Colors, Patterns, Textures

After my novel I wrote yesterday, I don't nearly have as much to say but it was still a day well spent. Good news though, I woke up before one, before 11 even! I'm not quite sure how many times I hit the snooze button this morning however. Once I was up and ready for the day, I had a little breakfast and we all set out for another adventure. 

Still acting as the true tourists we are, Mary and I went past the Arno today and followed paths up to the Piazzale Michelangelo to see an above view of the city-- the sight was unimaginable and we realized we had a lot more to see before we have Florence down pat. We were also immersed in greenery to our left and right. The ascending paths led to many different angles of the city and the surrounding areas. We were able to see the towns in the mountains circling the city, which made me really excited to find day trips to take and see the other tuscan villages. I was amazed by all of the colors we saw and the different, intricate designs found in the architecture. We made it up to a Basilica where we wandered around aimlessly shooting photos in awe of the beauty. Not as many people made it up this high and it was nice to look around without running into people or blocking another person's camera lens of the view. I'll be sure to make it up to that point many other times during my stay here. The neighborhoods on the way down were exactly what I expected Florence to be.

Afterwards Mary and I split up and I headed back to the apartment to catch up with loved ones back home in Charlotte. Before long everyone was back in the apartment and we were all getting ready for our first apartment meal! Anna and Kaitlin made spaghetti sauce, Kenan dished up a wonderful salad. I tried to find my favorite dinner music on the internet, the Big Night soundtrack... some luck, but Norah Jones ended up serenading us during dinner. We talked about different TV shows, Chapel Hill, and laughed a ton. It was a perfect last night before our two week italian pre-session begins tomorrow. After all of this exploring and experiencing, it's going to be hard for me to step back into a classroom. We shall see how it goes! Afterwards about 15 of us will go to the central market with one of LDM's professors to buy groceries and learn how to cook a meal! YUM!

   

Exploring

Today was the first real day in Firenze for most of us. It was a lot of information but the girls in my flat and I got the chance to explore for a little while before another meeting. So here's a little tour of where we went today...

Above is the view from our apartment into our little piazza. We have to go through two doors out on a balcony and through another door before we get to our place.  It's the perfect little getaway from the busy street next to the Duomo.

During our exploring time we came across different forks and beautiful alleyways. This one I found particularly pretty. I will say the green stoplight is very rare and most likely is a stop and start for pedestrians.  

We kept waking straight and came across the Santa Maria Novella Plaza. After hours of walking through different streets covered by buildings it was nice to be in an open space.

 I realized walking through Florence, there was something missing. There was no green. No trees or grass. I knew Florence was surrounded by the rolling hills, but in the center city it was just concrete. Behind the Santa Maria Novella, we got our first glimpse of green.

Last but not least, we all stared at the window full of chocolatey treats. I think we may have stared at the window for at least five minutes. 

So there is a little glimpse of my day. Tonight we went to dinner with all of the program participants and our LDM Advisor, Mahgerita. Bread, wine, sparkling water, Risotto, Rigatoni, roasted vegetables, new potatoes, a block of parmesan cheese, and a chocolate custard for dessert.... for free. Benisimo!

Wow. Did I really eat that much?

Two and a half hours later... The girls in my apartment and a few others from an apartment near by all went to see the Ponte Vecchio and other historic parts of Florence. I definitely fell in love with this side. Near the water, old, old buildings, and many statues brought a whole new side of Florence. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera to dinner so no pictures. But Kaitlin, Anna, and I are going to go back tomorrow and sketch. Should be fun!

Ciao for now...