Arriving in the Piazza del Duomo, I instantly had a bit of nervousness when I spotted Him waiting for me…

As always, I was running fashionably late and then some, so I didn’t think that it was my slightly disheveled arrival of which I had become so accustomed, now creating a slight case of the butterflies.  I couldn’t quite pin the feeling of anticipation, maybe it was just how I could feel his eyes on me as I approached, or the confidence that he exuded as he said to me in an almost melodic way of his Italian mixed with British accent, “You’re Amy, right?”  The only thing that kept me from being tongue tied at this moment was my reminding myself that yes, he looked exactly like the pictures that his friends had shown me from their iPhones in London the week prior, and although good looking, he was not particularly my type.

So that’s where Giancarlo and I began my tour of Florence.  Having been there a few times in college, I could skip the typical tourist attractions, and go straight for the good stuff…food and wine.  After all, I was in the company of a culinary expert.  With each stop at stalls within the Mercato Centrale his flirtations grew a tad bit more obvious and had me questioning “How much had his friends told him about me, or was this just the typical Itallian hospitality given to blonde American girls?” Regardless, I’ve always been a believer of  the slogan “When in Rome”, so of course, I flirted back, but much more cautiously, not yet knowing if I really wanted to go there.

A few hours and many more stops later, we had to swing by my hotel for me to send a fax.  Amidst my stressing over this work related issue, he trying to convince me to “just relax”, and our squeezing into the tiny elevator, I must not have noticed his lips suddenly landing on mine until they were there.  “What was happening here? Did I even want to do this?  Well, I guess so, because I’m kind of kissing him back, and what will his friends think of me….OH, WHATEVER!!!!…..,” and that’s the thought process that pretty much summed up the rest of my night.

Our “dinner” stop of the evening was an apperitivo bar near the Uffizi calledAll’ Antico Vinaio Fedra & Daniele.  As if I needed anything else to eat or drink, I could not resist having a little wine with a bite sized crustini or two…honestly, maybe it was more like 4 or 5 .  This place soon became my favorite Florence hang out.

Along the way home we continued to pop in and out of a few tiny establishments to grab a drink of just have an excuse to be closer to one another and practice our PDA skills.   Really, by the end of the night, I don’t think we could even consider the stop off points as establishments, but more shadowed corners of the tiny streets.

Anyways, my massive display of overindulgence that day must not have been too much of a turnoff with Giancarlo, as I was lucky to score a lovely private guided tour of San Gimignano the next day, followed by many evenings lingering over romantic diners , strolling the cobblestone streets together and plenty of “OH WHATEVER!!!!”

Choosing to visit Barcelona in the non tourist season of November would not be my recommendation for a first timer, but having visited the city more times than I could count on one hand, I welcomed my 2 weeks stay ahead of me.  Fortunately the weather would be less dreary than the rest of Europe at this time of year, allowing for ample time to return to my favorite sights…ParcGuell, ParcCiutadella, Montjuic and just wandering through the various neighborhoods, in an effort to find one that I was hoping to call my own.

My efforts turned fruitful in the respect of finding great spots to dine and drink, as the true test of a neighborhood are in it’s café’s and restaurants and the locals who frequent them.  After exploring the L’Eixample Esquerra neighborhood and enjoying an amazing meal at Taverna del Clinic, which hours and many drinks later turned into friendships developed with the owners and most of the staff, I ventured into what was my favorite zone so far, Sant Gervasi, and what was to turn into an unexpectedly crazy night.

Deciding to enter  a tiny, dark and unnamed Irish Pub right off of the posh residential area of TuroParc, for what I planned to be one last drink in a neighborhood establishment before calling it a night,  just to know if it’s the right zone for me to take up residence, turned into a Rockstar night in disguise.

Entering as the only female in the half empty bar, occupied by what looked to be a sports team of some sort, due to the extreme height and fitness level of these men, I took my seat at the bar and ordered a pint of beer. The first thought to cross my mind was “basketball players?”, but, no, slightly lower on the food chain, however professional athletes nonetheless, Handball players, and two teams at that.

The rest of the night was spent being the token “American Girl” in the spotlight of these guys, partying, drinking and later heading to the club Bikini, VIP style.  Needless to say, the night ended at almost sunrise, leaving through the back exit of the club with one such star of the Barcelona team, who had a taste for all things American….”convenient”, and that’s where the exciting but short-lived romance began.

Who would have known, his highest scoring game of the season was actually the one I attended a few days later.  It was his big come back after a couple of down years being riddled by injuries, so we were all in great spirits.  Perhaps the novelty of being the “good luck charm” gave me false hopes that there could actually be a solid connection there.

On one of the evenings off from “Superman” I ventured out to El Borne, the lifeblood of the artsy / bohemian Barcelona culture.  A bit bummed to be venturing out on my own, I headed into El Xampanyet, one of my longtime mainstays of Catalan tapas and drinks.

It only took a minute of speaking to the owners, the Ninou family, that I knew half of the people at the bar, and amongst them, the wine and cava maker Josep Maria Ferret Guasch.

After dining on the canned seafood delicacies and washing it down with copius amounts of cava, my new friends and I, led by Josep Maria, checked out the live opera entertainment next door in a gothic palace setting at Palau DalmasesEspaiBarroc. 

As that night came to an end I realized that this city  was full of unique and fascinating gems, waiting to be explored,  and that I was in love, but not with Superman…that was sure to fade out, after all he is a pro athlete, so comes with the territory…but in love with this town and the future it had to offer.

*Inspired by my travels to Barcelona, I’ve teamed up with Braccialetti Cruciani to create the perfect wrist look for this destination.  Gypsy Love’s Cruciani, “Accessorizing my way around the world, one Cruciani Bracelet at a time.”  

Hope to see you rocking this look next time you’re in Barcelona!