Before meeting up with Alessandro for lunch, I darted through Piazza della Signoria through the crowds of people, some taking in the view of the Palazzo Vecchio and others snapping pictures in front of it. I rushed down via Calzaiuoli avoiding the people entering and exiting the shops with large bags. At via del Corso, I bumped into a few friends and chatted for a little bit.

Without Thanksgiving in Florence, I have other cues that Christmas is coming. Besides being the beginning of December, the city is already alit with lights strung up between buildings on many of the streets. For a few days, they were up, but not all were turned on until recently. The one thing that always signals the coming of Christmas is the Mercato tedesco di Natale (German Christmas market) in Piazza Santa Croce, which opened up yesterday.

Even though Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated in Italy, I still paused and gave thanks today. I didn’t have a special dinner to go to, I didn’t see any family members, and I didn’t have the day off. But Thanksgiving, I realized, isn’t about all of that: it is about being thankful. And I am.

This morning, I met up with Kristin, a professional photographer from the States. She came to Florence for a few weeks to let herself get inspired and take photos of the city and food. We had met up once before for a caffè, and decided to meet again to take photos together. When we first saw each other today, the sky had cleared up a little and we thought it had stopped raining. Unfortunately, it rained off and on all day.

I was happy that not a drop of rain fell today. I stayed home all day and couldn't wait until I went outside at 5pm when the sun was setting. I immediately walked through the piazza to reach the Arno. I was excited to see the colors of the city. Before I reached the red brick wall, I looked up at San Miniato. It was gently illuminated and glowed in the clear blue sky, which was getting darker by the minute.

Today I celebrate six years of living in Florence and writing my blog. For the last couple of months, I have thought about this day and what it means to me. Not just a marker for the time passed in Florence, but also a reminder of how my life in Florence and my blog have both been great experiences for me. Six years ago when I returned to Florence, I had no idea where my journey would lead me. I started out my new life in Florence the way I did my blog: I promised myself to keep my mind open, to have new experiences, to not fall back on stereotypes, and to not judge others.

Yesterday the city kicked off Florens 2010, one week of cultural events with Florence as the centerpiece. I was sorry to have missed the placing of the replica of David in front of the Duomo with a gru (crane) yesterday. I saw a photo of it suspended in air and thought how amazing that sight would have been. Instead, I waited until this morning after they laid real grass in Piazza di Giovanni around the Battistero before making my way to the Duomo.

After four days of rainy days, the sun is finally out this morning. A few dark grey clouds scattered in the sky, but the sun is shining where it can. For the past few days, the sun has only peeked out a few times just to remind us that it is just behind the large blanket of clouds. The sky looked as if it turned color because the outlines of the clouds was virtually invisible.

I missed my morning run this morning due to the rain. The dark grey skies certainly didn’t entice me to head out for a run. Because I had an appointment this morning in Santo Spirito, I was happy to stay in this morning. I knew that later I would be able to get some fresh air. While I sat at my computer, only an hour later, the rain subsided, which was a little upsetting because I really did want to go for a run.

After a few days of rain, I felt joyous when I saw the sun out. It was perfect since I had a few appointments to go to. Even though my macchina fotografica (camera) is a little heavy, I lugged it along with me in the hopes of having the opportunity to take some photos. I hadn’t taken any photos in over a week, and I really missed it.

This morning when I woke up, I was surprised to hear such stillness in the air. The city streets below were empty with only a few cars passing by. I left the house before 9am this morning and was happy that the rain had stopped. I ran under the thick layer of grey clouds along the lungarno (road along the Arno river) away from the Ponte Vecchio.

For Sunday lunch with my suoceri (in-laws), they surprised me with bruciate (roasted chestnuts). It’s one of nature’s sweetest gifts in the autumn that I adore. I remember the first time I tried marroni (chestnuts) at one of the street vendors many years ago. I didn’t particularly like them, and found them dry and peculiar tasting.

I was a little nervous when a woman called me saying that she was from the prefettura (prefecture) earlier this week. There’s only one reason someone would call me from the prefettura: my Italian cittadinanza (citizenship). I hoped that she had good news for me, but I knew that good news would only come in a letter.

This morning when I left the house for my run, I looked up at the dim, but clear, sky and saw the sun peeking from behind a cloud in the distance. Since we still haven’t set our clocks back, the sunrise is quite late. I peered at the gold outline around the tops of the clouds in the East.

On my walk up the viale (large avenue) to Piazzale Michelangiolo this morning, I was happy to see more leaves of all different colors: brown, yellow, orange, and even red. I love seeing autumn at its peak. While I hiked up the viale, cars and motorini (scooters) passed me by in both directions and a few leaves fell from the trees quietly. I kicked up some of the leaves on the path even though the sidewalk was rather tidy.