Today was one of those special days that I hope will be repeated. I'm sure for some people it wasn't so great, but it was domenica ecologica (ecological Sunday) in Tuscany and in many of the cities, like Florence, no cars or even motorini (scooters) could circulate from 8:30AM to 6PM. Only city transportation like buses (which were kept to a minimum in the morning due to the marathon), police cars, taxis, and ambulances were able to drive in the city streets.
The city seemed quieter than usual this morning when I opened my windows. I could see people walking along the Lungarno and actually hear their voices too. It seemed like a different city without any cars or motorini around. Across the Arno river, crowds lined up to cheer on the thousands of runners who came to participate in the 24th Maratona di Firenze (Florence Marathon).
I rode my bicicletta (bicycle) to my in-laws' house in Coverciano for Sunday lunch. It was amazing to freely ride around in the street and not breathe in all the exhaust fumes. I noticed the difference when I got home in the afternoon as my hair and clothes didn't smell like I just stood in traffic for an hour.
Unfortunately, there were a few furbi (clever people) who felt the need to drive their car or motorino by taking a few of the back streets to travel.
It was also nice to see so many people and families riding their biciclette along the city streets. Luckily the weather was rather mild with only a slight chance of rain so that we could enjoy our bike rides and walks in a smog-free city for one day.
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