Loving Life in Florence, Italy

Ciao!! This post brings me close into my fourth week in Italy, and it is only my third post. I am always so busy, but wish I could write more about my stay here. I am loving life in Florence. Every time I walk outside, I am instantly happy. This morning, a normally loathful Monday morning, I filled with productivity and Florentine sights. I woke up, went to my 9 am class, and then hurried right to the bank to retrieve my stipend to spend on groceries! I immediately bought a panino (for breakfast!) and then got coffee and spent about twenty minutes in the grocery store, trying to make wise choices for my week here, considering I leave for Munich this Thursday night. I bought fruit, coconut, salami, cheese, bread, milk, and rice. I'm still trying to get a feel for what I should buy week-to-week. Grocery shopping is much different in Italy than in America. You are often expected to bring your own bag to take the groceries home in here, in addition to making light purchases. Italians grocery shop a few times a week, whereas in the America I was raised in, it is common to make purchases in bulk and have a week-long abundance (often overabundance) of food in my home. But I was content with my purchases, and put them away dutifully. Then, I exercised a bit and went for a run along the Arno, always one of my favorite alone time moments of my mornings here in Florence. The rest of my day will involve classes and organizing my week.

This past weekend was an eventful one, spent in Italy. Thursday night was highly interesting to say the least. Friday was spent recuperating and it was ended with a nice girls-night dinner at Acqua al Due. Talya and I split the spaghetti sampler - which included small portions of five different kinds of pastas, all delicious, the gorgonzola sauce being my favorite, and the ristorante's signature "blueberry steak." - It was medium cooked and bathed in a blueberry sauce, yes, quite surprising for a meat sauce, but nonetheless absolutely delicious and worth the boldness. We topped the flawless dinner off with the dessert sampler, which included tiramisu, a fruit pie, chocolate cake, and the lightest cheesecake I have ever tasted. I definitely recommend this restaurant, for atmosphere and quality.

Saturday morning, I woke up early and went to the train station with my neighbor, Josh, to meet three other girls. We journeyed to Cinque Terre (which means Five Lands) - and basically, the purpose of going there is to hike through the five towns - something that is supposed to take about 5-6 hours all the way through. Though one of the towns was closed due to bad weather, we hiked through the other four, stopping a lot along the way in awe of the beauty the lands encompassed. The Mediterranean shined blue and sparkled atop the surface, regardless of the clouds above it, and the view was nothing short of spectacular. The hike was amazing and definitely one of my favorite things I have done thus far in Italy, especially as hiking is one of my favorite hobbies. I recommend a trip to Cinque Terre for ANYONE. The journey back to Florence that same night was troublesome, but it was as many things on this trip are, a learning experience. Josh and I missed the direct train back to Florence (Cinque Terre being about 2 hours away from Florence), and had to wait in the bus station for a few hours, going to Viareggio, and then Pisa, and then finally arriving in Florence, on a bus where fellow passengers included gypsies and canines (yes, dogs are apparently allowed on public transportation here). We got back safely though, after a tiresome day.

Sunday morning was spent in bed, sleeping in due to the tire of the day/night before. Then I walked the fifteen minute walk to my friends' apartment, to work on some schoolwork, and then went for a walk around Florence, stopping in a few leather markets to begin my search for the perfect leather jacket for me. I came across two that I love, and will make my decision sometime in the near future hopefully.

Anyway, time to get to class on Michelangelo. Will scrive (write) again soon!