December 8, 2008

if i want good news, i read The Florentine

these days it is so rare that i find any good news in the news. so that's why i read The Florentine. they have a way of informing you about all the positive happenings in a positive way. nice stories and upbeat reports. it is a thoughtful, newsy, educational free little newspaper. i have put off my travel and coming-of-age novels just to read this in all my spare time. i seek it out desperately every two weeks at all the drop off locations....somedays it requires that i pretend that im getting a drink or looking at the menu at Old Stove as i spy the stack of papers and make a mad dash out the door with one. but why am i running if it's free? im not used to free, senza prezzo. that's almost too good to be true. anyhow, if i don't find it, i know it's online, but i love keeping it folded up in my bag for a moment of potential boredom on the bus or in a queue.

they have this wonderful way of writing about the culture & customs, sketches of local Italians, a weekly "fatto bello" (nice fact) of the week, and book reviews. this week i was really touched by the story about the colorful altruistic taxi driver, Caterina aka "Milano25".

I was lucky enough to ride in her taxi two years ago one night after a long evening out with the girls at YAB, Lochness or Slowly (or all three). surprisingly we found her taxi at a stand in Piazza Repubblica. this was a real lucky streak considering she is a famous taxi driver (for all her volunteer work for kids with cancer) and so we jumped in her car for our ride home. it was such an experience let me tell you...it was as smooth as an airplane, it was like being rocked to sleep in a cradle with all the toys and DVD screens showing a Disney movie, it was like going back to my childhood for those twenty minutes. I thought I was in a fairy tale.

But when you read about her life...you realize her personal story was not like a fairytale.

And seeing that my point is that The Florentine is a wonderful newspaper that focuses on the positive, you can bet that they really showed you the beauty and upside of her story.

Thank you, TheFlorentine!