Finally Florence

Yesterday we moved into our apartment!! Alyssa and I are sharing what should be an apartment for three people, but API said they had a cancellation so there is an extra loft with a bed above the bedroom we share (We decided not to use it since it gets way too hot up there, Lucy-and-Will-third-floor-style hot). The apartment is much bigger than the one I had in LA last summer. Our bedroom is as big as the AEPhi TV room and our living room is equally big. Our kitchen even has an oven (Elizabeth is way jealous since she is here to cook and is without one).

Our bedroom
Our Kitchen

Amy and I at our first dinner in Firenze

View from dinner of the Duomo!

For our first dinner in Firenze (Florence in Italian) API sponsored a dinner for the program at the top of a hotel and had a spectacular view of the Duomo and the city. Besides being a bit windy and chilly, which was welcomed after our hot weekend in Roma, it was perfect—we even had bowtie pasta! One of my favorites.

Today we had a walking tour of Firenze (Florence in Italian) by a guide who was not even close to as funny, good looking (well to me, she was female…), or loud as Paulo, whom we had in Roma. It was nice to get oriented though and rapidly see places I wanted to return to learn more about.

Il Ponte Vecchio ("the old bridge" below): It’s the only bridge the Nazi army spared when retreated from Florence. Since the middle ages, the bridge has house jewelry shops, especially gold and diamond specialties. It’s fun to window shop.

We ate lunch at il Mecato Centrale that is basically like San Francisco’s farmers’ market on the Embarcadero mixed with Harrods’s deli in London, but cheaper and Italian! The first floor is filled with meats, fish, bakery, and pasta stands and fruits and veggies on the top. It’s in what looks like a refurbished factory or warehouse. At the café inside, we had roast beef sandwiches on white roles with the tastiest a jus. Even though we meant to order the beef stew not the panino, it didn’t matter. The meat was so rare and tender, but the fat got stuck in our teeth. Small price to pay. Elizabeth will be returning there soon.

Meat Stands. These are for you Will. Instead of showing slices of meat, they show basically the entire animal, for example this is where they cut rib-eye steaks. We also saw a cow femur bone. While it was as long as my upper arm it was as think as my neck. Big cow.



Next we had an orientation at LDM (Lorenzo de’Medici), my school (which is an art school, I’m going to art school!). We had our meeting in a church! It was a beautiful building with frescos and carved limestone. I cannot wait to see my studio.

Tonight Elizabeth and I spent five hours cooking and planning excursions for the following weekends. I have to admit, we’re pretty ambitious. We’ve decided to do our own trip to Venice (hopefully this weekend!...ekk that’s in a day!). You should see us sprawled out on the strawberry table cloth in my apartment reading each other bits and pieces of guidebooks (which we have no shortage of resources with her Bon Appetite magazines, my three Florence guides, and the eight guides left in the apartment). Mom you should be very proud.

We are also planning a trip to Southern Florence to see Naples, Positano/Ravello, and Pompeii/Sorrento (over three days) for our last weekend. It’s going to be amazing. Basically Liz and I have been applying our pre-med work ethic to soaking up as much of Italia as we can in our four weeks left. No stone unturned, no cheese not eaten, and no sight unseen. We’re also planning some day trips…we just cannot contain ourselves. Our dinner, below, was a decent first attempt to cook in my tiny kitchen with Elizabeth. She made great salad with bread in vinegar with cucumbers, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, oh and LOTS of garlic. My pasta with tomato basil and prosciutto was the sadder of the two. Since we got so caught up in planning trips we were famished. As we ate and talked we listened to the lingering music from a classical music concert San Marco’s square, two blocks down from my apartment. Yes, this really happens in Italia.

Our first homemade dinner:


I met a Bulgarian girl named Plamena (Plamy) who is an exchange student in the states. She calls me her German and Elizabeth her Russian. She’s a fascinating person, interested in perusing art as more than a hobby but not a profession and speaks 3.5 languages, who I hope to get to know better. She studies Scandinavian Lit at U of Chicago. Her roommate Jen goes to De. While there is definitely a group of students who are the definition of why American tourists/students get a bad name, there are some gems in the ruff. I’ve especially enjoyed meeting some ladies from the South. I cannot get over their accent.

Colleen (I love this girl, it feels like she’s a Cali girl at heart although she is from the East coast) is here for six months and I am so jealous. I want to live her forever. I love the Italian way of life: taking pleasures in the simple things, how environmentally conservative they are in their appliances and cars, the language sounds like you’re singing someone a song as you talk to them (I often listen in even though I have no idea what they are saying), the bunches of older women all dolled up to go to the market, the slowness of a meal to enjoy the food and conversation, the fact that saying “ciao” or “bongiorno” just makes you feel happy (unlike English where good morning can feel like a slap in the face), that people kiss each other hello and being surrounded by so much history 24/7. I’m on cloud nine right now.

However, I REALLY HATE CATCALLS. Every single man, it doesn’t matter how old or young (seriously a 60 year old bought Jen a drink last night) will hit on you. It’s flattering, but I cannot even walk half a block to take out the trash with out hearing “Ciao Bella” (hello beautiful). [It reminds me of the Jerry Seinfeld stand up comedy bit from “I’m telling you for the last time” called ‘Men and Women’. Here is an except:

“Women want to know what men are thinking….I can tell you the truth…nothing. We’re not thinking anything. We’re just walking around, looking around. This is the only natural inclination of man. We like women. We want women. We’re walking around, honking car horns, and yelling from construction sights. These are some of the best ideas we’ve had, but it’s not easy when your minds are blank.”

One of the funniest things was in Rome when some man was waving a sign in a big crowd of people, so Alyssa looked up (never make eye contact with these men or they will never leave you be, that’s my rule) and he said something like, “ Hi pretty lady. You want to have sex?” with a totally serious face. I almost fell on the floor laughing while Alyssa picked up the pace towards the hotel. It’s completely harmless, but annoying. I’m not saying I don’t like being told I’m beautiful, but seriously boys, it’s so intense. I just don’t get how they keep it up until their graves…must be in the vino. I guess they aren’t afraid of rejection like American boys are….every culture has its pluses and minuses.

Tomorrow we’re off to Bologna and a tour of a Balsamic vinegar factory (!). If anyone doesn’t know, I love balsamic and would drink it if I could. Then Sat/Sun is Venice, if we can find a hostel, and Monday we start classes. Time is flying and I need to get some sleep since we’re meeting at 7:30 am.

Ciao!

Jacqueline

PS Thank you so much for all your e-mails, wall postings, and comments. PJ I’ll try to stay away from the grappa... Mom, I’m going to include more entries on food. And Christie I’m sorry you and Cecilia are so bored. Plan some day trips…they take up a lot of time. Oh and I don’t think I’ll be able to bring back gelato, so tell me your favorite flavor and I’ll eat it for you and tell you how it was. ;) Michelle thanks so much for the recommendations, I hope to get to those spots ASAP. Caroline, the constant wall posts make me feel like you’re not so far away. You’re right studying abroad is really the time of your life. Oh and check out my little’s blog (Ashley Levine) on the right side…she’s seeing some amazing stuff in Africa. I’m so proud to be her big. Michealla, I don’t know if you’re reading this, but thank you so much for encouraging me to come here and make the time to study abroad. I’m learning so much not only about Italy and culture, but also about people, especially myself. I hope you’re all doing well. If anyone else wants to hear anything specific, please let me know.

And just so you all know, I’ve found some sandals that are like walking on clouds (Mom they are the ones you ordered for you, the black bite sandals. I highly recommend these pups. I’m so over the fact that they don’t look too cool. It’s function not fashion for footwear when you’re going a million miles a minute.)