It’s freezing! The locals are just as taken aback by the weather as I am. Probably even more so, since they have not experienced this severity in memory. Right now, as I sit in the airport hotel in Firenze, it is 38° outside, 8mph winds, and snowing off and on. I am glad to be inside my hotel room where it is nice and warm. Good time to get a lot of work done! It is too cold to walk to the nearest restaurant a few blocks away, but I just found out I can order a pizza to be delivered. 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever had pizza in Italy before. Too much wonderful pasta, I guess.
Monday, when I visited Italfama in Calenzano, it began to snow as I came out of the train station. Tommaso was surprised and Aldo (his father) even more surprised to see the snow. Aldo could not remember the last time it snowed in Calenzano.
Despite the cold, I had a very nice visit at Italfama. The last time was when Aunt Rachel and I stayed with Cheryl and Michael in Cortona many years ago. Their show room was filled with many more items than last time. Very beautiful pieces. They were preparing for an exhibition (100,000 visitors) in Milano this coming weekend, then the following weekend in Germany for a smaller exhibition. I was very appreciative to spend an hour with them in such a busy period. Tommaso told me all about the shipping possibilities for ATS to set up business there. DHL and UPS are the best express shipping companies. We all agreed that all of the ATS work can be done from a residence that has space for a small office, a refigerator/freezer and a shipping table. Aldo assured me that they can help me find a place to rent in Calenzano that would be much less expensive than Florence. Such a kind and helpful family.
The train ride back to Florence was nice; less than 30 minutes.
Back to Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco for one more night. I have been remiss in not mentioning the restaurant at the hotel. They prepare dishes with organic and local grown ingredients. The three meals I had there were amazing. The best dishes were: Veal loin stuffed with spinach and served with brussell sprouts and beet greens and Croutons with sausages, stracchino cheese and sautéed organic kale. The chianti was good, the service was great. I highly recommend the hotel and restaurant.
Tomorrow morning I have to be at the airport a little before 5am. This is why I chose to stay at an airport hotel. I thought it would simplify things. It has been a very educational trip to Italy. As I expected, this first week was all about looking at the possibilities and hindrances of setting up an office here. I learned a lot and look forward to returning in March for a longer stay, most likely in Calenzano. One thing was not a surprise. I do LOVE Italy.
Ciao!