Today was my first full day in Florence! The weather was beautiful again. I woke up to the hustle and bustle of the city. People here go to bed late but also wake up fairly early. The markets are open from 6:30 to 1:30 so people are up and about as soon as the sun rises.
Once I was up I quickly got ready and went to the orientation at Santa Reparanata where I will be taking classes. The school is very close to the apartment which is very convenient.
The first part of the orientation went over things about the school and safety in the city. We had a break in the middle of the day, so my roommates and I went to lunch at a restaurant recommended by one of the SRISA staff that was right next to the school. I ordered a caprese salad and had my first glass of wine in Italy. I asked the waiter what he recommended so he brought he Chianti, a red wine. I normally do not like red wines in the US, but this is absolutely delicious. The quality of wine in Italy far surpasses that of back home.
The restaurant was owner by an old Italian man who was also the chef. Once he found out that we were students at the school, he brought us two plates on the house of Bruschetta and Panzella. Both were delicious. He also only charged us 10 euro each at the end of the meal even though our meals were more. How nice! I have learned that most of the locals in Italy that own their own businesses love to make people happy just because they love what they do and love sharing it with others.
After lunch we went back to the school and we finally found out what classes we were in. I am taking a Studio Art class about Italian Fashion Design and Construction. I am so excited! The class meets Monday through Thursday from 3 to 7 pm. I am planning on touring Italy, going for runs, and picking up food in the markets every day before class, then after getting dinner on the way back to the apartment.
Once the orientation at the art school was over, one of my roommates who will be taking the class with me and I spotted the professor and she showed us the classroom and talked a little about the course. La professoressa is a young and very nice Italian woman that teaches the fashion classes at the school. She said we will learn a lot in the short month and will come out with a lot of skill and knowledge about fashion. This is definitely a break from all those boring physics and chemistry classes. The class sounds like a lot of fun and I can't wait to get started tomorrow.
Once we got back to the apartment we had time to relax until an Italian woman with a very strong accent came and took us on a tour around Florence. She showed us everywhere she recommends visiting, buying, and dining from a born and raised Florentine. She told us which touristy places to avoid and which places to go to get the true Italian experience. A lot of Florence is touristy around the main monuments and churches so it was good to find out where the real Italian places are. At the end of the tour the lady showed us to a rooftop inside one of the department stores that had a nice view of the city. It was very pretty!
After the tour we came back to the apartment and some of us got groceries at the supermarket for dinner. I got fresh bread and fruit to eat, which were delicious. I was still very jet lagged from the day before so after that I hung out at the apartment, showered, and watched TV. My roommates and I also started planning what places around Italy we would like to visit by train on the weekends. We are thinking of going to Pisa on Friday before the Venice trip this weekend. I really want to go to Milan and Naples, but it is a lot more expensive to take the train there.
Tomorrow I have my first day of class, so hopefully I will get up and go running and maybe visit a museum before. We passed by the Gucci museum which I really want to go to. I will blog more tomorrow! :)