The Eve of Our Leave

Twas the night before leaving Florence, and all through the house,

There was plenty astirring; it was time to move out!

Clothing was flung into suitcases without care,

Praying that all of our stuff would just fit in there!

It took weeks to get the idea of leaving stuck in our heads;

Oh, how we will MISS our lives here that we led!

Taking blankets to Indipendenza, where in the sun we would nap,

Chasing mosquitoes around the apartment with many a "SLAP"!

We ate pasta and pizza, platter after platter,

But with all of the walking, none of us were much fatter :)

From Grom to Vivoli and of course Perche No,

And don't forget Vestri - oh, so much gelato!

Shopping in Florence is truly without peer --

Just make sure you've got exact change for the cashier!

The vendors in San Lorenzo often think they're quite slick,

But after 3 months, you know it's the same old boring shtick.
We bought watercolor prints, scarves, and jewelry galore -
How odd it will be to have to shop only inside stores!

Restaurant critics we quickly became,

That we couldn't go to them all is truly a shame.

Even though my face swelled up when by bugs I was bitten,

And I've been in closets bigger in size than that of our kitchen,

Aperitivo, wine tastings, Fiorentina "football',

The Duomo and the David made up for it all.

What will my Tuesdays be without a trip to Casa del Vino!

How will I survive without my prosciutto and pecorino?!

And of course the two men who toyed with our hearts,

Beloved Mario and Sergio, who made soup a real art!

Perhaps I won't miss the cigarette-smoke-filled air,

But dear Mercato Centrale - I could have lived there!

And API excursions - how could we forget those?

Venice, Rome, and Tuscany--although that first one drove us a tad psycho ;)

And our own adventures were always a blast,

Verona, Bologna, and Barcelona (we saved the best for last!)

Livorno, San Gimignano and Lucca all twice,

What can I say? I found Italy quite nice ;)

I learned so much about history and food and wine

(But try to take me into one more church and you will surely hear me whine!)

We were never in lieu of more sights to be seen,

From the Arno to Boboli, and everything in between.

My favorite sight, you ask, in this city to see?
Giotto's Bell Tower, unique, graceful, and lofty.

But time has come to bid Florence "ciao, ciao" with a kiss,

With no doubt in my mind that it truly will be missed.
I've started to feel like an experience sponge -
It's time to wring me out, I'm done!

Reverse culture shock is nervously anticipated,

Although to see my family, friends and dog I will be so elated!

I'll remember the pasta and gelato with glee,

And every other crazy time I had with the roomies.

It goes without saying that I will be back,

For Italy is just not something my future can lack.

So before I board my plane to leave this incredible place,

And perhaps with a small tear but a smile on my face,

Io dico "ti amo Firenze, la mia cara citta - 

Per sempre tu rimarrai nella mia anima!"

~Namaste~