Day two of my Italian adventure began with our program orientation as a hotel off right Arno river about 10 minutes from our apartment. Needless to say, the orientation was the least exciting part of my day. After the presentation I ventured downstairs to the bar and ordered a cappuccino with Brooke. We ended up meeting a women named Kate who is studying at our adjoining culinary school. We sat down together and ended up talking for almost an hour. Kate, who is 35 and abandoning her career as a landscape architect to become a chef, was so sweet and offered to cook us dinner once she learned some good meals! We were so surprised that she continued to chat with us for so long, but we realized that we were all in the same boat. Scared, excited, and nervous to be living in a brand new place. After the orientation ended we split up and walked around the historic district of town for a while before lunch. Passing the Santa Croce, we ventured farther into the city. Brooke and I went into Prada and Gucci and other amazing shops to explore and drool over the italian fashion and leather. We passed the Ponte Vecchio bridge and found it was a great place for people watching as everyone just hangs out around the entrance. The city already felt small to me as I started passing recognizable shops and restaurants. Everything I passed I wanted to try on, or eat, or look at. Explore! That was the name of the game for today! Brooke and I ran into Kate again outside a little pasta shop and went in to get some lunch. Paying in euro was getting easier and ordering in Italian, though choppy, got us the most incredible little meal ever!
Later we finished orientation with a meeting as the FUA school, which, as luck would have it, is right across from our apartment building. In fact, all my classes are within 15 feet of my front door! Here I came thinking I'd be walking all over the place to go to class and I live right next door!
I took an Italian placement test and was put in Intermediate. Hopefully I'll be challenged enough to really learn the language, both in class, and in speaking it outside of class with locals. Not only are classes close to me, but we have a little food market right next door, the computer store where we get our cell phones and computer fixed is across the street, and a bar is right on the corner to get our morning dose of caffein! I could stay on my block all day and have everything I need! I would never do that though-- there are too many exciting things to see!
Later that night, FUA and it's adjoining schools had a welcome reception in a Hotel a little farther into the city. We drank red wine and had little appetizers which is the Apperitivo (meal/drinking before dinner). I ended up meeting a lot more people on my program and ran into Katie again!
The end of the night was a big party at this club called Cavalii on the other side of the river. A bunch of people from my school, as well as other americans studying abroad were there so the crowd was pretty english speaking. It was nice to meet other people who spoke the language and were going through what I was. Brooke, Christy and I didn't get home until 5 in the morning and let's just say : Never wear heels in Florence, or try running home as 5 am. Very bad combo- but great second day!
Ciao for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment