Two weeks later...

IM STILL ALIVE. I know it has been far too long since my last post and I apologize for that! Florence is just completely consuming and TIRING. I'll have you all know that I am well (other than allergies) and doing just fine here in Italy. I know I left you all hanging with the possibility of enjoying some gelato and that I had yet to have a meal here in Italy. That said, I will gladly tease you all with the wonderful food I have eaten in Italy so far.

pâté- GROSS

Four nights of the week our home stay makes us dinner. For our first meal, Marina made us pasta, of course, in tomato sauce, with sides of zucchini, bread, and salad. It was delicious, though, I must say in a rather bias manner, that my mom's sauce is SUPERB to most of the sauces I have had here (HI MOM!!). I can't remember exactly what order we had our meals in, but here is a list of some other foods Marina has served us: chicken nuggets (out of a bag, not homemade), a flat scrambled egg (weird), chicken cutlets, macaroni with pesto, macaroni with tuna (not great and very salty), and chicken cacciaotore with apples. We always have bread with dinner, and one night Marina made her own bread which was AMAZING. Kind of like the bread they serve at Savianos but BETTER. I've tried olives, mushrooms, eggplants, zucchini, cauliflower, and a lot of peppers. I even regrettably tried pâté. I had no idea what it was, and for anyone reading this who is also in the dark on pâté... it is basically ground chicken liver. All I could think about was that it looked like canned dog food and smelled about the same. I took the tiniest little nibble of it and could barely keep a straight face before downing the rest of my water. NEVER. AGAIN. Aside from that, I have also eaten a decent amount of pizza and paninis, both of which are the cheapest food around and can also be found down every street. And, of course, I have eaten enough gelato to feed a third world country.


Classes have obviously started. I am taking Italian 101, Dante's Commedia, Exploring Wine Culture, Modern Renaissance Art History, and Black and White Photography. I have already had a presentation in my Dante class which went well. My Italian is improving daily, though I am still far from fluent. Wine Culture is super fascinating. We have already visited the Uffizi in art history, and will be visiting the Bargello tomorrow. There is not too much to say about classes just yet other than I love all of my professors. 


Not that my parents or grandparents want to read about this, but for all my friends and cousins reading this... the clubs, or discotheques are INSANE. We've pretty much been to the same clubs Jersey Shore has. Twice is not that great. One of the girls on the trip said it best... "Its called Twice because you go there the first time and it stinks, so you go back a second time... And it still stinks. And then you don't go back cause it was horrible twice." So true. I don't know what Jersey Shore liked about it. Every club we go to, my friend Mary and I try to get into the VIP sections, but they just don't let us. We can't figure out HOW those people get in there, but they look so glamorous when they stand behind the VIP section sign. Tough life. There are a lot of sketchy people in the clubs so we all dance together with our group and stay together. And NO, Mom, I do NOT put my drink down EVER. We try not to get drinks AT the club anyway because its so expensive. The crazy thing is that you could walk around holding your alcoholic beverage in your hand and they don't care. They also sell it to anyone and everyone. Not saying I do that...  
There comes a time in every American's journey in Florence where one just wants to be surrounded by fellow Americans. So we all go to Red Garter and Lions Fountain or Den, where they have Beer Pong Tuesdays and karaoke nights and where there are more frat daddies than creepy Italian men around. As strange as it sounds, it is almost comforting to go to those places. I like 'em. 

Picci

Anywayyyyyyyy... This past weekend we traveled to Siena, which is BEAUTIFUL. It is a very small city just south of Florence. It is very hilly, though it's beauty makes you forget about the burning in your calves. We went to Torre Del Mangia in Piazza del Campo which is a square shaped like a shell. It is a huge piazza where they hold a twice-a-year horse race called Palio di Siena. Torre Del Mangia used to be the tallest tower in mediaeval Italy, but is now the second tallest. Attached to the Torre Del Mangia is the Palazzo Pubblico, which is Siena's town hall. We also visited Il Duomo in Siena, which is their huge church. It is very beautiful inside, but is where all of the tourist (us) are all cluttered. Aside from the sites to see, there was also a lunch to be had, and oh, was it delicious. I had a pasta dish called 'Picci" which is thick spaghetti noodles with tomatoes, chili peppers, and bread crumbs. It was to die for. 


This weekend I will be traveling to the Almafi Coast, staying in a beach bungalow in Sorrento, and traveling to the island of Capri, and the seaside cities of Naples and Positano. I also booked my Fall Break trip that will consist of Paris and much of Ireland for 10 days total. Big spender? Nahh, travel is super cheap here! And we'll be staying hostels which are super cheap as well. Just because I'm Europe doesn't mean I'm not living like a college student!


Throughout the past two weeks, I have gotten to know the city of Florence much better. I know how to get from piazza to piazza. I have a general sense of where the good gelato places are located, where the nightlife is, and where to get a good cappuccino. I have also come to the conclusion that the possibility of my suffering from Lung Cancer in the future has greatly increased. Not because I've decided to take up smoking while abroad, (I promise I have NOT) but because EVERYONE AROUND ME smokes, and the exhaust from cars is not easily ventilated, thus the inhalation of dangerous fumes. But I digress... We have recently discovered a place called "Mama's Bakery" which is a DELICIOUS little American style bakery with OUTRAGEOUS chocolate chip cookies and an American style diner, called 'The Diner' (original) which serves pretty much everything an american diner would sell from french toast and pancakes to burgers and grilled cheese, and let me tell you... it is almost better than the diners at home because they don't smother everything in butter here! Yumm. 

My delicious breakfast at The Diner!

Now, I'm sure you are thinking, well... Brittany must be as big as a house now... not true. Sure, I've probably gained a pound or so, but the amount of walking that we do is insane. AND it has been about 85+ since we got here so we sweat like no other. Its super gross, but hey, I'm over it.


It has taken me about 2 days to complete this blog, so I hope you all enjoy it. I regrettably have to go to my Wine class soon, so I will end here. Hopefully I update this thing  more frequently than every two weeks. I promise I will make a valiant effort to do so. 


As always, I miss everyone very very much, and the nostalgia of the summer months is absolutely slapping me in the face right now. Ugh, what I would give to be on the boat just one more time! But now I'm just being selfish... 


I hope everyone has adjusted well to the regular routine of school and work and what not. 
Liam- I hope you're killin' it on the golf course, Little Man. 
Gracie- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I know this is a little early, but I'm sure by the time you get a chance to read this it should say "belated" as well. Can't wait to read your journal from student teaching!
Charles- bike ride?
Mom & Dad- Miss you guys so much. I can't thank you guys enough for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime! 


Be well everyone!
XO B