It's getting closer to the end everyday, with my last real class of the semester done with, I can actually taste the salty air that will come with the Amalfi Coast the few days before I leave to go back home. I am ready to go home, ready for the summer, and for a different scenery, but with that being said, I will obviously miss my experiences here and am trying to squeeze out the last few things I wanted to do before leaving Florence. Luckily, Florence has been so kind to give us some extra fun lately before the semester comes to a close.
Labor Day was on Tuesday, and the night before everyone hit the streets in the wee hours of the night to celebrate "Notte Bianca" or White Night. Everyone was supposed to dress in white and enjoy the incredible festivities arranged in almost every piazza of the city, EVEN our little Piazza delle Pallotolle (still don't know truly how to spell that...) where we stepped out onto the stage when we stepped out of our door. Surprise guest appearances, I guess? I was really impressed with how many people attended the event and the size of the event in general. (Think Franklin Street on Halloween (minus the"homegrown" part) times 50). Festivities were going on from 5:30 (or 17:30) pm to 5:30 in the morning! Museums, shops, restaurants were all open later than usual, some the whole night, and bands were playing in every corner of the city. The city hall even had a DJ from its window (shown below). However, my favorite part was stumbling upon an italian cover band whose set list ranged from Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana to Knockin on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan. The whole crowd, of italians no less, knew every word. It was a fabulous way to bring in the New Year--- oh just kidding--- this was for LABOR day...
Florence is known for its art, for its food, and for its highly fashionable citizens, however its not quite Michelangelo's David of the Italian soccer world. Nevertheless, I was NOT going to leave Europe without seeing a european soccer game first. It's not only on my Semester bucket list, but also something that I have always wanted to experience ever since I tried on my first pair of soccer cleats at the age of 5. And even though half of the stadium was empty, the crowd had more intensity than most Carolina games, Panthers games, and umm... Bobcats games. Everyone screaming in unison the different chants that I'm sure have been passed down since they were little kids. Flags, as tall as 4 people combined, blowing in the wind, showcasing messages like FIRENZE OVUNQUE (Florence Everywhere) and FORZA VIOLA (Strong Purple...). Last night was definitely one of the best experiences I have had in Florence thus far, joining the fans around me in cheers of Joy when Florence tied up the game. It was carefree and just plain fun. I, of course, would love to see another European game of greater value one day, but I was more than happy to cheer for the city I have called home these past 4 months for my first game experience.
This weekend will be my last full weekend in Florence! (and I really hope that I won't just be studying for exams the whole time since last weekend was full of pens and paper and my art project) I've got the art show on the fifth for our Sketchbook class, as do most of the students in art classes at LdM. I'm excited to see what kind of work everyone has produced! And of course, we are trying to go to as many restaurants as possible that we may have missed out on during the semester (and returning to a few--- Baldovino perhaps?) My mom comes next wednesday, and we are headed south on the 12th. I can not believe everything is coming to an end, but I am excited for the days and weeks to come.
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