My apartment in Florence is on the ground floor by Italian standards and the first floor by American standards. Instead of a balcony, there is a small garden area and patio. Outside of the living room is a cafe table and outside the bedroom are two wicker chairs and an umbrella. There are roses, an olive tree, and bamboo that covers the back fence. My garden faces the back of another apartment building. There are walkways between apartments, what my mother called a "catwalk". Sometimes I see my backyard neighbors sweeping, or more commonly hanging laundry. One woman and I wave to each other whenever we are both outside.
Last week, I saw someone new cleaning the catwalk. She's petite, young looking, with very short blond hair- almost a buzz cut. She doesn't resemble anyone else I've seen in those apartments. I saw her again the day after. I wasn't sure if she saw me, and we didn't look at one another at the same time. Then, two days ago, she was leaning out of a hallway window and our gaze met. We waved and shouted an enthusiastic "Buongiorno"! And, that was it. (The window is on the left with a green shade.)
Today, I was sitting outside eating lunch and reading the newspaper on my phone. You know how you get that feeling that someone is looking at you? Well, I glanced up from my phone, and there was the woman with the short hair leaning out of that same window and waiting for me to notice. We both smiled, waved, and shared the customary "Buongiorno!" That moment got me thinking about how much I like that greeting. As with most Italian words, I love the way it sounds. It's widely used, both informally among friends or to complete strangers. To me, the phrase is always said with warmth, as if the person truly wishes you a good day. The American greeting of "Hello!" does not achieve this depth. Forget, "Hi! How are you?" which doesn't necessarily signal any interest on the part of the greeter. Even worse, is the awful "Hey there!" which seems especially distant.
Will I ever meet the new woman across the courtyard? My Italian is still limited, and we would have to shout to converse. Allora, for now, we'll stick with wishing one another a good day.
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