Knights in the Afternoon: By Elizabeth H.

The other day during my afternoon break between classes I decided to do something a little different. Normally I would walk home and make lunch but today I wanted to try one of the local café’s or sandwich shops. I stumbled upon a great place that had outside seating in perfect view of the Santa Croce. I ordered a sandwich that turned out to be one of the best meals I’ve had in Florence. It was with prosciutto, brie cheese, and sweet grilled zucchini. Up until this meal I had not been so thrilled by the bread in Italy but this sandwich changed my mind. It was packed with flavor and drizzled with olive oil. I was enjoying my meal and taking in the fresh air and observing the locals. I brought out my book and started reviewing for the next class. As I’m reading about ancient Rome and past emperors, I hear the sound of a slow steady drum start to beat. At first I assumed it was coming from the music in the café but the sound seemed to be getting closer to me. Was my book coming to life? No one seemed to be bothered by this except me. Louder and louder the tourists started to take notice. Everyone was making their way down the street that I was having my quiet little lunch on. Suddenly men in tights feathers and puffy pants all marching towards me! I sat there in awe for a moment contemplating if this was actually happening. A medieval prince and princess, people holding giant flags with the symbol of Florence on them, and knights in shining armor were making their way through the town and into the Santa Croce. Of course curious about why all this was happening I got my bill and headed for the church. Inside trumpets played and the short ceremony started. I found out later that the day marked the 450th anniversary of Michelangelo’s death and this was part of his celebration. As quickly as they marched into the church they were marching back out into the town again. I left feeling so lucky that I was able to witness this moment that is so different from what I am used to. Sometimes it really pays off to change up your routine and step out of your comfort zone.