Attention all before you read this. I am a first time blogger and I'm blogging about things I want to remember in the future (Sorry I didn't know what to leave out so I left all of it in).This includes my weird humor, emotions about the sights and culture, and of course pictures and video. I am updating from yesterday, be warned its alot! I haven't purchased a phone yet so my family and friends haven't been updated on everything, this is me updating. (Also sorry about all my spelling and punctuation mistakes. I am still very sleep deprived).
The past three days have been so hectic, almost as bad as rush week at TCU. (That's saying alot!) The flight was completely great, better than my pessimistic self pictured it. That was all until Sam and I arrived in Rome to connect to Florence. Florence was too "foggy" to land in, leaving the airport temporarily closed. Therefore our flight went an hour northeast past Florence to Bologna, leaving me and Sam a little worried about the time of our arrival in Florence. After landing, we walked down stairs to get out of the plane (Sarah Palin style). Italy happens to have buses that take people to the planes out in the runway, crazy. We ended up waiting for our baggage for about an hour along with everyone else on the plane. By the time we lifted our checked suitcases off the baggage claim, we realized my suitcase fears had reached an ultimate point of reality. My parents persuaded me to use their biggest suitcase, which happened to have no long handle to drag the suitcase. It had what I call a leash. To drag the suitcase. My suitcase on the otherhand weighed about 60 pounds, causing it to weigh the same as a boulder. When I pulled it off the baggage claim, the leash was gone. Haha, fabulous. Me and Sam dragged it all the way to one of the buses waiting for all the passengers on the flight to load their stuff. ended up waiting another large amount of time to load all suitcases/wait for another bus. Left for Bologna finally. By this point, I was very sleep deprived. Everytime I woke up on the bus, my head was pressed up against the window looking down a neverending mountain, not too mention the lanes were so small and so close together other vehichles seemed only inches away from my nose. For those of you that know me well, know I am a very paranoid passenger. If we weren't driving on the side of the mountain inches away from a neverending drop, we were speeding through mountain tunnels that echoed. It's safe to to say I have overcome my fear of Texas drivers.
Once arriving at the Florence airport 1 1/2 hours later, we stood in a large line for a taxi. That was another ride of our life! This woman was very sweet and very aggressive like all Taxi drivers aparently. Florence Italians have no road rules what so ever. She sped all over the place, and would hit her brakes inches away from other cars. Pedestrians dont have right of way here, haha Taxi drivers do. They mean business!! After we got to the hotel, we examined our room. 4 beds and a bathroom (toilet, urinal and shower head right above toilet). If you want you can be lazy and just sit down on the toilet, do your business and shave your legs at the same time. Haha totally kidding, but I'm sure it's been done. The view was surreal it seemed. The Duomo cathedral was right there! BUT then we went to the roof, the view of the Duomo was even more breathtaking. I mean that word fully. Breath-taking. And once again thought that was amazing. Later on when we got to our apartment today we found out one of the bedrooms has full view of it. It's almost not even worth explaining for me. To have studied things in school so much and to have that history right outside the window? That is a fairytale. Last night our ACCENT directors (Program here in Florence making it all possible for TCU students) took all of us out to dinner. We walked a few blocks down to a little restaraunt. (On the way there I was touched by some creep who gave me his version of the "sexy" eye, he just reached out and grazed my hip/butt when I walked past him). Apparently we aren't supposed to smile at any Italian men here, because they take that as an open invite to cat call and grab I guess. I smile alot so this will be a problem. Next time I am going to work on a really threatening phrase, our program directors suggest it. Actually they suggested elbowing perverted me in the gut or stomping on their feet to make the situation known.
Anyways, we ended up going to this little restaraunt (all the restaraunts and hotels and shops are so tiny, if you blink you can miss them). First a pasta dish came out with a thin flat noodle and vodka meat sauce, second a turkey and roasted potatoe dish came out and then the desert came out. It was all so amazing. My goal is to take pictures of my food, but so far it has been a failure because it is so inviting I gobble it up and ruin the picture presentation qualities. Last night when my head hit the pillow, I was out. Then my body woke me up a few times after. Also some Italian man last night ran down the street screaming things, I think he was upset. But it was a little scary.
Today we began the day with a typical Italian breakfast, which consists of rolls and coffee. No eggs, bacon or grits. Haha something to get used to. The coffee is the best coffee I've ever had hands down. AND it was only hotel coffee, nothing special. After breakfast we were taxied off to our apartments. They are great! More spacious than I imagined, great view of the Duomo outside Claire's window. It can't be explained. Today we had a walking tour, they showed us all the baby basics like the best place to get a go phone, how to get a taxi, train stuff, bus stuff, where to charge our phones, where to buy fresh produce and etc. Then had ACCENT orientation which lasted what seemed forever. Then after that we went out for Monica's 20th birthday for pizza and white wine. Best birthday ever. The pizzas were SO delicious. I had a mozarella, tomatoe and salami pizza. So yummy, and the white wine was like white grape juice but not as sweet. I think I am slowly but surely going to appreciate wine. As of right now I am sitting in bed with my back aching from lugging that suitcase up 3 flights of stairs. Haha its a good price to pay! So blessed, this reality is still a fairytale to me.
View from Terrance at Hotel di Medici.
Duomo view from OUR APARTAMENTO
View from Hotel di Medici, again. (I included myself this time Mom) Don't mind how gross I look from all the traveling!
Veronica, Sam (Roommate), Teal and me!
Clothes line we aren't allowed to dry clothes on? Still cool
Pretty Teal admiring the Duomo
View at Night! (As y'all can tell, I'm a huge fan of the Duomo!)
Oh and Frannie if you read this, I bought a pair of black leather boots today for 79 Euro, and they are holding a black leather jacket for me. They said they will give it to me for 150 Euro, it's a 350 Euro jacket! It's beautiful. I only brought my purple coat too, I dont know what I was thinking. I didnt pack any jackets or houseshoes. Haha lesson definitely learned. Like the boots?
Well going to get ready for another long day tomorrow! Ciao! Look at my facebook for upcoming video of our views and rooms :)
