As winter was ending, I came across birds everywhere, especially when I walked along the Arno. Only in one of my pictures were the birds absent. As I was walking home late one night, I paused in Piazza San Giovanni. The air was cool and serene as I breathed in Santa Maria del Fiore before continuing on my path.
Lungarno Corsini — February 5, 2024
As I meandered down the Arno, I often stopped to look into the emerald water. With my hands on the cement slab on top of the brick wall, I breathed in the sweet and mild air.
My spirits were high as I headed toward San Frediano in Cestello. I often only gaze at the church when I’m watching the sunset from Ponte Santa Trinita. Its presence along the river always grounds me and reminds me to take in a moment more fully.
A few stragglers crossed Ponte alla Carraia while not a single car was driving over it. The quilt of clouds overhead made the moments I admired the Arno more intimate.
While I was snapping a few photos to commemorate my day, a seagull soared toward the sea. As I continued my stroll, I wondered if the black-headed seagull would go far or just circle the city and bob on the calm Florentine waters.
Ponte Santa Trinita — February 11, 2024
With opaque gray clouds staggering across the sky this morning, I went outside for a walk around town. Upon exiting my apartment, I strolled down the Arno, visited the Basilica di Santo Spirito, perused the open market in the piazza, had lunch behind Piazza Repubblica, and walked through Piazza Santa Maria Novella toward San Lorenzo.
It wasn’t until I was making my way through Via de’ Tornabuoni that the sun emerged. The Colonna della Giustizia was aglow and long shadows sprawled across the pedestrian street.
I made a beeline to Ponte Santa Trinita, where a gentle breeze welcomed me. People were milling about, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. Before crossing the street, I was captivated by the beams of light radiating from behind Estate, the statue on the north-east corner of the bridge.
With not a single car driving along Lungarno Corsini, I stood in the middle of the intersection to snap a photo. By chance, a seagull was flying around the statue, underscoring its noteworthiness. I crossed the street and leaned against the wall border the Arno. The brownish water, carrying tree branches, rushed through Florence.
By the time I arrived home, a blanket of clouds turned up, covering the sky and dimming the city.
Piazza di San Giovanni — February 28, 2024
A few minutes before midnight, I paused the moment I stepped foot in Piazza di San Giovanni. With my eyes wide open, I took in the splendor before me. My heart opened to the Duomo and Battistero, framed by the slick stones and black sky. Their energy glowed, transmitting their love to all who relished them.
Ponte Santa Trinita — March 4, 2024
Every time the wind kicked up, it tossed my hair about and nudged my body forward. With my hands on Ponte Santa Trinita’s stone wall, my eyes filled up on the riverscape.
The muddy water swirled around as it rushed through Florence. Cars, buses and people traversed the bridges spanning the Arno: Ponte alla Carraia, Ponte Vespucci, and alla Vittoria.
As the setting sun painted the clouds amber, two ducks squawked as they skimmed the river. Instead of watching the birds, I observed their shadows trailing behind them on the water’s surface.
Storni (starlings) resembling little specks of black fluttered overhead and morphed into different shapes as they made their way north.
The undulating breeze softened the mood as it created wavelets on the Arno. As the day was ending, I tucked what I appreciated about my day in my heart and released all else. What I hold on to, I take forward with me. What I don’t hold on, I let drift away with the water toward the sea.
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