Living Like a Local

Our trip coordinators advertise this extended stay experience as a chance to live like a local and to absorb the culture. Each of us who signed up has cited that as reason for coming. However, I’ve been mulling over whether that’s the experience I’m having. Certainly, I’ve learned my way around, as well as how to use the train and bus, order morning caffe, get groceries, not get run over, and have momentary mind-melds with actual locals as we maneuver around lollygag tourists.

              But still, it’s not the feeling I expected; I think it’s because even the locals aren’t living like locals. There’s something unnatural about living in an area that is so tourist-centric.  It’s not as if there is a population of locals with some tourists mixed in; on the contrary, it’s a population of tourists with some locals mixed in. Maybe that’s the way it is for people who live in popular U.S. destinations such as New Orleans and San Francisco, but I hadn’t appreciated that until now.  I'm not disappointed in any way, just recognizing a different dynamic.

I’ve got to think most Florence residents live outside of town (I would), and venture into the “Renaissance District” only occasionally.  Interestingly, when I told our cycle guide that I was staying in the Santo Spirito area, he perked up and said that is one of the few  ‘in-town’ areas that the local residents haven’t fled.  Still, there are plenty of tourists around, but maybe it’s less tourist-dense than elsewhere. 

It must take a huge reserve of patience to live here full time.  Just this evening I saw a group of tourists cross the street against a red light; an older Italian woman in her tiny car honked and cursed up a storm when she had to brake to miss them.  Also, I have a new appreciation for the measures a city like this must have to maintain in order to keep the place non-disgusting. There is trash around, but far less then you’d think given the crowds.

I’m impressed with most of the people working in restaurants and museums and other tourist venues. They answer the same questions a zillion times per day, usually with no or little evidence of frustration. I have  run across a few crabby people (usually at museums) but it’s not the norm. Restaurant service and food is mostly excellent, and people seem to take genuine pride in making sure customers are well served.  Nobody comes by your table at a restaurant to ask how the food is because they already know it’s great. And it is.  

Yesterday,  my new friend and I took the train to Padova to see this art exhibit, which was cool to see;  I was going to blow it off but I’m glad we made the effort.   

 

Afterwards, we were starving so we wandered into a nearby trattoria and had excellent food. Truly, this felt like the most authentic Italian experience I’ve had so far.  Padova is not a major tourist destination and the restaurant was full of Italians (although they were prepared with some menus in English).  We sat at a shared table on the top floor overlooking other diners, and with a group of four Italians at the other end. Check out this menu: Horse tartare indeed (we didn’t dare).