A Lack of Color

a response to the question of "greenery in Florence"

Cream, yellow, burnt-orange, off-white, brown. Where is the green? I can’t find the green. Where are the trees? There are no trees. There are no lawns. There are no parks. I’ve heard of some parks. But I can’t find them. They must exist. Somewhere. I just want a place to sit and read my book or bring a sandwich or rest during a run that isn’t concrete or pavement or a bench looking out on nothing but cream, yellow, burnt-orange, off-white, and brown.

           

I only know of once place where there is certain to be green but you have to pay to see it. We wanted to bring a picnic to the Boboli Gardens and finally enjoy an afternoon surrounded by greenery. No food was allowed, we ate our pizza on the sloping pavement outside. Why is there all this pavement with people laying, and eating, and kissing, and drinking on it like it is a rolling lawn? That can’t be comfortable. Tried to go in again, no wine allowed. We drank our wine on the pavement. Why are there so many rules surrounding the one bit of green in the entire city? I just wanted a nice picnic. At least we got to play chess in the grass. Little pink and purple flowers were sprouting up from the lawn. Finally, a sense of spring.