So I love being able to indulge my complete fetish for all things literary here. There is a store a few doors down from where we're staying that is chock full of calligraphy pens and the most gorgeous little bottles of ink and feathered quills and fancy notebooks and sparkly wax seals, not to mention old time maps and compasses and globes, and I walk through it every day fondling all the merchandise and contemplating buying each thing, as if I'm suddenly going to start writing with feathers dipped in ink when I can barely stand using a pencil instead of a computer. But I'm going to buy something phenomenal there before we leave (though possibly not as phenomenal as the extremely sessy shoes I purchased today which make me 6 feet tall, but probably more phenomenal than the wax slabs scented with oranges and cinnamon I bought at the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica, though those are awfully phenomenal). I also today fell madly in love with the Giubbe Rosse cafe in the Piazza della Reppublica--which I love because of the cool carousel right there--EVEN THOUGH it is completely insanely overpriced and serves American breakfasts. But it's so gorgeous and cool and literary and it's where the futurists in Florence used to hang out and debate and I love it with my whole heart and they even make hearts in their espressos.

Look how lovely it is.





 

Unfortunately, Joi was NOT AS APPRECIATIVE AS I.





Perhaps it is because I have a much better and more positive attitude generally. For example, when doors have something to say to me, I listen attentively.



While Joi just tries to push her way inside.



I think there is a lesson here for everyone. 

Oh and here is the carousel:



In other news, I really love that extremely chi chi fashion boutiques make strange wire Christmas trees out of the pages of the Divine Comedy.



The end.