Day Twenty

Tuesday Jan. 26^th 2010

Beggars. You either hate them, or you don’t mind them. Nobody loves beggars- and in Florence, they’re everywhere! Gypsies and beggars roam the streets of Florence looking for anyone to give them money- especially American students. There could be a group of people walking past a gypsy and the first person (and usually only person) she’ll go up to is the American student. Im sorry miss, but you’re not having my frickin money. This one gypsy with rotten missing teeth, she looks to be about 4-4 ½ feet (no lie!), and long greasy hair and a crooked, wretched nose comes up to me EVERYDAY and asks me something in Italian and shakes that cup with coins in it… no, you’re not getting any money from me, ever. They even try to make you feel bad by laying on the sidewalk with dogs and pets, even children. Today I was walking past the Duomo by myself. A group of Asians were taking photos, multiple Italian men and women were walking past in the same direction, even some Italian students and students from other countries were there- but the only person the gypsy came up to to ask for money was me: the American student. Its like we have a target painted on our foreheads- they think we’re loaded, generous, maybe even scared, unconfident people- not used to the culture and customs of Italy. This may be true- but im not dumb. You will never see an Italian man give a gypsy money- and you will never see Brandon Young give a gypsy money. lol

Today was a very long day of classes. Its going to take probably another week or two to get used to this schedule. In Italian we discussed the test we’ll be having on Thurday, in Sketching and Drawing I fell asleep- it was long and boring what can I say, and in Italian Art we talked about St. Francis Assisi and the rise of the Renaissance. Okay, well studio was interesting- nobody can really understand Franccini- so it makes class twice as hard as it already is. He rambles on for twenty minutes, asks us a question and laughs cause we have dead looks on our face. Im sorry we cant understand your accent! And when he doesn’t know the English term he replaces it with an Italian word- so his sentences are in Italian and English. Good thing I don’t have him for Italian. Regardless, he is extremely good at what he does. His firm in Milan, Metrogramma, is taking on a city plan for the future of Milan that will continue on until the year 2030! He is even doing a project in Detroit and Cleveland if im not mistaken. This guy is huge. And I think ive seen his shoes at Armani for 400 euros. Anyways, he left early cause he is just that cool and we found out he’ll only be in studio on thurdays. Meanwhile “his assistant” will be our professor on Tuesdays. That just sucks doesn’t it?!

When I got home I made a pizza, took a nap, worked out with Bryce, then made a burger and did the dishes. I went back to the bebop to see the infamous Beatles cover band again. It is so convenient because the Bebop is right across the street from us- and they play every Tuesday night and its free! So why not go right?! Plus it reminds me of the days when I was rocking out on stage. Of course, that was only 3 weeks ago I suppose.

Day Nineteen

Monday Jan. 25^th 2010

It’s official: I’m going to Munich, Germany on April 23^rd until April 25^th for “Spring Fest” with a bunch of Architecture students (too many to name). A student who went to Florence last year recommended the trip, and I looked into it, and it seems very fun!

I woke up today feeling a little better than last night.. but I was still sick regardless. It seems like everyone is sick though. Getting used to the water, the air, and the culture takes a turn on the immune system and it just takes some getting used to. Everyone either has a sore throat or a cold. Class today (Forces that Shape Cities) was very interesting- we talked about the fall of antiquity and the “Rebuilding of the City”- which is where our class begins. The subject intrigues me very much- but I don’t want to bore the subject matter that Frantoni makes so appealing. We went to a few sites and talked about how the ancient Roman empire is evident in places like Florence. Just down the street from the school is an ancient watch tower that was built around the year 1200 and it marked one of the four corners of ancient Firenze!

I worked out today with Bryce (even though I was sick- it probably was a bad idea lol), bought some medicine from the Farmacia, cooked burgers (they don’t have ketchup anywhere!! Errrr), and went to the studio later to do some homework. For some reason, im having trouble getting back into studio mode- perhaps its because I feel like im on an extensive vacation and not in an intense study abroad program. Im already beginning to feel the pressures of studio and I haven’t even had my first crit yet… this is bad. Ohh well, I just need to focus on getting better.

Day Eighteen

Sunday Jan. 24^th 2010

Today I slept in; I was still pretty sick in the morning so I didn’t want to leave the apartment much today. I went to Standa to get groceries for the next couple of days. I tried some new snack foods: Pan di Stelle and Cenci di Carnevale. I bought some really good gelato, pizza, pasta, salami, turkey- all the bare essentials. I think I am going to go to Munich on the weekend of April 23^rd with a group of people in Architecture. I did some homework, read some of “The Lost Symbol”, and visited Jen, Zanna, and Melanie for about 20 minutes until I got too sick to stay over anymore.. ugh.

Day Seventeen

Saturday Jan. 23^rd 2010

Today we went on a day trip to Pisa. I didn’t realize how cheap it is to take a train to Pisa. It was only 5.60 euros. I went with Bryce, Steve, Justin, and Jake. The train ride their took a little over an hour and I fell asleep for about half of the ride. I wasn’t feeling so good when I woke up this morning- which can explain why I slept in till 11 instead of 8 when I planned on leaving. When we got there we had to walk for about 30-40 minutes to the Piazza dei Miracoli- where the cathedral, the leaning tower, and the Baptistery are located. The campanile (leaning tower) was pretty amazing, but perhaps was most stunning was inside the Duomo. The amount of paintings, sculptures, and renaissance architecture was unbelievable. The plan of the cathedral is shaped like a cross, with 2 apses and a main alter along with a center aisle and a main entrance. The two leveled structure was composed of a coffered ceiling and towering ionic and Corinthian columns make up the interior as well.

After we visited the Cathedral we went over to the Baptistery (which we had to pay 5 euros for). The interior wasn’t as exciting but the Echo demonstration was stunning. The enormous dome that towers above offers the perfect conditions for reverberation. One of the ladies who worked at the Baptistery sang in the center of the room as well listened to her voice echo for literally minutes after each pitch. It was truly a remarkable experience and well worth the 5 euros I paid to get in. I’m so glad I got to videotape the demonstration! After we left the piazza about an hour later we went to a kebap and pizza restaurant where I ordered a kebap pizza! The food in Pisa is much cheaper than the food in Florence! We were joking that it might be cheaper to just take a train to Pisa everyday and eat their than to eat in Florence. Haha. On the way back to the train station we stopped and got Gelato for only 2.50 euros (for 4 flavors). It was the richest and best icecream I had in my entire life! The train ride back seemed pretty quick, and before long we were back in the apartment in Florence. I was’t feeling good when I got back- im starting to get pretty sick. I hope this sickness wears off by next week because I don’t want to be sick for class on Monday or Paris next weekend…

Day Sixteen

Friday Jan. 22^nd 2010

Today was a very productive day- and I even got to sleep in (no classes today!). Perhaps the best experience today was getting a haircut. The Italian man who did my haircut was very good- he seemed like a perfectionist. We was using all types of scissors, a straight-edge around the neck, trimmers and clippers, and he washed my hair and styled it like an Italian! All for only 13 euros! It took about an hour to do.. but it was well worth it. The best part was he didn’t speak a word of English. Haha. Our conversation pretty much just consisted of me saying “Due on the sides.”

I officially joined the gym “SWAN” which is about 7-8 minutes from my apartment. I went there today with Bryce (who joined as well) and we worked out for about two hours. I couldn’t figure out how to work the treadmill haha! Later on I went out to dinner for a school program that I signed up for. It was at a very fancy restaurant (I forget the name of it) just down the road from Via Dei Cerchi. We had two types of pasta, zucchini flower and fries, chicken, and chocolate icecream. The four course meal was delicious- but we all thought it wasn’t enough food. Im fine with that though, it was free!

Tonight I stayed in and spent most of the night at the school planning out future trips and updating my blog. I decided to book airline tickets to Paris for next weekend! I’m going with Bryce and Colin and some ID girls. Words cannot even express how excited I am for this trip. I want to go to Paris perhaps just as much as I want to go to Rome. I am SO excited to go to the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa!!

Day Fifteen

Thursday Jan. 21^st 2010

Today was a long day outside. For Sketching and Drawing we spent the whole two hours at the Piazza just down the road from my apartment on Via Dei Servi. We had to pick a spot in the piazza and draw what we saw. By the end of the class my hands were numb.. lets just say it was pretty cold outside. For Italian Art we went to Piazza Signore and Piazza Republicca where we talked about the history of Florence as a Republic and a capital, the rise and fall of Rome, Dante the poet and the Renaissance, and the Democratic system in Europe. It was a very interesting lecture, besides the fact that it was kinda hard to take notes because we were outside standing the whole time while listening to Rocky. For Studio I had to rush to the Fortezza da Basso where our site is this semester. We were their for nearly four hours. During this time we watched one of our professors (prof. Ponsi) do two watercolor paintings of the fort- each in a different location. He is very good at painting. He also gave us a walking tour of the fort and we took pictures and documented the site for our site analysis that is due on Tuesday. After studio I grabbed some Chinese food from a restaurant right next to our apartment. I went to the red garter and twice night club tonight. The red garter was a very cool place- live music on a stage with multi-story seating and a bar area. Twice was packed with italianos and American students (which wasn’t a surprise). I got lost on the way back home so I called Alyse (not that I was scared or anything) but I finally made it back safely!

Day Fourteen

Wednesday Jan. 20^th 2010

It’s hard to believe that its been two weeks since I left America (it feels much longer). It’s safe to say that I’ve gotten used to the culture: walking outside not knowing what anyone is saying makes it feel like your just listening to background noise as you walk by (it’s kinda soothing actually). I found out that no matter what you do, how you act, or how fluent you are in Italian, the people here are going to know you’re American, and it’s obvious. Sometimes when I walk into a Ristorante or shop they immediately begin speaking to me in English (which is great, but sometimes I like to practice my Italian). Sometimes I don’t even bother speaking Italian, I just speak in English and they’ll understand me. It makes me think why im even trying so hard to learn how to speak Italian at all.

Today I didn’t have any classes- I spent the day getting some groceries, doing laundry, and cooking food. Ive been trying very hard not to spend much money, cause I know in the future im going to be spending a lot of money on trips, food, and possibly a pair of shoes or dress pants. I went to a gym today called SWAN gymnastic club. Bryce and I were able to work out for free for our first time visit. Membership until May 15^th is 165 euros- which I’m really considering. Most gyms around here cost up to 300 or 400 euros to join (of course they’re not a gymnastic gym). Melanie made me dinner tonight at her apartment, and Colin came to visit. We relaxed and watched scrubs in Italian. Haha

Day Thirteen

Tuesday Jan. 19^th 2010

Today was a very long day. It was my first day of full classes. I had Italian first at 8:30 in the main lecture hall. Then directly after I had sketching and drawing, which consists of 3 professors- 2 men and a woman. I have the woman professor (who seems to know English the best). We went over expectations and materials, etc. Directly after I had Italian Art with Rocky Ruggiero. He is probably the sweetest dude ever and he can speak English very well (he grew up in Boston). He is very intelligent- he specializes in Architecture History. Our last class, studio, was in the lecture room as well. My professor, Mr. Francini, looks just like Jack Black. No lie. Haha! He is not very good at speaking English, but he is a well-known Architect in Europe (and I have him for a professor!) who I am looking forward to having. He dresses like a rock star- tight black pants, tight dress shirts, and a shiny black coat. He has long, thin hair and he looks to be about 40.

Studio seems to be a pretty interesting class this semester. We are designing a contemporary mediatheque (I think it’s called) located in a medieval fort famous in Florence (no lie!). The project sounds very irrational- but the professors seem very convinced. We’ll see how it turns out when we progress further with it.

Tonight we went back to see the Beatles at the Bebop. They were great, once again, but the place was packed this time. I could barely get inside. I missed half of their set and I didn’t stay long. But, all in all, it was a good, productive day. Im glad I like all my professors and classes this semester!

Day Twelve

Monday Jan. 18^th 2010

FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

Today was quite an experience- Forces that Shape Cities with Marcello Frantoni was a very interesting class. Frantoni is the director of the program, and a very good professor. He’s very fluent in English (unlike some of our professors) and he grew up in Italy. The amount of information he knows is unbelievable and it seems like he reads all the time- he’s always quoting authors and historians. The class is about social change and how culture influences architecture and design. I’m looking forward to it (even though it’s on a Monday). Today we booked Spring Break.. we ARE going to London from March 27^th to March 31^st and then to Barcelona from the 31^st to April 4^th. That means I will be in Spain on Easter. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but its definitely something to look forward to. I am beginning to get used to living here… which is kind of a relief, and definitely something I have to get used to. Homesickness hasn’t occurred quite yet.

Day Eleven

Sunday Jan. 17 2010

Today was a pretty boring day- but for some reason I was busy all day. I went to San Lorenzo again, went to the school for a little to plan for spring break with Mel and Tommy, and I cooked dinner later. For spring we are thinking about going to Paris and then Barcelona for sure, but we are not sure about Paris (possibly London?). I went to Via. Antonino later to visit Cassie, Amber, Sam, and Rachel. I got ready for classes this week. Tomorrow I have one class: Forces that shape cities with Fantoni in the lecture room at 11:00am.

Day Ten

Saturday Jan. 16 2010

Now that orientation was over, I was able to sleep in today. I went shopping today and took a lot of pictures. I walked to San Lorenzo and past the river where I found some pretty cool shops. All of the stores on the bridge are jewelry stores. I went to Armani, Gucci, Italian Apparel, a vintage clothing store, coin, Replay, and many others. Italy, especially Florence, is known for its fashion and designers. Even though most of the clothing stores are really expensive, I went inside nonetheless to try and grasp the fashion and styles of some of the top designers. This week is special because it’s a special week in which Florence previews the summers clothing line in all of the stores. So, before the summer arrives, you are able to see what they will be selling then. I bought 2 dress shirts- one could also be used as a light jacket, a polo, dress pants, suspenders, and a sweater. Lets just say im done shopping for a while. I found some good deals on them regardless.

Tonight we had a lot of fun at a night club called Space Electronica. It had two levels of dance floors and an upper level balcony type thing to sit down or dance as well. I could swear that nearly everyone in Kent was there. On the first floor they played techno music and on the second floor they played American hip hop music. I think that we are definitely going to go to Space again. I didn’t get back until around 5 and even then I stayed up for another 2 hours.. Not good considering the fact I start school on Monday. Ohh well!

Day Nine

Friday Jan. 15 2010

Italian class today was very fun. Nicoletta talked to us about Italian tradition, sports, and gave us good advice about Italian customs and culture. We learned the alphabet, types of food, and phrases to say when in a classroom. At the second part of class we went to San Lorenzo marketplace. This was my first time going to San Lorenzo. It was really unique- many leather products, purses, belts, jerseys, scarves, and hats were all on sale. Besides the many vendors outside there was an enormous indoor market. And no this was not a “Giant Eagle” warehouse store we are used to in the states. This one was more dense- and the range of food was unbelievable. Big slabs of meat were hung from the ceilings, wine was sold on every corner, bread, pasta, and fresh produce could be found everywhere. Italians eat more meat than we do- lamb, rabbit, even cow wieners!

Tonight we went back to the Glamour again. We met a group of American students from Michigan studying here for the semester. We saw a lot more people from kent tonight. It was more crowded than last night. As far as the night was concerned, it didn’t end up how I anticipated, but it will be okay im sure.

Day Eight

Thursday Jan 14 2010

Today was a long day. We had an academic orientation, a medical orientation, a “cross cultural experience” with an American education professor, and an orientation for honors students today. Apparently in order to work out at a gym in Italy I need to meet up with a soctor and get permission first (Italians have weird rules- yet so do Americans). We also found out that some classes only have 3,4, or 5 people in them- which isn’t nearly enough- there must be at least 7. Luckily, im not in any of those classes. Tonight I hung out with the same crowd as last night. We went to a place called Glamour- which was free again. We met these American students from Virginia State studying here until April. They arrived here on Tuesday. They thought I was Italian when they first saw me! I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not- ill take it as a compliment. Glamour wasn’t as packed until later on in the night. It was really fun and yet again they played American hip hop music.

Day Seven

Wednesday Jan. 13 2010

I LOVE our Italian professor. We have Basic Conversational Italian class for 10 weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays when school actually starts- and its at 8:30 AM. BUT having Nicoletta in the morning is the best! She is SO energetic and happy all the time! The fact that she has some trouble with English words is kinda funny too- we constantly have to help her out in class. Haha.

Tonight I hung out with Colin, Tommy, Ashleigh, Jen, Luke, Jackie, Jelly, Katy, and Paul. We really wanted to go to place called YAB but it was too expensive- 10 euros just to get in. So, instead we went to this place called Capicotta (I think) which was okay. The only problem was there were too many old people there- creepy Italian men like to hit on American girls. There was a saxophone player who was playing to American hip hop tunes- It didn’t sound that bad though! We left around 2:30- which is kinda early (most bars don’t close till 4 or 5) because it was getting lame. I was getting uncomfortable and I wasn’t feeling the scene- I don’t know if it was too classy or not classy enough. Regardless, for only spending 5 euros it was a good night (and day!).

Day Six

Tuesday Jan. 12 2010

Today we went to the biggest park in Florence, just west down the river. On Tuesday mornings the park is full of people and vendors. Our Italian professor Nicolleta referred us there. The walk was about 30 minutes but it was very much worth it. We saw some pretty amazing views along the way- the river and city view was incredible (I took a lot of pictures). We had to go in between orientation classes today because apparently the market is only on Tuesday mornings. When we got to the park, we were shocked to see almost a mile long line of market vendors stretched down and around a lake at the park. We found food, clothes, and accessories- shoes, toys, fabrics, and scarves surrounding us on both sides. Our teacher was right- this definitely had to be the biggest marketplace in Florence, and it only goes on Tuesday mornings! It was very cheap too- I bought a couple scarves for a euro each, a dress shirt for 4 and 10 euros, and a belt for 4 euros. By 1:00 sellers were packing up and leaving- so for an event so huge its crazy to think it only last 5 hours one day a week. That’s Italy for you.

Tonight we went to a place called “Be Bop” where we saw a Beatles tribute band. They were pretty good, but they had some trouble hitting the high notes. Regardless, we had a great time. And it seemed like everyone from Kent was there. The place was packed with people dancing and sitting around in tables and private booths. One of the ID girls got up on stage and danced with John Lennon! Lol They played 2 sets that lasted about an hour each- I made me miss playing the drums on stage for a little. I kept thinking I had to get ready to play cause I was up next- then I realized I was in Florence.

Music is Florence I’ve learned so far is pretty much just American music- billboard tops in America find there way to Europe and are played on TV, radios, and bars in Italy as well. Most dance clubs and bars play American hip hop and pop music and techno. The crazy thing is that they are played in English and Italians know the words! In fact, mostly everyone here knows some English (if not all- some in fact are very fluent in English). It’s funny to think that Americans come to Italy and don’t know how to speak their language yet they know how to speak ours and they don’t even have to visit our home country.

Day Five

Monday Jan. 11 2010

Today we began orientation week. I woke up early this morning (about 8:00) and walked to Via Dei Cerchi- the street where the Kent State Building is located. The Building is very unique- like most buildings in Florence, the building is connected to each building on either side of it, the entrance is small, and when you walk inside you immediately encounter a staircase that runs up 5 floors. The buildings in Florence are very sectional- they are not fans of open spaces. Instead, they cram spaces with architectural elements. The grocery stores, markets, clothing stores, pizzerias, and ristorantes make the most use out of any space they take up. Grocery stores and markets are always busy because Italian people don’t buy groceries once a week like Americans do. Instead they get groceries- bread, fruit, milk, vegetables, and sometimes pasta, every 2-3 days simply because they are more fresh. Nobody at grocery stores gets more than a bag full of groceries- and they walk everywhere, so you wouldn’t want to carry bags of groceries all the way back to your apartment.

The facility has a lecture hall on the second floor (it Europe it’s called the first floor), the second floor is an eating/vending area, the third floor is the library and I believe the studios are on the fourth floor (I don’t know yet). We started our basic conversational Italian course today- our instructor is 100 percent Italian. In fact, all the staff and professors speak to each other in Italian, so we never understand what they’re saying. We learned how to order food at a ristorante or take out café, which I kinda already knew how to do… not really, haha. Most of the time I just stand there like a dumb American and say something like “Buongiourno, non parla italiano. Parli Inglese?” and they would most likely shake their head if they didn’t speak English, then I would have to say “Viero Pizza con acqua naturale, grazie.”

After the first Italian class we had a nice welcoming from the director- M. Fantoni, who happens to be my studio professor, and then a security briefing and a reception. At the reception I had seeded grapes and the best oranges I ever had in my life!

Day Four

Sunday Jan. 10 2010

Today I slept in until about 4:00 (im still experiencing jet lag). Our water went out again, but we’ve made it a habit of switching the fuse on and off so the pump refills itself. We walked across the bridge today, and the scenes were amazing! Most of the shops are closed on Sunday, so were just glanced inside and walked around taking pictures. I didn’t realize how big Florence really is. The best way to plan your day in Florence is to not do any planning at all. If you just walk around, get a little lost, you will without a doubt find some pretty amazing sights and places you wouldn’t come across unless you planned to walk through it. Nearly every turn and street has something unique about it. The architecture is amazing and the sights are beautiful. I am just starting to notice some Americans just moving into Florence- some 3,000 American students study in Florence every semester, beginning in the end of January running until about the end of May. Towards the months of March and April prices begin to sky rocket, so the best time to shop is now! I really want to buy a nice leather jacket soon, so I think I will look around tomorrow when more shops are open.

Day Three

Now that we’re pretty much settled in, today we spent the day trying to get used to the Italian culture. I went grocery shopping for the first time at a supermarket called ‘Standa’. I spent the longest time looking for salad dressing, then I realized Italians make it with oil and vinegars and spices. Wow, I’m retarded. Ordering food and getting groceries is a challenge- because we only knew a few words, we probably seemed rude and inexperienced. All the food is amazing! Even the small frozen pizzas I bought taste better than any pizza in America.

At night we went to a club/bar called M202. They had two levels with a bar and a dance floor on both levels. The first floor played techno music and the second floor played American hiphop and pop music. Italians don’t dance very well in my opinion (if they even dance at all) and so we when started dancing some of them started laughing at us. It was SO much fun though!

Day Two

When we arrived to Paris we were about 45 minutes late due to weather conditions. No we did not see the Eiffel Tower but we did get to speak some French. The flight to Florence was rather quick and more exciting than the flight to Paris- it wasn’t as crowded, and he didn’t have to worry about falling asleep on the person next to us cause everyone on the plane was either an architecture or ID student. For about half of the flight we were able to see an overhead view of Florence- red roofs dominated the terrain. The skyline was amazing, and the excitement was progressing as we landed the plane.

Upon arriving to Florence we were directed to a bus and then a taxi that took us to our rooms. The taxi driver knew little Englush- we had to point to our address on a piece of paper in order for him to understand us. The drive to our apartment was crazy- people in Italy don’t drive like Americans. The drive fast and careless it seems- they don’t waste their time with stop signs and red lights- instead they merge into oncoming traffic and cut in front of people- but it seemed like everyone was doing that. Tommy and I looked at each other in shock. What was going on? We just laughed and let the driver take us to our apartment while we sat in the back seat trying to take everything in. When we finally arrived to our apartment on Vei Del Servi 45 we were immediately greeted by a lady “who worked for the agency.” After handing the taxi driver 25 euros and carrying over 90 lbs. of luggage up 4 flights of stairs, we arrived to our room “Banti” on the 4^th floor.

Our room is just short of incredible- not one room is square or identical- instead, solid plaster walls make up the hallways and rooms- the kitchen is perhaps my favorite: the ceilings are high and lit, and the woodwork and cabinetry is modern with marble countertops. Tommy and my room is the biggest- two single beds and two floor to ceiling closets make up the space, with a dresser in the middle of the room. The lady then began explaining how to use the appliances and basic rules and procedures for the apartment: how to use the washer, the stove, and “don’t collect wine bottles on the shelves-it’s not decorative.” Haha

After she left, Tommy and I sat on the couch in shock and amazement. Now What? We didn’t have anyone’s number, we didn’t have the Internet, the TV was in Italian, and we didn’t know but a few words of Italian so we really couldn’t speak to anyone. We just started laughing until we came to realization that all we could do was unpack and walk around. So after we unpacked our luggage and re-arranged some furniture (our beds were way to close to each other), Mel, Ashleigh, Zanna, Jen, and Jackie came over for a little to see our place- soon we left to go out downtown where we grabbed some amazing pizza from ‘Yellow Bar’ which is right down the road from us- and we got 5 pizzas for 5 euros each- a good deal for great food!

On the first night in Florence our water went out. Little did we know that our toilet was running for hours and it used up all the water we had. We had to call for help-which was a challenge in itself. The wine in Italy is very good- I got red wine on the plane and we bought some chianti at a local market. On the first night we visited the girls place on Vei Pucci which is one block away from our place. When we got back we found Bryce hanging out with Bobby, Dan, and TJ. Later on we went out (around 2 or 3) only to find the streets were still busy with people- something that is very unusual in Green, Ohio. I found an Italian bar with 2 Italians playing guitar. It was a small brick and plaster bar with arched barrial vaulted ceilings and plaster walls. The only light was candle light on each of the tables. We ordered Sangria Wine and listened to the small band play music (the only song I knew was Johnny Cash which they played in Italian!) The environment was very calm and friendly- there must have been no more than 10 locals and us. I was the best experience of Italy thus far.

Arriving in Florence: Day One

Day One

Today we departed Kent at approximately 3:30 PM and we took a charter bus to the Detroit International Airport. When we got there we had to run to the terminal to make our flight. Through security I got my peanut butter confiscated because I had it in my carry-on. Haha! The flight attendants were very nice and helpful (and very good looking!) They were French woman and they knew how to speak French, English, and a few other languages as well! I found the flight to be quite uncomfortable.. luckily I sat next to Melanie- only due to the fact that they messed up our boarding passes (thank you Ted Roy). Were we able to watch movies and listen to music on the monitors on our seats on the plane- I didn’t get to finish the three movies I started haha. We had two meals- for dinner we had beef and pasta, a brownie, pudding, five grain salad, and water; for breakfast: OJ, yogurt, and a muffin.