Today was the end to our adventure packed week, but the beginning of our Florence adventure. Salute, to our last morning living out of our carry-ons that are busting at the seams. This morning started off in Forte Dei Marmi at their weekly Mercato, their version of a Sunday morning farmers market but filled with lots of clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Molti vestiti!
Afterwards we traveled by bike around the coast. The ocean visible, wind in my hair and sun shining down made this one of my favorite parts of this week. The trip was short because we had to head onwards to Florence. Along the way we stopped on the interstate to eat at a “gas station.” Interesting, right? Well it was not your traditional American gas station, it was filled with fresh food and a self-serve food court inside. This week I’ve learned that Italians love to use olive oil and balsamic the way Americans love ketchup and mustard.
We arrived in Florence around 3 o’clock, to meet more FUA staff eager to help us move into our apartments. It was sad saying goodbye to Marco and Paulina, but we will most definitely see them over the next six weeks. Our group of 14 is split among three apartments here, right next to each other. I think we all felt a sense of relief unpacking and organizing all of our things after this past week. After unpacking, one of my roommates, Emily and I found the nearest happy hour on yelp. We ended up at a quaint little Mexican restaurant for a margarita and chips and salsa to quench our craving for some Mexican food. On our walk home we stopped to see the Duomo, which then led to us getting a little lost for about 45 minutes. But don’t you worry – we made it safely back to our cozy apartment. We begin orientation Tuesday and start class on Wednesday. I think we are all eager, to say the least, to fall in love with this city.
[This post was composed by Kaylee McCracken, a junior studying public health]