Flying in a blue dream

My last entry began with a photo of the wing of our US-bound airplane so I thought this view from the final leg home to Florence would serve as a nice bookend for the trip. The small, noisy plane, with its higher wing/propeller engine design, made for a boisterous, bumpy journey over the Alps, but the constantly changing cloudscape was such fun to watch.




It feels like our first visit back to the US after so much time was a great success. We have returned home rich with new memories & experiences shared with my far-flung family & some of our dearest friends—enough to sustain us until the next time...

The culture shock after a seven-year absence from the US prompted these words upon our arrival (words I will forever associate with this visit):
     friendly
     big
     open
     green.

Surprisingly, I didn't think much about Florence while we were away. At least not at first (too busy, too immersed in the excitement). I might as well have been on another planet for the distance I felt.

But, if anything, the trip only strengthened my belief that, for me, Florence = Home. Once everyone began to disperse—my brother & his family to Australia, my sister & hers to China, my uncle & his to Illinois and my sister-in law's parents to California—the excitement over returning started to build.

Besides the constant camaraderie & commotion (there were seventeen of us during the last week)—and the joy of seeing all of the cousins together for the first time—I will remember with fondness those first quiet, early mornings in my parents' gazebo, the talkative frogs in their little pond, lightening bugs & star-filled skies, the thrill of being able to drive again (windows down, music up), and the happiness of spending time in bookstores full of books in English. But slipping into the beautiful rhythm of the days here has been effortless. These are some of the words that keep running through my mind upon being back in Florence again:
     intimate
     alive
     comfortable (like a favorite sweater or cozy pair of slippers).

When I say 'intimate' I mean in terms of both the human scale of the city and the connection that's possible in the absence of a car (and air conditioning!) in my life here. I really dislike being cut off from what's happening around me.

I would also like to find a word that expresses how much I appreciate the sense of old-ness & history, but neither of those quite captures what I feel. 'Permanence', perhaps? It's just so wonderful to be surrounded by buildings & church bells that have filled & defined the city for centuries.

Yes, it's good to be home... And back to things awaiting me in the studio. Slowly, between more visits with family and little trips here & there, I will be working my way through projects, books & blogs that I have missed over the last month.

Here's hoping things are good in your corner of the world as well...

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This last photo is a shot I managed to get on the giddy (bumpy!) arrival into Florence's airport. Whether arriving by train, bus, car—or plane—I always look forward to that first glimpse of the magnificent Cupola...

 

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{A favorite Joe Satriani song inspired the title of this post. More about it in July's ROY G BIV photo challenge later this week.}