I haven’t had time to post anything because school has started, and I am immersed in Italian!  I am conjugating verbs, learning various tenses, and expanding vocabulary.

Mamma mia, for one more day of vacanze!

 

Buon anno da Siena!

 

I adore this store, and have for decades.  The housewares department is always a blast for me.  The best towels, bed linens, dishes, knives, glasses, candles, Kartell products, Alessi products…I could go on and on.  The terrace is always a thrill with its view of the Duomo.

But nothing is better than the Rinascente at Christmas!

As seen recently on Piazza Santa Croce.

 

I never tire of Italian grocery stores!  There is always something to amaze me.

 

Today, it was the baby food section.

 

From left to right, top to bottom in the picture below, you can choose the following foods for your child:

lamb (agnello); turkey (tacchino); beef (manzo); veal (vitello); prosciutto (ham); and chicken (pollo).

 

From left to right, top to bottom below, the new additions include rabbit (coniglio) and a combo of chicken and veal (pollo e vitello).

 

In this brand we have the usual suspects, but now horse (cavallo) has been added.

 

Below bass (spigola) has joined the party, along with salmon. Below that veal and prosciutto is available, just before the horsemeat.

 

 

I am sure an Italian visiting the USA would be just as entertained by the food choices for babies.

Florence windows never let you down.

 

Here’s Miu Miu.

 

Here’s Gucci:

 

 

And Fendi:

To my utter amazement and delight, I am living directly across the Ponte Vecchio from the lovely church known as Santa Felicita.  It is my church, if I am ever moved to go to mass (unlikely).  I tend towards atheism.

But that doesn’t stop me from entering this fine church, especially to admire the Pontormo Deposition.  I love this painting, as well as the frescoes in the same chapel.

 

It is especially fun to visit churches in Italy after Christmas, because the Nativity scenes will now include the figure of the baby Jesus.  His figure is not added until Christmas eve.

Look closely in the Nativity below, for there in the center is the baby.  Santa Felicita’s Nativity scene is quite small.

 

I also really like the way the church is decorated outside with Christmas stuff.  I didn’t expect to see Christmas trees at churches.

So, there you have it, for Christmas of 2016 at Santa Felicita.

I am often struck by the great holiday decorations.

 

Along a street near the Bargello is this fabulous wedding store.  Two years ago, when I was living in Florence, I posted many pictures of wedding dresses on this blog.  Here’s today’s dress, with a white fur hat.  Love the hat!

And even better than the wedding dress is this fabulous gown.

 

Loved the storefront below because it is such a quintessential Florentine jewelry store, or gioielleria.  I love the font of the script.

 

It was a fun walk!

 

 

 

 

 

Out walking the streets today, I happened upon many interesting views.  I share them here in no particular order.

 

 

In the historic center I walked by this fascinating palazzo.  I love the sculpture on the facade.  Very unusual.

 

 

Walked by this coffee shop (called a bar here), and made note of the fact that they have fresh, hot donuts everyday at 17:00, or 5 p.m.  Odd time to have hot donuts, it seems to me!  See the sign that says “Bomboloni” in the lower left.  That’s the clue!

 

 

I’m tasting all the unusual soda flavors that Italians love.  Every supermarket I enter has an interesting array.  This was today’s foraging.  So far, I like the Freeda Lemon Soda the best.

 

The street artists are always at work.  These two are not your average theme!

1.  Santa Claus, American Style

 

2. Italian saint, but with Santa’s hat.

Hope your day was merry and bright as well!  Buon natale!