Yesterday Lorenzo took me on a special trip into the hills of Florence. We went to a little village called Chiuesa Nuova where he used to have band rehearsals and singing lessons back in the day.

The purpose of our trip was we Schiacciata. Schiacciata is a big sandwich with Focaccia type bread (although it is not the same things and this is where the name comes from--schiacciata means something along the lines of "flattened"). We had ours with Pecorino (my FAVORITE!) and prosciutto, it was a salty combination but a much welcomed change from the saltless bread of Florence.

When Lorenzo was a kid he said that every Saturday his family made a trip to this grocery to get the Schiacciata. I was happy to have been introduced to this tradition! I wanted to take photos but as I looked around and the Italians enjoying their Saturday afternoon and sandwiches, I decided that I was much more interested in being a part of this lifestyle then documenting my every move. There are times to be a tourist and to document all the "firsts" and there are times to just remember them, I chose to keep this one in my memory. I did however, make an attempt to capture the beautiful hillside from the car window, hence the photo here but it doesn't even begin to describe what I saw.

I suppose it's this inability to capture the images I see that makes me what to be a good photographer, because I want to be able to share with my friends and family all of the things that I see, that are so different and beautiful but I don't think the digital snapshots quite get the point across. I'll keep working on it!

This weekend has been a little bit more low-key, we didn't plan any big events but I think that hillside visit and huge gelato were just want I wanted! Next week I am heading to Rome for some training with my new teaching position! I am sure I will have plenty to say when I get home next Sunday!

Until then...