Epiphany Celebration

Oxen in parade
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    I arrived in Florence around 12:30 in the afternoon on January 6th. I took a bus from Sesto Fiorentino to San Miniato church which has a great overlook onto the city of Florence. From there I walked down a set of ancient steps and in a few minutes reached Ponte Vecchio (which means "old bridge" in Italian). While there I experienced my first gelato which was amazing. It was some sort of caramel flavor with tiny nuts mixed into it. I highly recommend gelato of any flavor to those of you who love ice cream as much as I do.

View of Florence from San Miniato
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January 6th, also known as Epiphany, is a celebrated holiday here in Italy. Many shops are restaurants are closed for the celebration in the smaller towns, but many things remained open in Florence, especially on Ponte Vecchio and around the down town area.  For the holiday, a parade is organized by the city of Florence and its surrounding regions. The parade this year started in Italian fashion: a little over an hour late. Each region is represented by its regional colors and regional flag bearing its coat of arms. All of the parade participants are dressed in Renaissance style costumes. The participants range from kings to jesters with everything in between (laidies in waiting, drummers, flag bearers, etc.), and horses and oxen were also featured in the parade. It was gorgeous and fun spirited. At the end of the parade all of the flag bearers meet in one of Florence's palazzos at the end of the parade route (I think it was Piazza della Signorina) and participate in a flag throwing. It's amazing the talent the parade participants have in order to throw and catch the flags and stay synchronized together.

View from Ponte Vecchio
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After the parade one of the Professors here at the Villa took the other students and I around the city of Florence to see some of the major sites and to help us get our bearings in a city that none of us know. There we saw the Duomo, the Baptistery, and were told of the Medici family and their role in Florentine history.

After the tour groups of us split off and toured the city by ourselves. I was in a group of 6 girls and we all had a fun time experiencing a small open market and our first Italian bar. Unlike the bars in America the bars here in Italy are cafès instead of places to buy alcohol. Most Italians get their drinks to go or buy them at the banco. There is a charge if you sit at a tavolo (table) and those are usually occupied by a bigger group of people than just one person. I ordered a cioccolata which is nothing like a hot chocolate. It is more like melted chocolate that is think and it is eaten with a spoon. If you are a chocoholic, I highly recommend getting one of these; it was amazing!

Drummers in Epiphany Parade
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After our Florence excursion we had to catch a bus back to the Villa which was quite an ordeal. We asked a hat vendor at the open air market how to get to the bus station and once we found it we were in the clear. Usually you buy your tickets at a Tobaccaio (marked with a big, blue T on their signs). If you don't buy a ticket there you can get them on the bus for a little more than the Tobaccaio price. Once you board the bus you have to punch your ticket in something like a time clock. From the time you punch it you have 70 minutes to use the ticket/get to your destination before you have to use another ticket. The fine for using the bus without a ticket is 40 Euro, so I think it is well worth it to pay the 1.25 Euro to get the ticket and not worry about the fine.

Pair in parade
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When we got on the bus it was prime travel time for many Italians. The bus was packed. In the States the bus drivers don't allow you to stand up front and there is usually a yellow line that you can't cross. Not so in Italy. I was pushed right up against the front door, so it was a completely new experience for me. After a few people got off, we were able to move back into the bus so we could stand clear of the door. It took us about 15-20 minutes to get back to the Villa from Florence. Sometimes it takes longer and other times its a pretty quick ride. I guess it depends on the traffic and the time of day.

Man with bird in parade
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Florence on a holiday is fantastic! The city was lit up with lights hanging over commercial streets, and everyone was in good spirits. The bars were packed, but in the cool night air a hot drink felt so good! I can't wait to go back and get a feel for what Florence is like without a holiday celebration.