Last week turned into a flurry of activity. Between going to class, running around the city with my roommate, and scheduling time for eating/homework, it seemed as though the weekend came just in time! Thursday night brought with it copious amounts of wine and a night at the discoteca with a bunch of other students in our program. Apparently it was somebody's birthday, because, as I recall, we spent much of our time in the club atop tables in the VIP section with bottles of champagne being handed to us. I didn't hate it.....
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| On her second night in Florence, my roommate and I climbed to Piazza Michelangelo and watched the sunset over the city. What a way to start your first weekend! |
On Friday, I traveled with my Villa & Garden class to the quaint town of Fiesole, home to one of the many Medici Villas, numerous quarries, and the best ravioli I've ever tasted. We spent the morning studying the Medici Garden before heading to the community center for lunch. After feasting on tortelli in an herb and butter sauce and a salad dressed only in olive oil and salt, we ventured into the woods to speak with a stone mason who has worked for the past 60 years in the quarries on the mountain. He demonstrated traditional masonry methods and explained his experiences. Afterwards, we hurriedly hiked back down the mountain to catch our bus.....which ended-up arriving 45 minutes later.
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| Villa Medici in Fiesole overlooks the city of Florence. |
That evening, my roommate, myself, and three other girls from school dined at Il Gatto e La Volpe (The Cat & The Wolf), and, much to my surprise, it was one of the best meals I've had while in Florence. We began with spiced foccacia bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. For our antipasti, we feasted on bruschetta and prosciutto with melon. For my main course, I had four-cheese gnocchi in a cream sauce. Everything was washed down with the house white wine. Suffice to say that the walk home quickly developed into a painful waddle as my stomach was too full to allow my body to move any faster.
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| We rode on the Grand Canal in Venice, allowing us to see the city as a Venetian truly would! |
My roommate and I then spent our Saturday in Venice. We rode down the Grand Canal, drank Bellinis in a Venetian restaurant, and watched a glass-blowing demonstration. After walking the city for two hours, we also decided to explore the markets, which was fun for my soul but painful for my wallet. On the bright side, I purchased my first gift to bring home. Get excited, Mom!
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| At the glass-blowing demonstration, the craftsman created this horse, from a lump of hot glass, in less than 3 minutes. Impressive? |
Sunday, we ventured to Verona and Lake Garda. I believe this may be my favorite day thus far. Verona is a beautiful historic city, known best as the location for Shakespeare's iconic Romeo & Juliet. The town is meticulously preserved and celebrates its architecture and culture. We walked through most of the city, stopping at the houses of Romeo and Juliet, touring the cathedral of Saint Anastasia, and walking around the Verona colosseum. As if that wouldn't have been sufficient, we then headed to Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. Nestled in between the mountains with picturesque beaches, Lake Garda is the destination of choice for many wealthy Europeans on holiday. We rode across the lake on a boat just in time to watch the sunset over the ruins of Tiberius's palace. To say that it was perfect would be an understatement.
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| The sunset over Lake Garda was absolutely breathtaking. |
All in all, I had a wonderful weekend. Earlier today, I toured the Palazzo Medici and was lucky enough to view their private chapel, which is ornately adorned with frescoes detailing the nativity. Tomorrow morning, I'll be climbing the Dome of Santa Maria Fiore (The Florence Cathedral....colloquially referred to as the Duomo) and this Friday, I'll be headed to Pienza. Here's to an exciting week! Arrivederci amici!
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