Well, here's the big update that everyone wants so much. Its been a pretty crazy past 4 days, probably the most exciting, frightening, incredible and eye-opening that I have ever had in my life. From leaving Harrisburg tuesday at 10, to arriving in Italy Wednesday at 11am, to lost luggage and finally seeing the Duomo at 3pm to today, so much has happened. I haven't taken many photos yet, simply because its been such a whirlwind and I want to breath in the city a bit and be less of a tourist. The Palazzo Rucellai is fantastic, our classrooms are simply incredible. While not the high-tech spots like Penn State, to learn about Leonardo DaVinci in the personal bedroom of the Rucellai family is pretty amazing. Pictures of the palazzo will come soon, class starts Monday and I'm pretty excited. I am trying to also intern as a a tour guide for english-speaking tourists at the Palazzo Vecchio, but that will come later. So the update for everything I have done so far will follow, and I will attempt, bravely and most likely impossibly, to blog every day from now on. The vino will certainly attempt to thwart my efforts, but we shall see.

After arriving in Firenze on Wednesday, and losing my luggage, I met my roommates Mike and Ian. They are both from UVA(university of virginia) and cool guys. Mike is also a Cowboys fan, so we're going to a sports bar to watch them play tomorrow, which is fantastic. After meeting them and seeing the apartment, we walked to the Duomo to meet some girls that we met on the airplane. Claire and Meg are from UVA as well and Annalee is from Roger Williams University and are all really nice. We wandered around the Duomo in a semi-catatonic state after all the flying and the jetlag, barely registering that we were standing in front of one of the greatest cathedrals of the Renaissance. We soon looked around for our first dinner, which was found down the street in a small authentic Italian restaurant(authentic because the menu is in Italian, it is small, ergo the tourists avoid). I got smoked salmon pasta with house wine, the food was superb and a great value. After dinner we parted ways with the girls and went back to our apartment to meet our other roommate who was just arriving, Jon, who is also from Penn State. That night the four of us talked and drank some wine before falling into a blissful slumber around 8pm.

Thursday was the first orientation day we had for the Palazzo, and it took place at the Auditorium al Duomo. We then sat through talks and lectures about safety, adjusting to a new life, classes, money etc from 9-4. We did get a break from 1130-12 though, during which my roommates and I walked up towards the Duomo and found a great bar. A bar, in Italy, being a coffee bar where exquisite espresso is served standing up for only a .90 euro. So far, I have been to these bars nearly 20 times. The quality of coffee is unbeatable and its so quick and easy to walk in, enjoy a small cup then leave. Thursday night my roommates and I went out to dinner with a group of 10 girls, we grabbed some paninis and they were fantastic. Fresh salami, mozzarella and basil on warm Italian bread. After dinner, we again got some Chianti, a Tuscan wine that is quickly becoming a staple glass at multiple meals, and had a few drinks. We then left for a club called Space Discotech and it was insane. I thought the bars and clubs at State College were good, this place puts them all to shame. 3 floors, with lounges, catwalks and multiple seating levels, the club could hold 800 people. All in all, it was a very fun night.

Friday was our first introduction to the Palazzo Ruellai itself, which is so beautiful. We enter the building through a small doorway and walk up 2 stories on a spiral staircase. Once inside, all the rooms are decorated with beautiful Renaissance molding, painted ceilings, and frescoes covering all the available space. We had a quick tour, filled out the Permesso D'Sorgiorno(permit to stay) and were introduced to some of the better places to shop and eat around Firenze. Now at this point, I still did not have my luggage. This meant that I was wearing jeans that I had worn from Harrisburg to Washington, then in the airport, then from Washington to Rome, then to Firenze, and two days after that. Also, my undershirt was the same one, and I was quite unhappy because I could not shave and was quickly looking like a hobo. So it was to my great joy that at 1 on Friday, my luggage arrived at the Institute and I could roll it home, to shower, freshen up and put on some new clothing. That night, my roommate sand I met the same group of girls again, and we toured the city a bit, seeing the Palazzo Vecchio, Santo Spirto, Santa Maria Novella, Ponte Vecchio and Santa Croce. For dinner, we went to an unbelievable restaurant, Mamma Ginna, where I had arguably the best meal of my life. I ordered seared Veal steak with spinach. Now, spinach is not an exciting vegetable, but somehow the chef made it into a delicious, buttery and creamy mix of happiness. The veal was perfect, crusty on the exterior, yet still perfectly rare on the interior. I have never eaten meat so well seasoned or so well cooked. There was not one square centimeter that was improperly prepared. With the steak I ordered a bottle of La Braccesca 2006, a vino nobile from Montepulciano, rated 91 points. A fantastic combo with the steak that added to the decadence of the food and the atmosphere. Now, for dessert I ordered an Italian specialty that is insanely delicious. Panna Cotta with dark, rich chocolate drizzled on top. A fantastic day and a fantastic evening!

Now on to today, this morning I went to the Institute and picked up my books, signed up for weekend trips to Pisa/Luca on Jan 30 and San Gimignano on Jan 23. Also, I signed up to attend a soccer match in February which seems like a lot of fun. Afterwards, I went to the Duomo with my roommate and the girls, and we finally went inside to see it for all its glory. Simply awe-inspiring, the vaulting, mosaics, painting and the dome are perfect. Then, everyone parted ways and I proceeded to wander the city with Jon. We had a great afternoon seeing all of beautiful Firenze, but the highlight was going to the Galleria dell'Accademia. Which happens to house Michelangelo's David, as well as my favorite scupltures in the world, Michelangelo's Slaves. My favorite--http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2595173643_8c89777172.jpg After the museum tour, we walked all around Firenze some more, from 3-4 until we found an open-air bazaar full of vendors selling antique books, furniture, war items, pretty much everything and anything. The highlight was that I finally caved and bought a black scarf, so perhaps I will look at little bit less American every day. Then Jon and I walked home and I stopped at a tea shop, and finally found some loose-leaf English Breakfast which I have been craving since I arrived in Firenze. Now, I am about to take a nap because there is a 10 euro pub-crawl starting in 2 hours, and I want to be fresh for pints of Guiness next to the Ponte Vecchio. I will update tomorrow night, after my friends and I return from the Tuscan countryside and a short picnic.

Ciao!