Firenze!

What a weekend!  Each adventure, each new place keeps getting better and better!  Just when I think Italy cannot get any more beautiful, an even better view comes along.  I started my weekend as usual having breakfast with Manuela, and then headed to the school to meet the other API students.  We boarded our large van and headed straight to Florence.  When we got to Florence, we had to walk a little to our hotel, which was right in the center of the city, next to the Duomo!  (Hotel Lanzio) We dropped off our things and headed straight to lunch.  The city of Florence was beautiful, but there were so many tourists!  I didn't even feel like I was in Italy.  EVERYONE spoke English (or another language other than Italian).  Many of the streets were paved, and it was very hectic and New York City-like.  We met up with our tour guide, whose actual name was "Guido" hahah ironic, and he was really boring.  We each get headsets so he can talk and we can walk and look and don't have to stay so close to him to hear, but he kept stopping because he felt like no one was listening (even though he was literally in all of our ears).  We saw a lot of things though, and our director, Irene, was with us and she lives in Florence, so she gave us a lot of great information.  We saw the Ponte Vecchio., the Cathedral and Duomo, the Golden Gate, Dante's house, the straw market, and a LOT of art.

The Duomo

After the guided tour, Courtney, Sydney and I ran to get in line at the Duomo so we could climb it.  It was close to closing time, but we made it.  While we were standing in line, all of a sudden someone shoved me and said, "Get out of the way, MOVE!"  I was actually kind of irritated and quick turned around, and found myself face to face with Pauly D from Jersey Shore.  It was one of the Producers or Body guards or someone who pushed us out of the way so we wouldn't be in the shot of the cast walking down the street.  I snapped a few quick pics though, and it was awesome!

The guys from Jersey Shore.  

  After a little wait in line, we made it in and climbed up all 463 stairs to the top of the cupola.  When I got to the top, and got my first view of the city from that height, Wowie, there's not much to say.  It will probably rank up there as one of my best memories/most beautiful things I've ever seen.  I'll just let the pictures to the talking.

Step #1 of 463

B-E-A-UTIFUL

I could have stayed up there forever!  Courtney's friends from high school were in Florence, so I went to dinner with them, and then we went out for Gelato afterwards.  Did I mention that I already had gelato that afternoon?? haha  The gelateria, Grom was right next to our hotel, and it is in the books as one of the best places (which it was, and there was a block long line out the door all day/night.


Saturday morning, I started the day with breakfast at the hotel, and we went to the Galleria Academia.  We walked through some of the exhibits, and saw all of the art and statues, and then we went through a room of marble all done by Bartoloni, and then there was a room of ancient musical instruments which was amazing.  I was continuing to walk and turned to go into what I thought was another room of art, and BAM, there was the statue of David at the end of the hallway in all his glory.  Leading up to David is a hallway of other statues by Michelangelo.  I really liked these statues (Which I remember learning about) because they are intentionally unfinished.  Michelangelo believed that he was not creating a person out of marble, but rather releasing what was already trapped inside.  That idea is very evident in these statues, and I really enjoyed them.  But then I continued walking until I was standing right next to the David, which stands something like 17 feet tall.

You aren't supposed to take pics, but I sneakily snapped one. ;)

 I was just trying to picture what it was like when the statue was revealed for the first time after its completion, and I was in just as much awe as the people in that moment.


After the Galleria, we had free time, so we went shopping.  We went through the markets, to a few designer stores just to see the outrageous prices, and a 4-story H&M (Jordan, you would have never come out of there, they had so many things!).  We got panninis at a cafe and walked around some more. We went to Ponte Vecchio again to take more pictures, and I was excited to see a few rowers out on the river.  I miss rowing, and that really made me want to get back in a boat.

If you look really close, you can see the rower on the left hand side of the river.

We headed back to the hotel since it started raining, and got ready for our API event.  Irene took us all to the Piazzale Michelangelo.  It was a LONG walk, and we had to climb quite a few stairs and steep inclines to get there, but when we reached the top, the view was totally worth it.  We got gelato and watched the sunset over Florence.  What a great way to end the night.

Irene and I at the top of the Piazzale Michelangelo

We walked all the way from the Duomo which you can see here.  Wow!

Sunday, we had breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and boarded our bus/van for Chianti.  We stopped in Panzano in Chianti after about an hour to check out their market.  Apparently, it is only once a month, so we got lucky to see it.

They had the best cherries!

I was walking down a path to find more vendors, and stumbled upon this view!

  We sampled fruit, and cheese, and jams from vendors and bought a few things.  After that, we went a little further to the vineyard for the afternoon.  Let me just say that Chianti and Tuscany is probably the most beautiful place.  There is rolling hill after rolling hill, vineyards, farms, trees and flowers, olive groves, etc, as far as you can see.  The restaurant was set back in greenery, and overlooked the farm down below, and was just breathtaking.  We had a wine tasting and lunch learning how to taste the wines, and what wine goes with what food.

First Course. A Typical "Tuscan Light Lunch"

Second Course.  This pasta tasted JUST like Nanu's pasta.

We then got a tour of the vineyard, and the cellars, and learned how they made olive oil and balsamic vinegar also.  We got to try 50 year-aged balsamic which was like heaven in a bottle.   I also learned that they no longer produce their wines in traditional Chianti bottles with the woven basket bottom because it is difficult and hard to store, so I was surprised to see all of the Chianti wines in regular bottles.  We left the vineyard (even though I could have spent weeks just sitting and staring at the landscapes) and headed back to Tuscania.

Balsamic Vinegar

After a weekend in Florence, I was reaffirmed once again in my decision to stay in Tuscania.  I loved Florence, but I honestly didn't learn much about Italian culture and definitely didn't use any Italian, which are two things I wanted to do while studying abroad.  I wanted to be immersed in a different culture, whereas Florence caters to all different cultures because of its tourism industry.  The drive back to Tuscania was amazing, the whole way with wonderful scenery.  I had an unforgettable weekend in Florence and Tuscany but I was glad to be back "home" in Tuscania.