Bonjourno famiglio and amicos!
I cannot tell you how thoroughly I have enjoyed Florence! It is such a historic city and is SO charming; the piazzas (squares), monuments, cafes, and cathedrals are so breathtaking.
Getting to Florence was quite an adventure in itself. Word of advice to any potential Florence visitors: always fly into Pisa instead of directly into Florence because the prices are poles apart. I had planned to visit Pisa, Cinque Terra (Riomaggiore), and Florence with my pseudo-cousin, Sheila, who is currently studying at Oxford (but conveniently has a month long break!). Although we both speak English, we definitely got "lost in translation". I was supposed to meet her at La Spezia Centrale, which is close to Pisa and also to Cinque Terra, a gorgeous place to hike and admire the Italian Riviera. A familiar McDonald's was at La Spezia. I was then directed by Sheila to come to Cinque Terra; however, once I reached there I received a text saying, "I'm at McDonald's." We had essentially switched places, which means we were not in the same location! It took us a good hour to finally find each other...Sheila was patiently waiting back in "Micky D's," with her third brownie (where all those calories are distributed on her lean figure beats me!).
We had tons of fun catching up with one another on the train to Florence. We talked about all our plans that we had solely been discussing over the interweb medium...it was so much more efficient communicating in person!
Once in Florence, we decided to take advantage of all we could. Our hostel was such a down-to-earth place where many US and British students were staying. We were greeted with scarlet sangria and drenched apple bits. I was already in love with Florence right there and then! We then went out to the club Yab (really fun, but a bit expensive!), the Irish Pub, The Old Stone, and the more casual disco Twice. The area surrounding Piazza Santa Croce is crowded with young travelers and the Italian youth at night; it's a fabulous scene! On Sunday, we had the best gelato in Florence (according to Sheila), a lot of beef carpaccio (THE BEST STUFF ON EARTH...sorry, Snapple), and of course, PIZZA. The extra virgin olive oil, buffalo mozzerella, proscuitto tuscany, and crepe florentine are especially famous in Florence.
On Monday, I went on a bike trip for two hours. This was so exhilarating....the cool breeze and Tuscan sun made the experience so much more memorable. I felt like I was living vicariously through Julia Robert's character in the movie, Eat, Pray, Love. In an attempt to be frugal, Sheila and I bought parmesan pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, proscuitto, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and made our own little feast. This meal was almost as splendid as the nap that followed in the park.
All in all, Florence was a blast! Simply put, it is lovely! The people here are so wonderful as well! I don't think I ever seen such cute old people and babies (and boys....). That's all! See you soon back in "South Ken".
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