Fwd: 🍀 Spring’s here: Time to get creative

NEWS    EVENTS    ART+CULTURE    FOOD+WINE    LIFESTYLE    TRAVEL Spring's here: Time to get creative The sun is shining in through my home office window: it's the perfect Tuscan day that makes you forget for a fleeting second the tragedy that perpetuates in the north of Italy and closer to home. Life is about simple pleasures: lunch everyday with my husband, the proud playing of the Italian national anthem, a simple supper and reading poetry before bedtime. Everything's a little slower, a little more intense; the days are punctuated by pings from friends on WhatsApp and colleagues communicating over Skype. There's the occasional palpitation at night (lesson learnt: never read the news before bedding down) and the calmness of languorous stretching in the morning. Latent creativity is in the air as Italy mourns while musing and preparing for tomorrow. With that genius in mind, here's an invitation from me to you, from editor to writer, to put pen to paper and make the most of these long days. Embrace all that emotion welling up inside and channel it into something meaningful. If there's one thing history has to tell us, it's that adversity is the maker of inventiveness. I'm here to read your words (articles, short stories and poetry) with a view to publication in our magazine: redazione@theflorentine.net. Stay safe, Helen Farrell, editor-in-chief Please consider making a donation to our magazine to help us continue our coverage through this time of need: https://www.theflorentine.net/support/ TF TOGETHER Have you tuned into TF Together yet? It's our daily online moment to meet up and share activities and interests. Upcoming events include tips on staying psychologically strong with Paolo Molino (today at 5pm); cooking quiche with Steve Brenner (Monday, 5pm); and the return of our TF Breakfast Drop-In (Tuesday, 10am). See the full schedule. Wine / Filippo Bartolotta Far from your simple guidelines on sight, smell and taste, our conversation explored everything from why Bartolotta loves Vin Santo to the best way to describe wine to aliens (yes, you read that correctly!).   Watch it again Music / LMNL Music editor Michelle Davis interviews LMNL aka Simon Batten, whose new album Moonlight Cinema will be out soon. Hear an exclusive preview as well as a review of some of Simon's songs from his previous albums.   Watch it again CLASSIFIED ADS Seeking but not finding? If English is your first language and Florence is where you live, you might find what you're looking for in our classifieds. CHECK NOW CULTURAL OUTREACH Keeping kids occupied (and informed) The Istituto degli Innocenti has launched two social media campaigns aimed at entertaining children during these days of lockdown and apprising them of the gravity of the Coronavirus. Read more Opera in your home The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino opera house has launched a streaming service to bring its music to people in their homes. The line-up will begin on March 22 and will feature recordings of Puccini and Verdi. Read more BECOME ITALIAN Do you qualify for Italian dual citizenship? There's never been a prouder time to be Italian. Resilient, respectful, yet joyful when the time's right, find out if you can obtain Italian citizenship. Read more SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE The Florentine is a monthly magazine about art and culture, news and events in Florence, Italy. Digital and paper subscriptions available worldwide, starting from 20 euro. Choose your subscription! COVID-19 The City asks… In a questionnaire organized by the City of Florence , over 95 per cent of Florentines stated their concern about Coronavirus, while 27 per cent stated that their primary problem involved doing grocery shopping. Have your say by answering the questions (in Italian) at the link below. Fill out Self-declaration form Download the updated self-declaration form below. Remember, stay at home unless you need to go grocery shopping, for work or health reasons, or other proven instances of need.   Download