By Oceana Minthorne
A unique approach at one student’s thoughts on Florence and a twist on what others typically find as ugly.
Living in Florence has taught me to look up! There is always something going on. Whether it’s a moped about to crash into a pedestrian, a super trendy outfit or a musician creating magic for your ears, you are sure to be delighted wherever you find yourself.
I think my favorite “thing” about Florence is the birds. I find that during sundown they gather together and put on a show. I’ve come up with a theory and it goes like this: the birds spend all day on the ground going unnoticed and despised that they then decide every evening to redeem themselves. They call upon their friends and relatives and have dance offs. They practice different routines when no one is watching and put them to use when on center stage.
The stage they choose is the Duomo at sunset. The cotton candy skies are their backdrop and their helpful prop is the most beautiful thing in all of Florence. They soar, twist, turn, and flip upside down and right side up all over again. They are dancers, fliers, performers.
I was lucky to have been placed in an apartment that boasts a rooftop terrace. As often as I can, I make it up there when the sun is bidding us adieu. I sit down with my neck craned towards the sky and wait for the magic. They flock in hundreds and cloud the sky on route to their stage.
Wave upon wave of birds take hold of all that I can see. Once the progression of performers has slowed down I stop looking up and cast my sights on the show that is just beginning. One group soars in from the left while another group soars in from the right and yet another group comes in from the back. This step is repeated a few times over until a new move is introduced and the algorithm is repeated.
They do this magical dance until there is no daylight to cast rays upon them and make their act visible to all the onlookers. Tomorrow they’ll return to the streets and redeem themselves again in the evening.
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