I found out last night that snow was predicted today for Florence. But when I woke up, yes, it was brrr cold outside and cloudy, but no, no snow. Disappointed not to be snowed in, I fed the cats, got ready and went off to work.
Luckily, as it turns out!, one of my students was too busy to have a lesson, so I was able to leave work an hour early. After making a brief stop at the farmer’s cooperative to get some veggies and whatnot, I headed home.
Not a moment too soon…
As I was parking my car, snow 
began falling. An hour later, my car had disappeared under a white blanket…
It has been snowing steadily all afternoon. And now it’s early evening. It seems to me that there are several inches of snow out there. About ten, if I am not mistaken…
It’s beautiful, really beautiful, and I took heaps of photos as long as there was enough light…But I just communicated with Stefano via Messenger, and he appears to be stuck at work. Seriously stuck…Bummer!
He told me that, once the serious snow began falling, one of his colleagues, who lives outside of the city, left the office in mid afternoon and ended up getting completely blocked in traffic. After two hours he had managed to drive only about a kilometer from the office…
I don’t have an update on him yet…But I imagine, from what I have been reading online, that he is still stuck in traffic somewhere in Florence…
Stefano’s car doesn’t have four-wheel drive or snow tires. So right now it looks as though he may be spending the night in a hotel near his office. The hotel is so close that he can walk there. This makes sense to me, since the authorities are telling all Florentines to stay put where they are, if possible…
The highways have been shut…Oh, I just read online that the airports of Pisa and Florence have also been shut…Wow. I cannot remember a snowfall like this in Florence…ever…
I just peered out my study window…The snow is still falling heavily and still accumulating…And all the neighbordhood 
children are out playing…So cute…
But what a mess.
A beautiful mess…
Photo 1. View from my back terrace, early afternoon. Photo 2. My Myeloma buddy, Honey, safe and snug under my hat, enjoying the view from my study (other side of the house; you can see the top of our front gate, lower left hand corner); Photo 3. A male blackcap pecking at a persimmon in our neighbor’s yard. Photos 4 and 5. Details of my magnolia tree…again, early afternoon (the accumulation has at least doubled since then…)…
Wowsie!
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful photos, Margaret. I’m sorry that Stefano is stranded in town, but happy he’s safe and not out on the road trying to get home to you. Your myeloma buddy looks like she has lovely long hair as she gazes out at the wonderful view. Enjoy this gift from Mother Nature.
ah ah the antispam word was “blocked”, purposedly I suppose! sorry for Stefano…good thing he was not grounded on the roads; my son stayed 8h30 hours freezing in his car on the highwaya few days ago, near Paris..and in Geneva, people keep breaking wrists when falling on icy sidewalks…
still, it makes for great pictures !
Ah persimmon…… I so love those. Here they are orange and I have a bunch dried that I put in my oatmeal every morning! The last time I had them was when I lived in Florence, eons ago!
Merry Christmas Margaret!!!
Quite lovely that white stuff… but I have to admit I’m glad I’m not in it. The weather seems to be quite out-of-whack everywhere; even in normally warm Colombia we are wearing sweaters at night and putting extra blankets on the beds – most unusual.