Seconda Settimana

Ciao!

Two weeks have passed already and I have lots to catch everyone up on. Ever since school started last week I have realized that between classes, traveling on the weekends, and exploring the city as much as I can, time is going to fly bye!

Here are some better pictures of my apartment so you can get an idea of my new home. Tara and I are sharing the room below. Although you can't see in the picture, our beds have springs that are about a foot high so basically we slept on twin sized trampolines. As bouncy as they are we have been sleeping soundly through the night so no complainants here! 

Our living room has become very homey and the perfect place to get caught up on our favorite American TV shows while attempting to do our homework. Lucky for us, the bookshelf came stocked with old textbooks and novels from other students who have studied abroad and countless guidebooks for all of Europe. Finding our own textbooks proved to be quite a challenge. Bookstores similar to Barnes & Noble are non existent here, instead there are countless tiny hole in the wall book stores on every street. Each professor asked us to buy books from a different shop so finding all of them took most of an afternoon but I certainly improved my sense of direction thanks to the scavenger hunt. 

Our lemon tablecloth is growing on me so much I am considering buying the identical one that we found at the dollar store. In accordance with the strange decor, yes our washing machine is in the middle of the kitchen. The top of it now serves as additional counter space for cooking. We have tried several restaurants in our neighborhood but I have also enjoyed cooking for ourselves in the apartment. One important Italian cooking tip I have learned so far is never to drain pasta and immediately pour olive oil all over it when you put it back in the pan. Apparently this is a very American thing to do haha. In a cooking class we learned this takes away from the natural starch of the pasta. Instead, while the pasta is boiling in the water, some of that water should be added to whatever sauce you are preparing because it is essentially "starch water" that will help thicken the sauce. 

We have found many sweet treats throughout the city. Gelato, chocolate, wine, and coffee are available almost anywhere at any time during the day. Italians take an afternoon break at outdoor restaurants most days to have a few cigarettes and some coffee or wine with a side of chocolate or nuts. I have decided to immerse myself in this habit aside from the cigarettes of course.  Another trick we have learned when picking gelato places is to avoid the places that have gelato piled high in really tall mounds. It looks delicious when displayed like this so many tourists fall into the trap but it actually tastes far worse than the gelato below that is level with the counter. The best kinds actually have covered lids so you can't even see the flavors underneath. 

 In the theme of embracing the culture and attempting to cook and eat the Italian way, I am trying my best to shop at the central market every few days rather than stocking up for a week at the supermarket like most Americans do. At first glance the market seems similar to Pike Place Market but it is arranged in square fashion and covers several blocks. It is the best place to get fresh meat, cheese, veggies, and fruit but definitely more challenging that the supermarkets because it requires much more Italian conversation than I am comfortable with. My shopping here involves a lot of pointing, nodding, and smiling :) 

Since I finally feel comfortable with directions in my neighborhood, I ventured out on my first run. It felt great to know I was doing something healthy to counteract the gelato, pasta, pizza, and wine I have been consuming everyday. Running along the river, I found a cute park (below) that was deserted because it is still so cold here but when the weather warms up it could be a perfect picnic location. On my home, I ended up in the main part of the city and found that it was too crowded to keep running so I was forced to walk and shop the rest of the way home :) On a much sadder note, I was pooped on by a pidgin on the way home from class. Apparently that is good luck, but the poop in my hair, on my vest, and all over my purse are saying otherwise.... 

We attended the Opera, Don Giovanni, with our program last week. It was an interesting experience to say the least considering that I couldn't understand a word of the play. Although I wanted to stay for the entire cultural experience, my roommates forced me to leave at intermission and get dinner instead haha. A pizza and glass of wine was much needed after such a dramatic performance :)

This past weekend we decided to take an adventure to Piazzale Michelangelo. After crossing the river and hiking up the stairs we reached the best viewpoint in all of Florence. We had prepared for a hike but the  walk was actually quite enjoyable and full of beautiful scenery. This will probably become a weekly trip to remind me just how lucky I am to be having this experience. 

 View from the top:

Besides the beautiful view of course, there was an adorable restaurant and church at the top. We treated ourselves to coffee and croissants while enjoying the view. One weekend soon, I plan to hike to the top in time to attend a mass. 

This weekend we are traveling to Rome with our program. I am so excited to visit the Vatican, especially in such a time of controversy considering the Pope resigned yesterday. 

I miss you all at home so much and will try to post again soon!

Arrivederci!