Friends in Firenze

I have been in Italy for five weeks! It feels amazing; simultaneously a lifetime and no time at all. I have overcome so much in the last few weeks, but so much more is yet to come! For this post, I am going to share with you all details about my weekend trip (of course), as well as a better insight to my er'ryday life, and what up with that.

Duomo di Firenze - Totally different than Milan's!

This weekend, I discovered the quaint city of Florence! Firenze is the Italian pronunciation. This trip was especially special because I met up with the one and only Bridget Daly! Bridget Daly is studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland, naturally, and is spending her spring break touring my beloved Italy with a group of other awesome, hilarious, and brilliant, Boston University students. Fay, my trusty travel partner, and I left Milano on a 7 am train (which I really need to stop booking), and slept stretched out on the seats until we hit Bologna, where we were jolted into fight-or-flight mode by the other passengers. We arrived in Firenze, slightly better rested than when we departed, and quickly found our hostel around the corner from the train station.

At 1300, we wandered to the Accademia to meet with Bridget Daly, and her new friend Robin. We had a beautiful reunion in the street, where we squealed and hugged like normal girls. She could immediately tell that I really haven't changed all that much since college, besides getting taller. She also, hasn't changed a bit, and we inst-clicked back into place, like we never left. We caught up with one another while admiring David's buns of steel. She is thinking of law school, and I shared with her my latest business plan.

David was incredible, a true masterpiece. I was stunned at his size, as well as its detail. Everyone talks about the veins in his hand or the expression on his face, but I was simply blown away by the fact that a human person created this. Not only that, but the thing is hundreds of years old! David is of magnificent size, and strange proportions, because he was meant to be placed on the top of the Duomo di Firenze, along with many other Old Testament figures, but the idea was scrapped after Michelangelo finished him. Partly because the work was too amazing to be put so far away from view, but also because the Florentine Renaissance thinkers didn't really think through the implementation of this project. Ie they actually had no clue how to do the thing.

 After David, we went for lunch at a bar close by! They had purple tablecloths, and decently priced wine. The waiter was very nice, and smiled at me as I got prosciutto and prosecco mixed up for the millionth time. I got ravioli, Bridget Daly got spaghetti, Fay got amazing(!!!!) salmon risotto, and Robin got gnocchi. We all had a glass of house red wine, and had a fabulous time! After lunch we went back to their air b'n'b and met all their other friends. Since it was late afternoon, we chilled and talked for a bit while other girls rested. I made coffee in the Moka pot, but it retaliated and I made a huge mess.



That night all eight of us found a restaurant that was bigger on the inside and ordered Bistecca di Firenze, vegetables, white wine, red wine, seasoned potatoes, pasta, soups, and salad. Once totaled, it came to about 15 euros each! It was wonderful. The waiter was also very nice, and gave us free limoncello (which was probably a bad idea in hindsight). A little bit buzzed off excitement and free drinks, Bridget Daly, Fay, myself, and one other girl set off into the night to explore the nightlife.

The way Fay and I usually explore cities is we do the touristy things during the day, then once we have our bearings, just wander about at night like we own the place. This night was hoppin', and everywhere we went was full of life, love, and interesting people. We carried around a bottle of wine and were on a mission to find gelato across the bridge. It is a little known fact that the smaller the city, the easier to get lost. You end up back at the same place, and you dont even know it! Since we got a bit turned around, we arrived eight minutes after it closed!

Fay and I made it back to the hostel from the b'n'b in a little under ten minutes, and slept like babies in the bizarrely unaccomodating hostel. The next day, we met everyone at the Uffizi Gallery. The line got long fast because it is free admission on the first Sunday of every month! The museum was huge, and is infamous for being long and exhausting. In my opinion, I could have spent all day in there. The gallery had an interesting juxtaposition of Renaissance and Post-Renaissance art, which had vastly different subject matter and styles. The luscious, scandalous, and brightly colored Renaissance paintings were followed by Medieval-style icons of religious figures, and symbolic damnations of earthly pleasures. We admired works by da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Titian. The entire culture of Florence was packed into one, very very long, and glorious museum.

"I think she's one of those Botticelli chicks."

 Fay and I left on Sunday night, and arrived back in Milano at about midnight. I took a shower and crashed into bed. I had a make-up Marketing lesson the next day, and again was astounded that I had just seen a major piece of art and history, and then was going back to class like it was no big deal!

So, a little bit on my not-so-exciting daily life. I live an a large residence hall that used to be an old hotel. My room is spacious and comfortable, with a large balcony. There is a small kitchenette, with a mini fridge and a microwave. I bought a hot plate and a pan, and Fay, Maddie, Kim, and I cook and eat dinner together every night in my room! We rotate who cooks dinner on what night, and have a variety of pasta, risotto, chicken, and pasta dishes (yes, I know I said pasta twice). The meal usually ends with gathering around a tub of gelato and jamming on Kim's guitar, talking about traveling, home, boys, birds with arms, and classes. Cooking and eating is truly Italy's greatest passed-times.

I am making a nice group of friends in classes too, and work very hard during the day to pay close attention for the full hour and a half. The .35 euro vending machine coffee certainly helps. I pack my lunch to save some money, and have a pomodoro e mozzarella panino, or una ensalada di pollo e pomodoro. I have gotten better at eating healthier! Lots of veggies and fruits are (almost) balancing out the desserts and pasta.

About once or twice a week, everyone brings together their larger group of friends, and we have a big mutual-friend-type of party. Usually, its a themed dinner party! Last week we had breakfast-for-dinner, and this week we had a pot-luck, and a dessert night!

I am beginning to miss home during the week, especially since the semester back home is in full swing, and my friends are doing amazing things! Olivia tried on wedding dresses, the winter guard put on an amazing show, swim club beat IU, Schuyler and the new team at the Purdue Review is putting out great new content, my friends are throwing trashy house parties, my brother is playing in the symphonic orchestra, and AdLib is holding auditions! I feel like that I am missing so much, but then I remind myself that I am where I am meant to be right now, doing what I know is changing my life forever.

Thank you, everyone, for your amazing support. I appreciate you keeping me in your thoughts & prayers, and please feel free to drop me a line at any time! (Mostly through facebook or email, my phone has been on airplane mode for five weeks!) I will be back in no time, and can't wait to bring home Italy with me!