Living in Florence for a month, you actually just get past the hump of feeling like a tourist and life seems a little more slowed down. You're not rushing in and out of the city to squeeze all the "must sees" in a day. You have a little more time to see things off the beaten track. And the amazing thing is, most of these gems are things we've stumbled upon as we stroll through town. They are the places not mentioned in our guidebooks.
Here is a place we visited, the Scuola del Cuoio (School of Leather), just yesterday afternoon. The school was started by the Franciscan friars of Santa Croce after World War II to give war orphans a chance to learn a practical trade with which to earn a living. Florence is known for its leather and you'll find it in almost every store window and vendor's cart in town. There are so many beautiful handbags and sporty little jackets (not to mention shoes!!), that the temptation to buy a winter coat in mid-Spring is overwhelming!
My daughter Mia (for those of you who don't know) is a very creative person. She was at full attention the entire time as we weaved our way through the corridors. So many different hues, textures, beading, and roping for stitching...it was a creative person's dream! Anyway, here are a few pictures. I think we probably could have taken many, many more....but you get the idea...
Adhering a zipper to a bag
