One Week in Florence!

In some ways I can't believe that I’ve already been here a week, but in others it feels like I have been here for months. My roommates and I have been cramming so much into each day, that I’m sure we've managed to find a time warp, and have had more than 24 hours for each one!

The flights went fine. I've decided that I really do like being treated like a princess in first class, and that everyone should travel that way! My Seattle to San Francisco flight was uneventful, and I sat next to a nice lady who was going to teach down in California. Once I actually made it to the airport, it was a little more interesting...Finding my next gate to London was a bit of a challenge but with the help of some nice old lady at the information desk, I made it onto the second plane without incident!

For my San Francisco to London leg I got to fly in those little pods! I had an actual bed!!! It was all very exciting, but I think the flight attendants were very amused at how new I found everything. But come on, who wouldn't be surprised to be offered pajamas upon entering the plane!!! Luxury!!! And all those things I’ve said about airplane food? Forget them. It was absolutely delicious....Apparently they keep the good stuff for the fabulously rich and famous, which I was completely okay pretending to be for 10 hours! I was eating of my own table, WITH a tablecloth on actual china and with real silverware! After eating I watched a movie on my personal pull out television, and then had my bed turned down so I could get some sleep. (!)

As we flew over England I just had to laugh...It was all a rather suspicious pale color. Turns out the snow had followed me. Once I managed to get out of Heathrow, however, and onto the tube I realized that where I was just a little frosty. I collected my baggage without problems! Yay! I also managed to find an information desk for the tube and they figured out which ticket I needed. It was all a little much to deal with while jet-lagged. Managed the connections between tubes just fine. I've decided that all tube station really need lifts though...Lugging my suitcase up stairs was just not very fun...:) Once I got to the right stop I found the Grayson's street just fine, but walked around their neighborhood for a while trying to find no. 62. How was I supposed to know that they didn't go in order?!?! Haha, but again, with the help of a random nice neighbor, I found the house and Jonathan was there to meet me. I spent a fantastic night with the Graysons, and it was really nice to catch up with them all!

In the morning Robert was amazing, and drove me to the airport at some awful time around 4am. I checked into my flights without incident, and was off to my gate to wait for 2 hours or so. The London to Rome leg was fine, and they translated everything into English after Italian, which was great. While waiting in the Rome airport at my gate for something like 8 hours, however, I quickly realized how much I’d become dependent upon being able to understand everything that everyone said around me! It was a really strange feeling to realize that I had no idea what was going on!

Anyway, I finished my fourth book, and then decided to get some sleep. Note to self: Airports are FREEZING. 6:40 finally rolled around, and I was supposed to be boarding and suddenly they came on the intercom and announced (all in Italian...) that the gate to Florence had been changed due to delays. All I caught was Firenze. :) An attendant took pity on me, and I eventually found the next gate, (again with airport organization that does NOT make sense!!!!) and I think we only had to wait another hour or so before our plane finally took off....Thankfully however, in the midst of changing gates and being shuttled to our plane I met a wonderful girl called Gaye. She grew up in Turkey, and then moved to Florida for 8 years to do her Graduate, and Doctorate degrees, and is now in Florence doing a Post Doctorate. Which means she speaks perfect English AND Italian!!!! We shared a taxi from the Florence Airport, and she negotiated with our taxi driver. :) Taxis are crazy. All drivers are actually, but it was amazing whizzing by the Duomo. Definitely an: AAAAAH!!! I'M IN ITALY!!! moment. He found my apartment, which is about 10 steps away from the Ponte Vecchio, and dropped me off. My roommates weren't home, but I got a hold of someone at the Institute (Yay for cell phones!!!) and they sent someone over to let me in.

I have 3 roommates: Domenica, Jackie, and Karen and they all go to school on the East Coast. We all get along really well which is a relief, and we've been exploring all week together. They are all juniors. Domenica is studying Political Science, Jackie is studying Art of some form, and Karen is here for Architecture with me! Our apartment is amazing. So much better than Pullman! However, probably just as cold. When we first got here our heat didn't work at all, but after managing to get that working, we found out it's illegal to turn it above 20 degrees Celsius, which is perfect! Except I really don't think it has ever got that warm in here! I'll post pictures of the apartment later, when I have working Internet. :)

Well that was Monday through Wednesday...On Thursday we had our first part of Orientation. The Institute met us at the train station where we all caught a bus to Villa Montalto. Gorgeous!!!! We had a royally boring day-long lecture on everything we should and shouldn't do, and then headed back home again. Once we got back we decided to try grocery shopping for a few necessities. Quite an experience, but everyone is really nice and helpful, or at least tolerant of us not knowing what we're doing....

On Friday we actually met at Palazzo Rucellai (Pha-lah-zo Rue-chell-aye) and had another orientation. We had a tour of the Palazzo, where I found out that the countess actually still lives on the 3rd floor (the institute rents 1st and 2nd floor) and her two brothers live in Milan! They still retain the main entrance for when they receive guests, so we enter our school through a crazy spiral staircase around the back. We have classes in their ballroom, and master bedrooms! For all you WSU arch students: My school is in Phil's tripartite elevation example!!!! Phil! You follow me everywhere!!! I've keep remembering random facts about the buildings that we're walking past, which my roommates find extremely entertaining....After the tour I waited while everyone did their Permit of Stay's (one of the perks of being an EU Citizen!) and the we had a crash course in Survival Italian, and a quick walking tour of what was around Florence.

Saturday we again went back to Palazzo Rucellai where I got my textbooks, and signed up to go on two trips. The first one is to Piza and Lucca on the 17th, and the second to Siena and San Gimigiano the following week! I'm also going on a trip to Chianti on the 16th that is put on by the Institute. We're having a day in the country, and having a typical Tuscan Luncheon! I'm hungry already...We met up with some new friends for dinner that night, and then went out to a bar called Zoes. Jackie and I left a little while afterwards to satisfy a Gelato craving. :) Gelato is quickly becoming my favorite thing in the world....

Sunday we finally had a free day, so I spent it again, exploring Florence, going to open markets. I was also supposed to meet up with my Abroadco resident advisor here in Florence, Laelle, and Mitch, the other architecture student in our program for Gelato, but Laelle never showed up and didn't answer her phone...I think the jet-lag probably caught up with her, she was only due to fly in on Saturday.

Today is my first day of classes! My Italian teacher is really energetic. It sounds like a really fun class! I'm off at the moment to my Architecture in Context class...I'll let you know how that goes later!

All in all I think I’ve walked pretty much all over Florence! It's a relatively small city, and everything is within easy walking distance. The duomo is amazing...and HUGE! I always thought it was done in black and white marble, but it's actually really colorful! It's white, with green marble, and there are red accents all over it! At the moment it is partially covered in scaffolding, but it's still beautiful. The Ponte Vecchio is also really fun to walk down! It really does have amazing jewelry, and one of the Goldsmiths even came to orientation and offered to teach some of us! I think Jackie is going to do it; I can't wait to hear what she gets up to!

We've been getting panini's for lunch most days. We found a cafe which was selling delicious melted brie panini the other day, and I was in heaven. I wish you could have had one with me, Amy!...I could not for the life of me tell you where it was though....oh well. I've got another 4 months to find it again!

I haven't had too many problems with men yet. :) I've been stroked(?!), and called after, but nothing to make me too uncomfortable.

Alright well that should take you the better part of an hour to read. :) Now there can be no complaining that I haven't written anything! Suffice it to say that I am having an AMAZING time, and while I wish you were all with me, I’m doing okay. No major catastrophes or breakdowns to report of! Thank you for all your good luck wishes! I love hearing from all of you. :)