Florence, Italy
If try explain how much I love the city of Florence, I probably seem possessed. Indeed, the culture and wonder of Florentine living can be overwhelming.
The sites and tastes and experiences I have had in Florence are not the same as what other people may be privy to. I was so truly fortunate to travel with a group of friends that allowed me to observe the fineries of the city, staying in palatial villas, eating at the best restaurants, drinking, exceptional wines.
Travelling to Italy for work was another level of extravagance. (Italians arguably do jewellery better than anywhere else in the world, and appreciate the art of jewellery at the highest level).
Florence has a romantic, renaissance atmosphere that permeates every corner, every alleyway, every restaurant and café. It also blends seamlessly with present day – somehow balancing an appreciation for the past within the context of the present day. Even the graffiti is museum level artistry.
For certain, Italian espresso DOES taste different, better. San Remo, another Italian standout city was where I had the most life-altering cappuccino, but that’s a whole other journal entry.
I despise raw tomatoes yet I assure you with 100% conviction that I would eat a tomato in Italy right off a vine. From a roadside garden. No salt, probably still dusted with dirt.
What is it about Florence that has me in a chokehold?
Wander down any street and be struck by the beauty and history of the architecture, the scale of the buildings, the minute details in every store window, and the abundance of well-dressed locals, with their easy elegance.
As I write this I wish I could go back and relive every experience. Thankfully, the photo cache on my phone is filled with images – always waiting to be revisited for inspiration, but never fully scratching that itch.
My last stay in Florence was for my 55 th birthday – planned by a once cherished friend. Our strolls along the streets, across the Ponte Vecchio, were never rushed. My eyes drank in every detail with a hunger for beauty that is always heightened by seeing the passion for craftsmanship in every boutique, whether for leather, pastry, gelato, paper, enamel, art, antiques.
Seeing merchants focus solely on ONE PRODUCT, making their best and most artful version of that product, is something that really resonated with me.
When I took the plunge to open the RockBox Studio, I promised myself to stay true to what I do best – stay the path, provide excellent service and product.
The statue on the Ponte Vecchio of Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571) – one of the greatest goldsmiths, sculptors and artists of the Italian Renaissance, is etched in my mind to help keep me focused.
How does Florence fuel passion?
Easy. There is beauty EVERYWHERE in Florence.
Florence doesn’t try to erase the past – it embraces the past. There are hundreds of years of investment in beauty that is the envy of the world. Italians understood the value of creating beauty in their lives.
Inside their homes, even the most modest homes, holds furnishings made with care and precision, that are held onto, and cherished for generations.
To celebrate turning 55 in Italy, I chose a fantastic symbol of Florence to bring home. Tucked away on a side street was a jeweller that we were recommended to visit, where locals shop for jewellery.
Something bold, something a little extravagant, something to symbolize the city and the connection to the jewellery industry.
Our new friend, the owner, took his time, asked us about the trip, asked about our lives and our relationship before a single item was shown. We were served water in elegant glasses, without pretense. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone, it was “business as usual”.
He never left our company; someone was there to bring us an espresso, or a little sweet after we had been there an hour or so. We felt completely at ease in the company of this total stranger.
That is the art of business in Italy, and it is a breath of fresh air. The building of a relationship is more important than the amount of the invoice, and he would have been just as hospitable had we not spent as much as we did that day.
We walked away with exceptional pieces of jewellery and a full heart.
It is my hope that clients who come to the RockBox, feel the same way when they sit with me at the Studio.
How can anyone wake up in Florence and not be inspired?
How do you walk down an ancient cobbled stone alley and not marvel at who may have walked there before you?
It is a privilege to experience this way of living, and fuels my desire to bring that beauty back to everyday life in North America.
You can, and should, invite beauty into every aspect of your existence.
Food, clothing, people, art, and of course, jewellery.
Give yourself a true gift. Visit Florence, go to ALL the museums. Eat at the Gucci Garden, spend a little more than you expected to for the chance to take home a memory that fills your heart every time you look at it.
Learn to live life, even for a few days, at the height of beauty.
Maybe I will see you there….
