Today I started my day by going on a run to get some much needed exercise in. I decided to run down by the river. Unfortunately it was so crowded everywhere in the streets that I couldn't run until I reached the Arno. I ran along the river which was very pretty but SO HOT. I now know when the right times are to work out. I was thinking about joining a gym, but there aren't many at all in Florence, and you need a doctors note in order to get a months membership. Very strange.
Along the run I spotted a fruit stand and made a mental note of the street it was on. After the run I ventured back to the stand to pick up some fresh fruit. The strawberries I got were absolutely delicious and the stand is close by to my apartment, so I think I will make it a daily thing. I have been trying to mark on my map all of my favorite places as I come across them so that I don't forget.
After I got my fruit I walked over to my first class. It started to rain, but it wasn't that big of a deal because the streets are so narrow and the roofs of the buildings hang over into most of the streets. Once I got to class I was surprised to see that there were only two other people in it! One of the girls is my roommate and the other is from another program. My professor is the sweetest young Italian woman that went to fashion school in NYC and teaches at SRISA and another fashion school in Florence. She went over the syllabus with us and told us what we will be doing in class. Basically we will be learning how to sketch our own fashions and ultimately create them in the end. We will be doing a lot of projects and research like creating "mood boards" that basically are collages of inspiration for designer's collections. We will also be taking trips around Florence to markets and shows that are relevant to the class. The professor then showed us precious students work from the class to give us an idea of what we will be doing. It reminds me of an easier version of Project Runway, which is very exciting. By the end of the class I should have a portfolio filled with my work and a garment produced to take home.
After the professor introduced us to the class she took us to the art supply store to get what we will be needing for the course. I got a sketchbook, special paper, and markets/pencils for sketching. Once we got back to the studio we started our first project. It was to create a collage that reflected our tastes and style. You can see my finished product in the pictures I uploaded. This is very fun for me especially since I make collages all the time at home. Tomorrow we will learn how to draw people's silhouettes and the human form that we will ultimately be drawing the clothes on.
Once class was over my roommate and I headed back to the apartment to get ready for the cooking class that was scheduled for us by the program. We then crossed the Ponte Vecchio to get to the class in a really cute building. The cooking class was a lot of fun! We learned how to make a Caprese-like appetizer, gnocchi with a meat sauce and a red sauce, and tiramisu. The chef made it a lot of fun. After we had cooked the meal we went down to the basement, which looked like a winery, and ate the food that we cooked. It was delicious! After we were done eating the chef gave us the recipes to take home, which I will definitely be recreating.
After the cooking class some of my roommates and I then went to a bar close to our apartment just to grab one drink before bed. The bar had t shirts hanging from the ceiling of the various colleges in the US. It was very cool. Florence is definitely the popular place to study abroad in college. I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring. I hope I wake up wary enough for my run! Xoxo