Home in Florence

Hello all!  So much is happening and there is so little time to write! I'm only into my second week here in Florence, but I feel like I've been here for much longer.  I've finally adjusted to the time difference, and am starting to adjust to the heat.  However, we are told it will get deathly hot in July.

As for the apartment, I don't have any pictures currently but will make sure to take some very soon.  When we first arrived there was nobody there to let us in, since we came at the wrong time because of the cancelled flight and all...  But finally after about 45 minutes of standing on the steps in the street of our new casa, our roommate came back from walking around to let us in.  Then I hauled my 80 pounds of luggage up 6 flights of stairs, shaking from exhaustion and completely out of breath.  When I finally walked inside our apartment, I was in heaven.  It is a quite large apartment actually with windows that must be something like 8-10 feet tall. There is a living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 baths and 3 bedrooms. Also, I have the 4 best roommates! ;)

I unpacked nearly everything I brought with me in record time, despite the exhaustion.  Then I decided to shower before going to our group dinner.  The bathroom nearest my bedroom has hand painted tiles which appear to be fairly old but I'm actually really fond of them.  The part I'm not so fond of was how there is a lack of sealing around the base of the shower, so when I opened the shower door to exit, the entire bathroom was flooded! I had managed to do something wrong within the first few hours of living in my new apartment!  In any case, there was a mop and all was cleaned up.

Since the first day, we have discovered the apartment below us is being renovated so we are being woken up by hammers and saws at all hours of the day.  Also, the alley outside my window is also the route taken to the market around the corner, so carts on cobblestone from 6am on is common as well.

Even with all of the noise, our apartment is in perfect location.  Only 2 blocks form the oldest, most famous bridge in Tuscany: Ponte Vecchio! It is the only bridge to have survived the WWII bombings.  And has little jewelry shops along the sides, held up by poles off the side of the bridge.  It is a popular tourist check-point, but I love going there at night to look down the Arno when the city is all lit up.

Arrivederci Indiana!

Hello to my lovely followers! I'm so glad you are here to share my experiences in Europe with me! I will be leaving tomorrow morning and I could not be more excited! The last couple weeks are a complete blur as I was constantly worrying about all the details of my trip, but now that it is go-time, I know I am ready!

I will land in Pisa mid-day Friday if all flights go as planned.  My friend (who is also in the program with me -- thank the Lord I have her!) and I are hoping to do a little sight-seeing and then possibly hit up the coast.  I will be without a doubt taking many, many pictures to share! I'm especially looking forward to seeing the Leaning Tower (obviously) but also Nicola Pisano's carved-marble pulpit which is in the Baptistery in Pisa.  Pisano was one of the most important sculptors leading up to the Italian Renaissance period.  In fact, the date of the finished pulpit, 1260, is commonly the date used to mark the beginning of the Renaissance.

This weekend is all orientation programs with my school and classmates!  I can't wait to meet everyone, including my roommates! We will be living in a typical Italian apartment...what that all includes I am not exactly certain!  In any case, I map-quested our address and it looks like we are in a great location -- the heart of the city!

Time to get back to final packing! Next time I'll be writing from Italia!