Florence with a View

It's been 14 years and here I am in Florence again. I feel younger and much more full of wonder and awareness that when I was a 22-year old backpacker euro-railing it with my Danish boyfriend.

This is the view from the medieval bridge Ponte Vecchio, overlooking the Arno River. Butcher shops once lined the bridge until the Duke banished them because of the smell. And now it's nearly all jewelers.

It is said that the economic concept of bankruptcy originated here: when a merchant could not pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the "banco") was physically broken ("rotto") by soldiers, and this practice was called "bancorotto" (broken table; possibly it can come from "banca rotta" which means "broken bank"). Not having a table anymore, the merchant was not able to sell anything.

Once the capital of Italy, Florence is fabulous -- It's a town brimming with merchants and bankers and art and culture. I love Florence. I'm so thrilled that life has brought me back here again!