il mio appartamento and last weekend

So, spent the afternoon rearranging some things in my apartment (a la KJ) and now the place feels MUCH more like home. I created an excellent reading nook under the stairs in place of the crappy storage area it was. Also got some decent pictures to share. Still working on the bedroom. My bed is super hard and I thus far I have been unable to sleep through the night. Am trying to get to Ikea to get a eggcrate or something. Yes, there is an Ikea just outside of Florence and a free bus that goes there straight from the center of town every hour on the hour all weekend long. Crazy.

So, let's backtrack. Last Saturday, we headed to Fiesole, a small town in the foothills surrounding Florence, to check out some Roman and Etruscan ruins. We were accompanied by the study center's resident art historian and were given a tour which included an amphitheater, roman bath, and temple complex. Then, we hiked up a hill (straight up - a Florida girl has got to get used to this) to a monastery. The views were unbelievable.

We headed back to town and Betsie (one of my student assistants) and Ryan (the program assistant working in the study center office) decided to get lunch at the Mercato Centrale. Both Betsie and Ryan have spent almost a year in Florence already so both speak a moderate amount of Italian and know their way around quite a bit. We went to Betsie's favorite stall and got a huge slab of lasagna for 4 euro and we ate it on the steps outside. Molto bene.

On Sunday, I finally got a chance to sleep in and putter around my place a little bit. I headed out of the house around 11 hoping to finally get inside Santa Croce Basilica. Mass was just about to start, so I scratched that and walked down Via De Pepi toward the grocery store to get some all-important yogurt, which is practically all I eat besides pizza and prosciutto. On the way I ran smack into a FLEA MARKET (Mercato delle Pulci)! Located in the Piazza dei Ciompi just two blocks from my house is a monthly flea. The stuff they had for sale was amazing. Books, old signs, lots of art, they even had a life-sized marionette pony. I amost wept. Check out my amazing find!

Later in the afternoon, I met up with the students again and we hiked another giant hill and 10,000 steps to San Miniato al Monte (basilica) and Piazzale Michelangleo (a beautiful scenic overlook). The basilica had amazing frescoes and a brilliantly painted ceiling. More to come... off to Italian class. Ciao!

la mia biblioteca

The bells at Santa Croce

I can hear these bells in my apartment.

Florence, I'm Yours

Well, I have arrived! My apartment is very Italian and adorable but not very photogenic. I'm on the top floor and it's quite a climb but the view of Santa Croce from my bedroom window makes it totally worth it! I've never had a little apartment to myself before (let alone one in Europe) and this one is everything I've ever wanted. Check out my door!

Last night at 9:30, after a hectic day at work attempting to get my bearings before the students arrived, I treated my self to a 2 euro gelato and a stroll around Piazza Santa Croce. It was definitely a "this is one of the best moments of my life" experiences. Santa Croce is literally about 10 steps from my front door and it is always populated by tourists, but at night a lot of Italians come out to have a stroll, too. I feel so lucky to live in this area. The presence of tourists may mean higher prices in some cases but it also means extended hours, lots of people around, and tons of cute restaurants and bars.

I'm really liking everyone here and getting acquainted with the city is an adventure. My credit card has already been declined twice (both times I was told so in Italian - so I had no idea what they were saying). I've fixed it for now. The language barrier is getting more cumbersome by the day. Hopefully, I will be able to sit in on Italian classes this semester if I can get the student assistants' schedules figured out. I want to learn how to speak or at least understand Italian NOW! I really wish I had pursued it more while I was still in the states.

Overall, I'm settling into my job and my new city very nicely except for the vomiting and jet lag.

My library is lovely. Really excited to get to know the collection and the daily ins and outs of the place. Here is a picture of the 10,000 keys I have to open all the doors at my apt and the library. So cool ... and this is just the beginning!