screaming children later, I landed at Amerigo Vespucci Airport in Firenze, Italia. It was a surprisingly balmy evening despite the July heat. I had anticipated being overwhelmed by a storm of humidity, but today was actually relatively mild. I caught a taxi from the airport (25 euro plus tip… ouch), and arrived at my hotel to find out that they had run out of rooms even though I had booked in advance. The receptionist was sincerely apologetic and directed me to another place across the street where I could get a room for the same rate. The hotels on this street are all small, family-run businesses. In a building, there could be as many as four different hotels, each one situated on their own floor. Hotel Beatrice, where I am staying, has only 20 rooms.

I dropped off my suitcase in my room and decided to head out to explore Florence in the evening. The man at the front desk had mentioned that there was an orchestral concert going on at the Piazza della Signoria so I headed there. After trying to navigate by hard to find street names, I finally gave up and just headed toward the Duomo. I figured that everything would connect to it any way. I got there just as the dome was catching the last rosy rays of sunlight.

The concert was to begin at 9:30, and while it was still an hour away, the piazza was already beginning to fill up. Restaurants fortunate enough to be on the periphery marketed their patio seats like valuable real estate. By the time the concert started, the square was packed from end to end with hundreds of standing spectators. Those with rooms overlooking the square leaned from their windows to listen, away from the growing crowd.The event was put on by Florence's Teatro del Maggio Musicale and conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta. As the sky faded into darkness and spotlights lit up the surrounding buildings, the orchestra began to play. Even though I was jet lagged and had to stand on my tiptoes to even glimpse the conductor, the event was still amazing. Highlights included the chorus and the lead violinist who played with so much energy that he was wiping sweat off his brow at the end of his solos. Such a unique public event is a testament to the deep cultural ties of the city.