I have a cold, nasty in my throat and head, I hurt all over.
However, that is not stopping me from being present from my first few days in Florence, Italy.
or Firenze, as the Italians call it.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon...had dinner...
Sunday I took my own little walk through the neighborhood, which is around Santa Maria Novella, a truly beautiful church built around the same time as the Duomo.
I was after a grocery store and some breakfast, I could not find one. I finally found the tourist information center and they pointed me in the rough direction. It took me a while but I found it.
I bought too much stuff, but I got it all back to the apartment, had some cereal and all in time to meet our program coordinator for the walking tour of the city.
Of course it was beautiful, amazing, awe inspiring
and overwhelming.
Started at Santa Maria Novella, walked to the Duomo, walked to the school, walked to more courtyards and streets and churches, saw the replica david, walked to the river, walked across the river on the Ponte Vecchio. Saw more things, had water. Walked back home to rest a few hours.
Then at 7:30 we got the bus experience of Firenze, which was hot, sweaty and so not worth it. Walking is way better, and almost takes as long.
Then we had the great experience of a full Italian dinner. Three courses and absolutely delicious and it was all in an "off the beaten path" neighborhood where Richard is well known and adored. Dinner went from 8:30 to almost 11 which is very Italian. The first course was risotto for me, second an onion omelette and my side was french fries. Three courses...I made it through the risotto and omelette and could not eat another bite. Okay I had a few french fries to try it.
Then we walked my roommates to an Irish pub, and Richard walked me home. I wanted to join Helen and Charlotte, but I just felt so sick. I got home, showered, and crawled into bed after calling Ryan to hear his voice and tell him that I loved him.
June 3, Monday
Up at 9:30, late for me, I made some toast in the oven and then ran to the farmacia for cold remedies. Which have been keeping me on my feet today.
I then met Richard, Helen and Charlotte to go deal with paperwork on living here, and all that. We're apparently getting a tax code and such that will help if we want to come back and work.
Then we went to the school to find out what time to come back tomorrow for orientation, got a schedule and learned I'll be getting a student card that gets me into a ton of free things, and means I can skip the lines! SCORE, that means I'll pocket a lot of money and can say afford to eat some more gelato...or have more caffe...as if I need it.
I also met another student-teacher from Indiana at the school, a photographer doing his BFA on walled cities, as a photographer. Cool guy, and we talked equipment and cities in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Also, I'll be going to Siena on Friday for free, with my school!
and then ROME for the weekend.
Then I had lunch of a salad with olives, tuna and capers. Our waiter really took to me for some reason, rubbing my shoulders and then asking me when I would be coming back. He was from South America and really sweet. Sometimes I can't tell if I am being flirted with or someone is just being friendly. Regardless I am enjoying meeting the locals, and "making friends".
Yesterday, our neighbor just gave us a bunch of bananas for free, and told us to come to him for fruit. Sweet, sweet older gentleman, I hope to find his stall at the produce market in the next few days. Or knock on his door, since he just lives across the alley from us.
Or this morning at the farmacia, the pharmacist was asking me if I was Irish, and was surprised I was from Colorado, something about my English being good? He was also very sweet.
I am having a little difficulty getting used to people kissing you on the cheek as a hello or goodbye...I don't mind it, I just forget to kiss back.
After lunch I left to find a gluten-free bakery outside of the town center. Which I bought a croissant and some gluten-free gnocchi. Totally worth the trek since the croissant was wonderful and I am pleased that I will have gnocchi for dinner tonight.
Then as I was walking back to the town center I ran into another tourist, from Chicago a student named Matt who has been backpacking for a few weeks and will be doing two whole months in Europe. He told me about camping in the alps (illegal) but he did it anyway, and said it was a fantastic experience. He knows Colorado really well, and loves camping and hiking in the area, is hoping to climb some fourteeners when he gets back to the states. He had the "Colorado look" and mentioned he had wanted to go to Colorado State, but couldn't afford the out of state tuition. Lately I have been realizing I am actually pretty lucky about where I live. I get frustrated with things, but being away and the awe that people have about where I live, I need to appreciate what I have.
Travelling, as many of you know makes you really present, which makes you better understand yourself. Like being around Angie's children made me realize that I could see myself having kids one day, or hearing how much people love and want to be in Colorado makes me see that I am really lucky in what my life is. I forget these things, or didn't even know them about myself until the last two weeks. I imagine these "news flash" moments will keep coming.
After pointing Matt where to find the Duomo, I found a vendor selling patches for a coat I put patches on. I then decided I needed pasta sauce for dinner, which lead to me remembering to get salt and pepper, which I then noticed an American buying Gluten-Free bread so I told her about the bakery since she will be here for three weeks. Firenze I am realizing has really approachable people, or the atmosphere makes it so it feels right to talk with people. I'm not sure. But I love it.
Back home, up the buzillion stairs to my apartment (my ass will look awesome after this! You're welcome Ryan) I am now in my pajamas listening to the fruit vendor yell at someone on the phone. Which Italians do, yelling at one another on the phone is their thing and they don't really care who sees or knows it.
I promise to post more photos soon, and I KNOW I will have some amazing ones to try and sell. The art here is really inspiring for me too, I may have to buy a sketchbook and go at drawing some, I just feel like I want to have a wall to just doodle and paint on.
Ciao!
However, that is not stopping me from being present from my first few days in Florence, Italy.
or Firenze, as the Italians call it.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon...had dinner...
Sunday I took my own little walk through the neighborhood, which is around Santa Maria Novella, a truly beautiful church built around the same time as the Duomo.
I was after a grocery store and some breakfast, I could not find one. I finally found the tourist information center and they pointed me in the rough direction. It took me a while but I found it.
I bought too much stuff, but I got it all back to the apartment, had some cereal and all in time to meet our program coordinator for the walking tour of the city.
Of course it was beautiful, amazing, awe inspiring
and overwhelming.
 |
| Cupid, street performer by the Uffizi |
Then at 7:30 we got the bus experience of Firenze, which was hot, sweaty and so not worth it. Walking is way better, and almost takes as long.
Then we had the great experience of a full Italian dinner. Three courses and absolutely delicious and it was all in an "off the beaten path" neighborhood where Richard is well known and adored. Dinner went from 8:30 to almost 11 which is very Italian. The first course was risotto for me, second an onion omelette and my side was french fries. Three courses...I made it through the risotto and omelette and could not eat another bite. Okay I had a few french fries to try it.
Then we walked my roommates to an Irish pub, and Richard walked me home. I wanted to join Helen and Charlotte, but I just felt so sick. I got home, showered, and crawled into bed after calling Ryan to hear his voice and tell him that I loved him.
June 3, Monday
Up at 9:30, late for me, I made some toast in the oven and then ran to the farmacia for cold remedies. Which have been keeping me on my feet today.
I then met Richard, Helen and Charlotte to go deal with paperwork on living here, and all that. We're apparently getting a tax code and such that will help if we want to come back and work.
Then we went to the school to find out what time to come back tomorrow for orientation, got a schedule and learned I'll be getting a student card that gets me into a ton of free things, and means I can skip the lines! SCORE, that means I'll pocket a lot of money and can say afford to eat some more gelato...or have more caffe...as if I need it.
I also met another student-teacher from Indiana at the school, a photographer doing his BFA on walled cities, as a photographer. Cool guy, and we talked equipment and cities in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Also, I'll be going to Siena on Friday for free, with my school!
and then ROME for the weekend.
Then I had lunch of a salad with olives, tuna and capers. Our waiter really took to me for some reason, rubbing my shoulders and then asking me when I would be coming back. He was from South America and really sweet. Sometimes I can't tell if I am being flirted with or someone is just being friendly. Regardless I am enjoying meeting the locals, and "making friends".
Yesterday, our neighbor just gave us a bunch of bananas for free, and told us to come to him for fruit. Sweet, sweet older gentleman, I hope to find his stall at the produce market in the next few days. Or knock on his door, since he just lives across the alley from us.
Or this morning at the farmacia, the pharmacist was asking me if I was Irish, and was surprised I was from Colorado, something about my English being good? He was also very sweet.
I am having a little difficulty getting used to people kissing you on the cheek as a hello or goodbye...I don't mind it, I just forget to kiss back.
After lunch I left to find a gluten-free bakery outside of the town center. Which I bought a croissant and some gluten-free gnocchi. Totally worth the trek since the croissant was wonderful and I am pleased that I will have gnocchi for dinner tonight.
Then as I was walking back to the town center I ran into another tourist, from Chicago a student named Matt who has been backpacking for a few weeks and will be doing two whole months in Europe. He told me about camping in the alps (illegal) but he did it anyway, and said it was a fantastic experience. He knows Colorado really well, and loves camping and hiking in the area, is hoping to climb some fourteeners when he gets back to the states. He had the "Colorado look" and mentioned he had wanted to go to Colorado State, but couldn't afford the out of state tuition. Lately I have been realizing I am actually pretty lucky about where I live. I get frustrated with things, but being away and the awe that people have about where I live, I need to appreciate what I have.
Travelling, as many of you know makes you really present, which makes you better understand yourself. Like being around Angie's children made me realize that I could see myself having kids one day, or hearing how much people love and want to be in Colorado makes me see that I am really lucky in what my life is. I forget these things, or didn't even know them about myself until the last two weeks. I imagine these "news flash" moments will keep coming.
After pointing Matt where to find the Duomo, I found a vendor selling patches for a coat I put patches on. I then decided I needed pasta sauce for dinner, which lead to me remembering to get salt and pepper, which I then noticed an American buying Gluten-Free bread so I told her about the bakery since she will be here for three weeks. Firenze I am realizing has really approachable people, or the atmosphere makes it so it feels right to talk with people. I'm not sure. But I love it.
Back home, up the buzillion stairs to my apartment (my ass will look awesome after this! You're welcome Ryan) I am now in my pajamas listening to the fruit vendor yell at someone on the phone. Which Italians do, yelling at one another on the phone is their thing and they don't really care who sees or knows it.
I promise to post more photos soon, and I KNOW I will have some amazing ones to try and sell. The art here is really inspiring for me too, I may have to buy a sketchbook and go at drawing some, I just feel like I want to have a wall to just doodle and paint on.
Ciao!
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