Italia!
Heh... I've totally found wireless in my apartment. Go un-password protected networks! whoo!
This is mostly going to be a train of thought post, so you have been warned...
*Trip here was good, but long. Three flights, 17+hours of travel= exhausting. Went through O'Hare and Paris, finally to Florence. It's very hot and muggy here, and we had a thunderstorm (with lightening!) briefly yesterday. I'm not used to this "rain" and "humidity" they keep talking about. Odd. That's what you get for becoming a desert dwelling creature.
*Apartment is HUGE!! I posted some pics on facebook. Seriously. It's like, 5x bigger than I expected. I think it's set up for two people, 'cause there's an extra guest bed & guest bathroom, in addition to the one Damon and I have. Kitchen is awesome, we have a clothes washer (no dryer though), and a beautiful balcony with plants and a view of the Duomo.
*Still a bit surreal being in Florence. We've walked around a lot, just scoping stuff out. We're literally 2 blocks away from the main Central Market, where they have butchers, cheese shops, fresh (FRESH!) pasta shops, and tons of produce. We're a 10 minute walk to everything in the city. Just strolling around is like a walk through my art history books (and this is without going inside the museums yet!)
*internet is pretty limited to the building at school, or internet cafes. This is the first time we've found wireless in the apt, so I'm not sure how long it will last. Nothing reminds you of how much an addict you are but when you don't have 24/7 access to the internet. : P
*we went grocery shopping yesterday which was fun... it's really cool exploring a foreign supermarket... so many different brands and things!
*I love the fact that I can hear church bells ringing on the hour
*the coffee here is amazing. and gelato. Seriously? gelato place every other storefront. It's a gelato wonderland... we've tried two types of lemon and one coconut so far. And for dessert, we've had spumoni and tiramisu already. (drool)
*decided my existing purse was decidedly schleppy-american, so got a gorgeously elegant leather satchel for carrying art supplies and looking tres chic. Also got some beautiful leather sandals that are surprisingly comfortable and really cool looking.
*Plan for today: shop for fresh produce, fresh meat/cheese, and maybe go around and take a few photos or do some sketches. Whoo!
Ciao!
This is mostly going to be a train of thought post, so you have been warned...
*Trip here was good, but long. Three flights, 17+hours of travel= exhausting. Went through O'Hare and Paris, finally to Florence. It's very hot and muggy here, and we had a thunderstorm (with lightening!) briefly yesterday. I'm not used to this "rain" and "humidity" they keep talking about. Odd. That's what you get for becoming a desert dwelling creature.
*Apartment is HUGE!! I posted some pics on facebook. Seriously. It's like, 5x bigger than I expected. I think it's set up for two people, 'cause there's an extra guest bed & guest bathroom, in addition to the one Damon and I have. Kitchen is awesome, we have a clothes washer (no dryer though), and a beautiful balcony with plants and a view of the Duomo.
*Still a bit surreal being in Florence. We've walked around a lot, just scoping stuff out. We're literally 2 blocks away from the main Central Market, where they have butchers, cheese shops, fresh (FRESH!) pasta shops, and tons of produce. We're a 10 minute walk to everything in the city. Just strolling around is like a walk through my art history books (and this is without going inside the museums yet!)
*internet is pretty limited to the building at school, or internet cafes. This is the first time we've found wireless in the apt, so I'm not sure how long it will last. Nothing reminds you of how much an addict you are but when you don't have 24/7 access to the internet. : P
*we went grocery shopping yesterday which was fun... it's really cool exploring a foreign supermarket... so many different brands and things!
*I love the fact that I can hear church bells ringing on the hour
*the coffee here is amazing. and gelato. Seriously? gelato place every other storefront. It's a gelato wonderland... we've tried two types of lemon and one coconut so far. And for dessert, we've had spumoni and tiramisu already. (drool)
*decided my existing purse was decidedly schleppy-american, so got a gorgeously elegant leather satchel for carrying art supplies and looking tres chic. Also got some beautiful leather sandals that are surprisingly comfortable and really cool looking.
*Plan for today: shop for fresh produce, fresh meat/cheese, and maybe go around and take a few photos or do some sketches. Whoo!
Ciao!