A little over a year ago Chris and I visited Florence, Italy for a week. When I was doing heavy research into what to see (and more importantly what to wear!) while we were there, I kept running into the phrase, “Marzo è Pazzo.” This phrase translates to “March is crazy.”
In English we have the saying “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Marzo è pazzo means basically the same thing – that the weather in March is highly unpredictable. While snow is unlikely even in the winter in Florence, one can expect any combination of cold, rain, sun, and warm during March. Sort of like northeast Ohio! I fell in love with the phrase – writing it in large print at the top of a page in my travel journal.
Our visit was unforgettable, and the weather was perfect – cool in the morning, warmer at mid-day, cool again at night. There was very little rain, and many clear blue skies. I fell in love with Florence, its people, its art and architecture, its food – every little thing. I decided right then and there that I would take Sam on a trip to Florence to celebrate his college graduation in 2021.
When we started hearing bad things out of Italy earlier this month, my heart sank. Having been there, albeit briefly, I felt a connection to the place that made the soaring infection counts and death toll break my heart. Suddenly “Marzo è pazzo” took on new meaning for me. Yes, this March has truly been crazy, and although the Italian people might just be seeing a tiny light at the end of the tunnel soon, April looks to be crazy as well.
Now more than ever I am committed to taking that trip to Florence with Sam, to eat our fill of pizza, pasta, and steaks bigger than our head, to go on a street art scavenger hunt (they have the BEST street art and graffiti), to stand in awe of Michelangelo’s David, to climb to the top of the Duomo and look out over the city and countryside, and to bask in the warmth and hospitality of the people of Florence once again.
