The Art of Lingering

The Arno River with the Ponte Vecchio & other various bridges

Choosing just one place in Florence to highlight proved to be a more difficult feat than I anticipated. It took me along memory lane for a good while as I thought about all the different places I’ve seen and explored since being here this semester. And suddenly I’m reminded, “I’m living in Europe.” A dream of so many that few can really obtain. I really shouldn’t take it for granted so much…

So after much musing, pondering, and debating, I landed in the Arno. That is the Arno River that runs just south of city center and helps the directionally impaired locate where north, south, east and west are (“Where is such and such”? “Well, the Arno’s that way”… or “It’s on this side of the Arno” or “It’s on the other side of the river”).

It actually took me quite awhile to make it down to the Arno and it became a running joke among my friends that I would leave Florence never having actually seen it. Which now thinking back is absolutely absurd considering how many times I’ve now had to traverse across. In the beginning it was all about seeing it during sunset and since I was home staying and needed to be home for dinner, I always missed the excursions my friends would make. Not only is the river itself something to see but the Ponte Vecchio (meaning “Old Bridge) is one of the tourist hotspots of the city that should not be missed. A bizarre bridge that holds houses and stores, it’s more like a regular street than an actual bridge. Then you reach the middle point where you can look out onto the river; quite nice.

The reason why I picked this place though wasn’t so much that it’s one of the most beautiful parts of Florence or for its unique bridge. Rather, the bridges (not just the Ponte Vecchio) have become an unassuming spot to just sit, chat, and waste away the hours in a way that only Europeans could do. Whenever we cross there is this unspoken rule that we must stop around the middle of the bridge and hang around for no particular reason. Sometimes we would just sit together on the edge, not saying a word and simply enjoying the scenery and each other’s company. Other times we come up with stories for the people that walk by or others also lingering around on the bridge (lot of PDA going on…). There was even a time when we were hanging around and a huge protest (that we’re still not sure what it was about) passed by us. Then there’s this one particular bridge where there’s a ledge that juts out onto the river which a friend finds incredibly hilarious to pretend he’s going to jump. That is until the Polizia finally came and gave him a stern rebuke.

It’s one of those places that could easily be overlooked years down the line when we might think about our time abroad. But I, for one, am grateful for all the memories that have been shared on that river over the course of the semester. It makes me want to take that same spirit back to NYC and instead of always rushing around and trying to keep up with the busyness that is NYC, to be able to just sit with some friends and linger.

ps Sorry for lack of pics these days... internet connection is slow; won't let me upload... Will try again another day!