Fall In Florence

Sorry for the space between blogs – it is T-Minus 3 weeks until midterms and lots of things need to get done (papers, tests, and booking plans for October Break). I promise that I will be better about posting a blog about every day or so. On a happy note, here is a blog post!!!!!! Today was an amazing day!

Today started with a visit to La Specola (Florence’s Natural History Museum). I had to go for my Environmental Conservation class to look at all the organisms that they have there. Then we are supposed to be inspired and pick something as our topic for our research paper. I already chose my topic – I am writing my paper about beluga whales and I am very excited…

 As many of you know, I love natural history museums and I love animals – thus you can probably figure that I was really excited (I think I might have skipped to it). As I walked up the stairs, I passed a floor of laboratories and resisted the urge to peek into one of the open doors. I wonder what they are researching.

After four flights of stairs (the reason why Italians are so thin, they put everything up at least two flights of stairs), I paid for my ticket and walked into the first room. This was the point when I realized that this natural history museum was NOT like the one in New York City or the one in Washington DC (I should know, I have been to them at least one hundred times). It was a room of coral, some dried and some in bottles. It was really different to see the specimens just nailed to the wall with a little explanation in Italian to the side. The coral just looked out of place on the wall – I was waiting for an underwater exhibit, with the coral and light effects that make me feel like I am underwater. I looked at the coral and kept walking – right into the bug room… It was all good (I saw the most beautiful butterflies – really awe-inspiring) until I turned around and saw a bug the size of my fist. The Italian tourist in the room just stared at me as I almost ran out of the bug room (I really do not like insects and this one was really gross).

To my relief, I ran into the animal wing (how bad could furry cute things be?). Well, like a pin to my balloon, the animal wing destroyed my joy at being in a natural history museum. In the natural history museum in New York City, most of the organisms have a serene looks on their faces. I feel if I look hard enough, I could see them still breathing (they are that lifelike). The animals are displayed in an exhibit that is modeled after their natural habitat (the lions looks like they are in the African desert). At La Specola, all the organisms look ANGRY (and they are all smooshed together into glass exhibit cases – no cool backgrounds). Even the brocket deer look angry (and from my experience, deer really don’t look that way). As I walked through the rooms, I decided to take my mind off all the scary faces the animals were making (maybe this helps prepare you for coming face-to-face with an angry animal), I decided to challenge myself with “Catherine Zymaris’ NAME THAT ANIMAL GAME”. It was great fun looking at the animals and guessing what they were (beluga whale, lowland gorilla, polar bear…). I must have been really getting into the game, because I actually said “Zebra!” out loud, startling a group of German tourists.

What I thought was cool, though, was the diversity of animals (there is a silver lining for everything). There were three huge bird rooms (yes, three – all packed with different species of birds, their eggs, and their nests – Mom, this is a place for you). I loved trying to name all the birds I knew (emu, roseate spoonbill, red-tailed hawk,…). I walked out of the bird room and almost walked into a HUGE glass case holding the biggest Galapagos tortoises I have ever seen. They must have been about five feet in diameter – totally gigantic. Totally cool…

I skipped quickly through the snake room (I like snakes, but not that much) and the shark room (petrified shark, no thanks). I found myself in a room surrounded by body parts made out of wax. La Specola is famous for their collection of anatomically correct wax figures of the human body. My aunt was a medical illustrator and she would have loved it. I was expecting for me to be really grossed out (I hate blood) but it was really cool. One room showed the muscles, the next showed the nerves, one showed the skeleton and how joints worked. I must have looked bizarre because I was looking at the displays then looking at my own body – you really don’t think about what makes your body work.

As I walked out of La Specola (the wax figures were the last things on display), I was greeted with a chilly breeze. That means only one thing – FALL HAS COME TO FLORENCE! Again, for those of you who know me very well, you know that my absolutely favorite season is fall. I love the changing of the leaves, the colder weather (it feels very crisp and clean), apples, pumpkins, all the holidays, cider, and it has the best food (apple pie, need I say more?). Thankfully, I was wearing pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. I walked back to my apartment, enjoying the perfect weather. When I went to my Italian class, I put on a coat and I was so happy.

Fall brings new things to Florence. It gets a little rainy. Squashes and gourds are beginning to replace the peaches in the market (hello butternut squash!). Soccer is beginning to pick up, so that means pizza and beers at a local pub or even going to the stadium to see a game. My program is even throwing a Thanksgiving dinner for us – we still get to celebrate the holiday with people we care about. There are new things to discover about Florence and new experiences to have.

The seasons are changing, shaking up the routine and adding a little bit of spice to the day. Who knows, apples and pie crust exist here – apple pie here I come!

Ciao!