Buon Giorno da Firenze!
I am currently sitting in my beautiful new classroom in my photography course. My professor just gave a great speech about the course, about how a camera is a tool for learning to use your eyes to see, an amazing mechanical means to a visual memory. He is now going around the room checking our cameras. Unfortunately, I don’t have an SLR manual camera, so it will be a bit of a challenge trying to be as creative. He recommended we buy one, and then said it’s around 400 euro! So that won’t be happening…Oh well, I’ll get by.
This is my only class today. My schedule is pretty great. Monday: Photography, 9-11:45. Tuesday Italian, 10:30-11:45, Food and Wine, 12-2:45, Living Italy, 3-4:15. No class Wednesday. Thursday: Italian and Living Italy (same time). I got the schedule of field trips too. For Photography we’re going to Milan, Boboli Gardens, and San Salvi to name a few. Food and Wine we’re going to Parma and San Gimignano. I can’t wait to travel and see some more areas around Firenze.
So, let’s rewind a bit. I’ve only been here for 3 full days, but we’ve done and seen so much that it feels like at least a week. So, my flight from Frankfurt went well. I was ab
out to be charged 150 euro for overweight baggage, so I made some adjustments and was able to carry on my smaller roller bag, and ended up only paying 30 (which is still a lot…oh well). The plane ride was short, but a bit frightening. The plane was small, so we heard and felt every little bump. Landed in Florence and found that my smaller bag (which they ended up checking in when I was boarding) had been left in Frankfurt. Oh well, could be worse. Stood in line and filed a “claim” with a number and address to deliver my bag.
Finally we made it outside to the cab which was there to take us to our apartments. At this point there were four of us, one of which was my roommate Candy! She ended up being on the same flight from Frankfurt and she waited for me as I dealt with my bag problems. The other two girls with bag problems were very sweet, and we had an exciting ride to our apartments, trying to take in all the scenes. It still hadn’t hit me that we were in Italy!
Candy and I arrived at ours last. It was on a narrow little road, Via dei Neri. Someone was waiting for us to let us in and help carry our suitcases up the 3 flights of stairs. That was a workout! We walked into our apartment and my jaw dropped. 
It was beautiful! Our other two roommates, Jenn and Kendal were in their room. I introduced myself and continued touring the apartment in a daze: the rooms just kept going! It was huge! 2 large bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a dining area, and a great, well-equipped kitchen. 2 bathrooms, one with a tub, one with a shower. Pictures to follow.
I just couldn’t stop smiling. I was so excited. I dropped my bag in the other room, choosing the bed by the window (which ended up being a poor choice…so loud!). The four of us had a quick convo in the kitchen and then decided to go find a place for dinner. We walked outside and I was definitely in the “euphoria stage” of culture shock.
It was breathtakingly beautiful everywhere I looked. I felt like we were in an outdoor museum! Statues, beautiful churches with intricate paintings, cathedrals, old charming buildings…I pulled out my camera and couldn’t resist looking like an over-excited tourist.
We found this cute little ristorante for dinner. I had ravioli and vino bianco,
Jenn had a delizioso pizza with proscuitto and other yummy toppings and vino rosso, Kendal had lasagne. There are so many ristoranti e trattorie to choose from, I wish we could make it to all of them!
After dinner, we all headed back to the apartment and went to bed early, in anticipation for orientation the next morning at 9am. That’s where I’ll end for today…there is so much more to tell, but I am so hungry, we’re about to go grab a panini. I’ll update again soon. Ciao!
