The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence and stands like a fortress in the Piazza della Signoria. The Palazzo Vecchio is also called the Palazzo della Signoria. There is a museum in the building that is really worthwhile.In 1540 Duke Cosimo I di Medici moved his residence to the Palazzo Vecchio. He was married to Eleanor of Toledo and in the museum you can view rooms of hers as well as some of the art work, sitting rooms, and reception rooms of the home.The entrance to the first courtyard is beautiful and is open for entrance and viewing before you get to the ticket office. The ticket office is located in the second courtyard.The Salone dei Cinquecento is an impressive meeting room with frescoes by Vasari and sculptures by Michelangelo and Giambologna.The room didn’t always look like it did today, and Girolamo Savonarola was responsible for ordering many of the architectural changes.Under one of these frescoes, it is believed that there is a Leonardo di Vinci painting. There is much controversy about whether to take down the Vasari to look for this painting, and National Geographic has done extensive research regarding its presence.We were able to visit the Studiolio which is only open by reservation. This small room just of the Salon dei Cinquecento housed many treasures within the wooden walls which covers cabinets.The rooms of Eleanor are decorated with Botticelli’s paintings and other masters and there are lovely views from the palace windows.There is a large map room which is really incredible and fun to see the perspective of the world at that time. At least they didn’t still think it was flat!The museum is opened every day except Thursday 9-7 except in the summer months it is opened until midnight. On Thursday’s it is opened from 9-2. The cost to enter is 6.50 for the museum, 6.50 for the tower, or there is a combination ticket for both at 10 euro. This is a worthwhile visit when you are in Florence. Go and take a look for yourself!

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The end of the year always brings a plethora of emotions for me for many reasons. My oldest son was born on December 31st, so of course, I am thinking of that, and how much time has passed since I welcomed him into the world. He spent many years of his childhood thinking that all of the celebratory activities leading up to welcoming the New Year where all about him! I was so young then! Now, here he is, 10 years older than I was when he was born! Now he probably has memories of me when I was his age, which is always a strange phenomenon as a child. It gives a different perspective to your parent and makes them somehow more of a “real” person.

As the year ends and so does the seasons of festivities, I have a certain sense of post holiday depression, followed by a sense of extreme relief that life can get “back to normal”, whatever that is. Things that I put off doing during November and December really have to be considered now in the New Year. That also brings a sense of anticipation which happens to be my favorite emotion. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you are planning a vacation, a trip to a new museum, taking a class, seeing an old friend, etc. I just love “looking forward” to things!

That being said, the New Year brings a time of reflection also. What did I not do this year, or in my life time, that I need to consider for the future? New Year’s Resolutions. I take them very seriously. In fact, one of my New Year’s Resolutions led me on my path to living in Italy. The resolution itself was “I want to live somewhere else, and do something different.” At that point in my life, I was living in Nashville and had been there 3 years. I had moved there after my youngest son moved out to go to college, and my husband and I got a divorce, for a promotional opportunity with my company. While it had been good to be back around family during that period and the new position took my career to new levels, I was bored with both of them, and needed a change. One thing led to another and I took a year sabbatical to live in Italy and learn the language. After that, my whole purpose in life was around making plans to live here.

Someone decided that the Mayans had predicted the end of the world because their calendar ended on a certain date this year. Thankfully that didn’t happen, but as I thought about it and asked myself, if the world ended today would I be satisfied with my life, I decided that the answer was yes! I haven’t done everything that I want to do, and probably never will, but am happy and proud of the things I have done and the accomplishments that I have made so far. No regrets is how I try to live.

This year, feeling more “settled” in my new home, I am getting very ambitious about what I want to accomplish this year. There is more travel in my plans, an art history course, volunteer work, and additional education around my writing skills. I want to write a book! So, as this year ends, I think about my life in retrospect and for the future. What a rich, thoughtful, celebratory time of year! Let’s go 2013! Happy New Year!