A Florence Christmas
Merry Christmas! Zach made two cardboard cutouts for decorations this year--a tree made out of the cornflakes box and another made out of a pizza box. Super cute. We decorated them with the 100 pens/pencils Melina is lugging around on this world adventure. The next day Zach bought stockings at the "tutto .99 euros" (otherwise known as "everything is $1.30) store and a small tree for 10 euros from the florist at the market. He asked her to hold it for us until 6pm so we didn't have to carry it around all day. Good thing we did because when Bill and Zach went back for it, turns out the little thing was quite heavy!
We spend Christmas Eve listening to Christmas music and decorating the tree with paper ornaments from things we had around the apartment. Without any tape and only one pair of scissors we got creative. Very Waldorf-y of us. I worked on the paper chain for an hour and Zach taught me how to get it all to stay together without tape and it worked! As I type this, 2 days after Christmas, the paper chain is still intact.
For Christmas this year, since we obviously can't carry anything else with us, we did a Secret Santa. Everyone drew a name and I purchased super cute gift tages at one of the many stationary stores here in Florence. On Christmas morning we all tied our “presents” to our little tree. Each of us drew a picture on the back of tags of what we got our Secret Santas. It worked surprisingly well, and we all had a lot of fun with it. We may do it again next year. Items were then ordered via Amazon to be delivered in January. Love that everyone kept their pick a secret - well Zach tried his very best.
Melina: polaroid camera (from Zach)
Zach: Mars lego set (from Bill)
Bill: Record player (from Sharon)
Sharon: SMEG toaster (from Melina)
Santa sent a lovely letter and explained that Mel and Zach would each have a present in Novato waiting for them when they returned at the end of January — space lego for Zach, Copic markers for Mel. Both were thrilled and excited to know they will have gifts to open when we return to the States. Santa left euros in their stockings for spending money (and chocolate of course). My parents gave them each a Florence gift—money to buy something to remember their time here. Zach got a wallet he had been eyeing and Melina used her money to buy a wax personalized stamp set that is super cool. So cool in fact that Zach bought one too with his Santa money.
We continued our tradition of pizza and a Christmas movie for Christmas Eve and crepes for breakfast. We headed to church for the 11am mass on Christmas Day or what we thought was the 11am mass. Turns out it started at 10:30am. Oops. It was all in Italian (obviously) so it all worked out just fine. We got there at 10:45am so we weren't that late. At the end of mass, the priest brought Baby Jesus out to lay him in the manger. He held him up for all to see and then turned around and accidentally bumped into another priest. Poor little Baby Jesus lost an arm! It fell right off and a gasp! and then a hush fell over the church. The priest tucked Baby Jesus into the manger, and laid the arm next to him. After mass, people lined up to touch Baby Jesus and pray beside him. By the time we got up to the alter a woman was so distraught over the arm one of the men picked him up and headed off to fix him. To find some glue I suppose. Needless to say, Mel and Zach got a kick out of all the commotion. Not your usual Christmas mass by any means.
Christmas Day was somewhat quiet in our neighborhood, a little busier closer to the Duomo area. But the 26th, yikes! Started off quiet, Melina and Bill spent the morning at the Uffizi, and Zach and I had a quiet morning exploring in our neighborhood. The afternoon and evening though were the most crowded, and busiest of any of the days we have been here.
