Two days ago, I was walking on a bridge by myself heading toward the direction where I could get something for dinner. Then I heard a soft voice behind me…
– Do you know the name of this bridge?
– Me: I don’t know but I can check it here for you (me taking my phone from my pocket and preparing to check the information on Google Maps) Then he said something I could not hear very well.
– San Trinita
– Me: …(looked very confused)
– No no, I am not asking you the name of the bridge. I am telling you the name of the bridge (with a gentle smile)
Then everything started from there. He walked in the same direction as I did so we had around 20 minutes of walking and talking. It turned out that he wanted to go to Vietnam and was very curious about Vietnam and Cambodia. And of course, when it comes to this topic, I can talk for hours and hours hahaha. As we were crossing a random street and he pointed at a little hole that was so easily overlooked if I did not pay enough attention. I looked inside and said…
– Me: ohhhh a construction (I don’t know why when I travel I keep making very silly comments hahahahaha I mean it’s so obvious, I don’t need to tell a local that it’s a construction)
– It’s a school – a very old one so now they do the construction work to fix some parts. I know a person who taught here, she is very very good.
– Me: what does she teach?
– Literature and Linguistics
Then I asked if he was in this major as well and he said YES. I almost got starstruck when I heard it because my Bachelor’s degree is in the same field and I love this topic. So of course we talked about this and he asked if I chose Business because of my work. I said yes. He told me if I like something, I should work for it now because living is the art of NOW, not later (my mentor also told me so many times about this). We never know what comes tomorrow. He continued…
– …maybe next year you fall in love with someone and get married then it’s not easy anymore
He gave me so many other pieces of advice, introduced the city to me, talked about the hundred-year-old bridges, and shared with me what he liked about his hometown and I felt like I had known him for some time… Every time he told a story he would make a little pause, then look at me smiling…
– now you know something new about Florence
He knows every bridge and every building. The stories kept going on and on and on… but at one point I REMEMBERED I had to BUY DINNER 🤣🤣🤣 and my friend was (perhaps) dying hungry at home. He said we could go for dinner and talk more, which I really appreciated but my responsibility was big 😂. So I had to politely say no and he told me that he walks the same route everyday and hopes to see me again around the same time the day after; he said he lived on the other side of the river and if we meet again, we shall go for a drink. Unfortunately, as with all of my trips, it was packed so I did not walk again that path but I will remember forever the conversation we had and how he was so calm looking at me and giving me advice as if my grandfather was then talking to me. He also commented that my English had a very strong German accent and it was very easy to recognize. Got this comment from a linguist, I don’t know if I should be happy or sad about this 🥲🥲.
His name is Davide. I will always remember this experience. I enjoyed the conversation so much that I forgot to give him my contact but that’s good because it means I did live in the moment as he said. Every single person I met in life taught me many valuable lessons. The more I experience this, the more I believe that a random encounter in life can change our mindset, our lifestyle, and even our future. Be open and good things will come.
Then I went to pick up the dinner at a very small restaurant called Trattoria Vasari (small yet loved by the locals, specialized in Tuscan cuisine). I did not check any Google Reviews for this place nor search for it, I just got in. When a person at the restaurant handed the food to me, he looked at me smiling “it’s warm and homemade. I made a discount for you.” I was like… “ohhhhh noooooo this city is TOO MUCH.” The next day I did come back for dinner again because the food was soooooo goooooodddd and guess what they remember me so I got a discount AGAIN…
And those are just TWO among many little stories that happened to us in Florence. Everyday here is an experience, even the studio we stayed in is right in the heart of Florence and it’s a piece of history.
All good things must come to an end, so now it’s time to say goodbye to my beloved Florence, but sure, I’ll be back!
P.s the host of the studio where I stayed was just so nice and he even explained what my name meant in Italian. Very positive meaning and suits me just great (!!!!!) while my friend always teases me about it 😏😝
Hi, I'm Dai and I'm from Vietnam 