Fare una foto, per favore?

Ah Firenze, Florence, the rebirth of the Renaissance. However you refer to it, Florence is a city that surprised me. It wasn't just the amazing art and architecture, but what laid underneath all the grand spectacles.

In the Oltrarno, or the area beyond the Arno river, I explored the artisan shops, shooting for my photojournalism class. Walking nervously up to the door of a woodmaker shop, I knocked on the open door, let myself in and said "Fare una foto, per favore?" or short hand for "Can I take a picture, please?" From there, the older man and his son, both wood artisans, tried to explain what they do in broken English while I tried to explain, along with two of my classmates, what we needed for class. This cultural exchange and mutual bond of trying to communicate really connected me to the city. I saw that if I gave to the city, I received just as much back. Speaking Italian was not my strong point, but the act of trying was successful.

Florence is a city where if you attempt to add to it in some way, it will reward you with these human interactions that compete with the spectacular sights. The David, the Duomo, and all the other churches, and museums were breathtaking, but my conversation with these artisans leaves a steady warmth that continues to make me smile today.