La Festa delle Donne

Ciao a tutti! Sorry for the delay in posts. I'm sure you have all been on pins and needles waiting for the next random rambling.

For the past few weeks I have been busy busy busy. I am working more for the apartment rental agency and have also started my own tour planning agency called Slice of Tuscany. I am working on a logo and Web site now, but have already been working with clients. I can provide travel details and reservations including train tickets, hotels or apartments, museums, private car services, etc. However, my main focus will be on providing real, local Florentine experiences outside of just visiting the Uffizi and seeing David. While those are very important, I also want clients to be able to cook with my Mamma Italiana in her home or visit with my friend in his historic sculpture studio. I want to bring Florence down to the real, local level for people who might only have a day or a week to spend here.

In other news, I am moving apartments yet again - still on my side of the river, and actually in the same street. Working on doing that in the evenings this week. Otherwise I have been having fun being a tourist and visiting some new churches, museums and trying to restaurants. The best part of starting this new business is having an excuse to go out to eat a lot and to visit the attractions with a camera strapped around my neck while meeting the locals and making new friends.

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Today is International Women's Day. Did you know that? I don't think I had ever heard that in the States although it is a globally recognized day of celebration. You might be surprised to learn that in a country like Italy where male chauvinism is still very much a part of the culture  (Ahem, Berlusconi), that today is in fact a day of celebrating women.

In Italy, they generally celebrate this day by giving women a bright yellow mimosa flower or plant. Today all over the city, I have seen flowers around women's necks, grocers selling them at the counters, and more even more surprisingly being given a potted one, wrapped and tied with a bright yellow bow, after purchasing some face cream and deoderant at the perfumeria. Even David is sporting it today.

But even more surprising might be the fact that beginning at 9 a.m. today I have received text messages and emails from the most important men in my life here wishing me well with an, "Auguri!" or thanking me for being a wonderful woman. WHAT?! Amazing. Simply amazing. A friend of mine (ciaochristy.blogspot.com) even got a surprise lunch and flower from her man today. So I say to all these men, "You're welcome." Oh and, "Bravo!" You're helping brighten the lives of many women today with small but important actions.

And to all of the wonderfully strong and beautiful women in my life, I say thanks for all that you do to be a good worker, friend, sister, wife and mother. Celebrate yourself and the women around you today.