Damn it is cold!
Only I would run into a co-worker (from the cricket club) in Florence at a museum looking at Michelangelo's David. Like Brian said, I am a magnet.
Friday was a mix of happy and sad. Happy because I headed to my new Room of the Week and was going to Florence for the weekend. Sad because Sandra and Anastasia headed to their respective homes (Hamburg and Moscow). We had our goodbye hugs, I gave them each a DVD with two movies on them because we had had a very passionate discussion about film and it seemed like a good parting gift. Today I received the candy they left for me at the front desk. They're so sweet!! Anyway, back on track, I moved house (which was a BITCH) and headed out to Florence.
Two hours and some confusion over seating in the train later I was in Florence and chillin' with Bonnie. Side note, Florence was the coldest it has been since Bonnie has been there...this was bad as I had taken Anastasia's word and packed for warmer weather. Apparently summer weather for someone from Moscow and someone from Philadelphia are defined quite differently. We went to get some gelato and mostly had a relaxed evening. The next day we were off to a chocolate festival with her roommates. Lemme just say, getting six girls to leave at the same time is way overly complicated. Eventually we made it to Fiesole, where the "festival" was. I put it in quotes because the word festival makes me think streets of chocolate vendors...it turned out to be a tent. A decent sized tent but much smaller than we thought. Still, totally worth it! Yes, I did buy quite a bit of chocolate (not as much as you are probably thinking, maybe four different small things and one comes with blueberry liqueur!). We walked around the area but it was so cold we opted to head back to Florence.
Bonnie and I went to check out Michelangelo's David, which is really impressive and amazingly detailed. It's HUGE! When sitting on the bench (which happens to give you a wonderful view of David's ass) we ran into Patrick, a guy I worked with at the club this summer. I think he said he's studying in Ireland and was visiting his girlfriend here. Totally didn't realize who he was for a few minutes because he wasn't in uniform. Either way it was one of those coincidences that I tend to have a lot (running into someone you know in a situation that you never thought you would see them--like when I ran into a girl I met at UArts at a stop off the highway on the way to Maryland or when we ran into the Friedlanders on a beach in Cape Town, South Africa [this one was more likely as we knew they were in South Africa but we didn't think we'd run into them...especially not on the beach randomly]).
Anywhoodle, we walked around the museum and then headed back to the apartment. More chilling was done until dinner when Bonnie took me to the restaurant at which she's studying/working. It was wonderful and we were so stuffed by the end of the night.
Next day we went to Carnevale at Viareggio. It's not Venice but I'm sure it's as impressive as that Carnevale if not more so. The floats were amazingly detailed!!! I cannot describe it. Good thing I have photos and some video to show their movements. Let me repeat it: AMAZING! It was colorful and lively!! Really crowded with people in costumes, in regular clothes and throwing confetti! I wish I'd been dressed up but hell if I had known what to dress as. My favorite costumes were the more traditional jester getups with fancy masks. I can't wait until I get to Venice to look at the masks! It reminds me of the bubble scene in Labyrinth when Sarah has her hair all huge and is in that puffy white dress. Shush, I love my David Bowie movies!
Once we got back to Florence we ran to Bonnie's apartment, got my bag and speed walked to the station. We made it to the station with a few minutes to spare and it turned out my train was a little late so it all worked out. Headed back to Milan and promptly passed out in bed.
There are more photos in my Milan album on photobucket and I have more on my computer that I'll add to that album in time...
First, Milan's Duomo:
And Friends:
Sandra rocking her Spongebob sweatshirt. We ended up breaking into the theme song in three different languages the night before.
Anastasia! I didn't get many photos of her sadly.
The Santa Maria Delle Grazie. Home to The Last Supper.
Random street that looked pretty:
We were walking around Duomo and found this food truck. SO GOOD:
At Mayflower, the bar that we ended up at every night. We would get drinks and do homework. I'm very sad that Sandra and Anastasia went home because we had some good times:
FLORENCE
The Chocolate Festival Tent:
I just really liked this guy...He was silly.
At Florence's Duomo they were in Carnevale dress:
Viareggio Carnevale:
The shadows are Bonnie and me both taking pictures of this adorable dog. There were other animals dressed up, too.
Bonnie and the Wine Opener are friends!
This guy got photos with both of us:
OBAMA
Friday was a mix of happy and sad. Happy because I headed to my new Room of the Week and was going to Florence for the weekend. Sad because Sandra and Anastasia headed to their respective homes (Hamburg and Moscow). We had our goodbye hugs, I gave them each a DVD with two movies on them because we had had a very passionate discussion about film and it seemed like a good parting gift. Today I received the candy they left for me at the front desk. They're so sweet!! Anyway, back on track, I moved house (which was a BITCH) and headed out to Florence.
Two hours and some confusion over seating in the train later I was in Florence and chillin' with Bonnie. Side note, Florence was the coldest it has been since Bonnie has been there...this was bad as I had taken Anastasia's word and packed for warmer weather. Apparently summer weather for someone from Moscow and someone from Philadelphia are defined quite differently. We went to get some gelato and mostly had a relaxed evening. The next day we were off to a chocolate festival with her roommates. Lemme just say, getting six girls to leave at the same time is way overly complicated. Eventually we made it to Fiesole, where the "festival" was. I put it in quotes because the word festival makes me think streets of chocolate vendors...it turned out to be a tent. A decent sized tent but much smaller than we thought. Still, totally worth it! Yes, I did buy quite a bit of chocolate (not as much as you are probably thinking, maybe four different small things and one comes with blueberry liqueur!). We walked around the area but it was so cold we opted to head back to Florence.
Bonnie and I went to check out Michelangelo's David, which is really impressive and amazingly detailed. It's HUGE! When sitting on the bench (which happens to give you a wonderful view of David's ass) we ran into Patrick, a guy I worked with at the club this summer. I think he said he's studying in Ireland and was visiting his girlfriend here. Totally didn't realize who he was for a few minutes because he wasn't in uniform. Either way it was one of those coincidences that I tend to have a lot (running into someone you know in a situation that you never thought you would see them--like when I ran into a girl I met at UArts at a stop off the highway on the way to Maryland or when we ran into the Friedlanders on a beach in Cape Town, South Africa [this one was more likely as we knew they were in South Africa but we didn't think we'd run into them...especially not on the beach randomly]).
Anywhoodle, we walked around the museum and then headed back to the apartment. More chilling was done until dinner when Bonnie took me to the restaurant at which she's studying/working. It was wonderful and we were so stuffed by the end of the night.
Next day we went to Carnevale at Viareggio. It's not Venice but I'm sure it's as impressive as that Carnevale if not more so. The floats were amazingly detailed!!! I cannot describe it. Good thing I have photos and some video to show their movements. Let me repeat it: AMAZING! It was colorful and lively!! Really crowded with people in costumes, in regular clothes and throwing confetti! I wish I'd been dressed up but hell if I had known what to dress as. My favorite costumes were the more traditional jester getups with fancy masks. I can't wait until I get to Venice to look at the masks! It reminds me of the bubble scene in Labyrinth when Sarah has her hair all huge and is in that puffy white dress. Shush, I love my David Bowie movies!
Once we got back to Florence we ran to Bonnie's apartment, got my bag and speed walked to the station. We made it to the station with a few minutes to spare and it turned out my train was a little late so it all worked out. Headed back to Milan and promptly passed out in bed.
There are more photos in my Milan album on photobucket and I have more on my computer that I'll add to that album in time...
First, Milan's Duomo:
And Friends:
Sandra rocking her Spongebob sweatshirt. We ended up breaking into the theme song in three different languages the night before.
Anastasia! I didn't get many photos of her sadly.
The Santa Maria Delle Grazie. Home to The Last Supper.
Random street that looked pretty:
We were walking around Duomo and found this food truck. SO GOOD:
At Mayflower, the bar that we ended up at every night. We would get drinks and do homework. I'm very sad that Sandra and Anastasia went home because we had some good times:
FLORENCE
The Chocolate Festival Tent:
I just really liked this guy...He was silly.
At Florence's Duomo they were in Carnevale dress:
Viareggio Carnevale:
The shadows are Bonnie and me both taking pictures of this adorable dog. There were other animals dressed up, too.
Bonnie and the Wine Opener are friends!
This guy got photos with both of us:
OBAMA
