Firenze, I will miss you!

I can hardly believe it, but my semester in Florence is over- I am back home in Atlanta! It is so refreshing to be back with family and friends in a comfortable place, but I was sad to leave such a wonderful city. Over the past four months, I have experienced something so unique and awesome with truly wonderful people in Italy. I don't know that I can capture the essence of my experience in Florence in words or explain really what it was like, but I am going to share with you some of the things that I will and will not miss about my experience this fall.

Things That I Will Miss:

1. The Arno: The Arno River looks beautiful at anytime of day in all kinds of weather. It looks different each time I see it, and the combination of the reflections of the buildings and the changing colors of the sky on the river never failed to amaze me. I will miss walking to class each day along the Arno. The Arno truly never got old.

2. La cucina Italiana (The Italian cuisine): I was prompted by a Chatty Charles who I was lucky enough to sit next to on my flight home to answer various questions about my trip. The most uncomfortable question--"So, did you gain any weight while you were there with all that food?" Answer (which I kept to myself)--yes, I think I did. The food I ate in Italy was just so good. I said throughout the fall that I think it is hard to come across food that does not taste really really good in Italy. The best pizza you'll ever eat, plates and plates of pasta, gelato out the wazoo, cappuccinos and pastries in the morning. It is just awesome and endless. I tried to hit all of my favorite spots in the last two weeks. Here are some pictures of some of my most-frequented places.

3. Le mie amiche di Borgo San Jacopo: I had the chance to live with lovely friends in my apartment in Florence. There was never a dull moment in there, and Cate, our sweet sweet Italian roommate, probably thought that we were nuts most of the time. We laughed daily. There was always something silly happening or just something so absurd that we would lose it. Often revolving around Caro and her antics. But we love her still. Living with these girls was a WONDERFUL WONDERFUL experience and really helped to make my time in Florence the best. I loved getting to know Caroline better than I already did by being her roommate, and getting to know Christie and Amy so well (as you really get to know anyone well living in a space that small) was so much fun. I don't know what I would have done without them, and I am so lucky to have had the chance to have spent so much time with them these past four months!

4. My teachers and classes: I enjoyed so much having the chance to study the art and history of a country and city that I was living in. I realized how helpful it is to have studied pieces of art in class and then go see them first hand with our teachers. The style and techniques of teaching that I observed has given my insight into some important concepts that I need to keep in mind as I get closer and closer to student teaching next fall and eventually (hopefully!) having a class of my own one day! We had such fabulous professors this fall, and I enjoyed getting to know them so well. I feel like I learned so much and have retained it very well. I look forward to returning to Florence one day and giving somebody a tour of the town..!

5. Walking places: Having been back for just a few days in Atlanta, I have already had a hand-full of frustrating moments involving crazy Atlanta drivers and even crazier Atlanta traffic. I have been really spoiled this fall by ambling down the stairs and popping out of my apartment to mosey to class through lovely, quaint streets or along the Arno.

6. Cappuccinos: The Italians know how to make a good cappuccino.

Things I Won't Miss As Much:

1. This kitchen: A dishwasher, normal microwave, garbage disposal, and room to breathe have been a few of the things I have enjoyed most about being home. HOWEVER, great episodes of burnt pumpkin risotto, late-night study sessions (at least for my other roommates), early morning breakfast whispers, Christmas cookies, exploding eggs, mystery discoveries in the fridge, and many many many laughs took place in this kitchen. I love it and I hate it.

2. Florentine odors: Florence is a stinky city. As was my apartment building. As was my apartment (sometimes...when particular things were "cooked" in my apartment. Or when the washer machine was left shut after being used.) Enjoying fresh air, fresh smelling clothes, and fresh smelling stairwells.

3. My bed: Things got a little pokey and uncomfortable after a while. So happy to be back in my own bed.

Overall, there are not many things that I do not miss from my semester in Florence this fall. The past four months have been filled with wonderful experiences and time spent with wonderful people. I am so lucky and thankful to have had the opportunity to study in Florence for a semester. I will truly cherish the memories and experiences of my time in Florence forever, and I look forward to my next opportunity to visit Florence. Thank you so much for following me on this journey.

Ciao for now,

Grace

Two more days.

Early morning walk to class: Sunrise on the Ponte Vecchio

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a bit- The past few weeks have been a whirl-wind, and I decided it was better for me to be doing things in Florence rather than writing about things I had done. Time is of the essence at this point! In a couple hours, I will take my last exam and turn in my final paper and be done! That leaves this afternoon and tomorrow to finish up Christmas shopping, pack, see all the last minute things I have been wanting to see, hit all of my favorite spots, and really take in this city. I can't believe that I will be home the day after tomorrow. It is a strange but exciting feeling. I am really going to miss Firenze, though. It is really a lovely, wonderful place that I have come to know and love.

Meanwhile, Christmas has been happening in Florence. Big time. Lots of lights and lots of festivity!

Christmas lights on the Ponte Vecchio

Christmas Tree by the Duomo (complete with Fleur de Lis ornaments!)

Via dei Calzaioli--these lanterns are my favorite!

Next post will be state-side...!

Ciao ciao,
Grace

And days go by, I can feel 'em flyin'...

Buongiorno!

Days are are FLYING by here. I do not know how November has nearly come and gone before my eyes. But, have no fear, we are still living the dream in Firenze. My bucket list has been recorded (and added to almost everyday...) and we are starting to check things off.

I've done all sorts of things in this past week, like freeze my buns off at an evening Gregorian chant and service in San Miniato al Monte, a beautiful Romanesque church behind Piazza Michelangelo that overlooks all of Florence. It was a very cool experience in a lovely setting, and I'm glad that I went. Next time, however, I think I will wear a few more layers. I've done some serious Christmas shopping, tried some new neighborhood restaurants, and bundled up more than I have in a long time! The weather is getting nice and chilly here, and the buildings that I spend my time in are often nice and chilly as well. It's all part of the experience. Luckily, my mom bought me some great new lined leather gloves while she was here! I'm not sure what my fingers would do without them.

Christmas lights are starting to appear throughout Florence, draped across the streets between buildings, but we have yet to spot any lights actually on. Our prediction is that they will wait until December to turn them on. It is going to look just magical when they do!

Thanksgiving festivities are in short supply around here; however, Pino's, my favorite panino shop, is having a Thanksgiving special! Pino has ordered in a lot of turkey and is going to put an Italian spin on a Thanksgiving panini. I will be getting one of those for lunch on Thursday, trust me. And then Caroline and I are off to gay Paris for the long weekend! We are going to have a ball and will get to visit with sweet friends from Vanderbilt and from Atlanta! I'm very excited.

Ciao for now!

Grace

Mama-mia, Papa-pia: Mom and Dad take Florence!

Mom and Dad in the Boboli Gardens. Talk about a great view!

This past week my mom and dad came to visit me in Florence. We had the best time exploring the city, visiting old favorites of mine, and discovering new gems. They stayed from Monday to the following Monday in an apartment two bridges down from where I live, which was just perfect. We laughed a lot and had a few unexpected mishaps (like our cue to leave the Bargello Museum when they shut off the lights right as I was beginning to describe to my parents the important qualities of Michelangelo's "Baccus" or the bruschetta-in-the-lap situation). I loved having them here and was sad to see them go, but I know that I will be back home in no time. I was so glad that they came to visit and wish that Eliza could have been there, too!

It was so refreshing to have an "outsider" perspective of Florence again--I realized that I have become a little too accustomed to being here. After every single corner we would turn, my mom would say, "Gosh. I just can't believe that you live here!" or "I just love this city." And she is right- this city is awesome!

I have just under five weeks left in Florence, and my mom challenged me to get to know this place like the back of my hand before I leave. The reality of the situation is that I will most likely never live here again--the next time I visit could just be for just a day or two. With a truly refreshed outlook on this place, I am developing a list of things to do before I leave in mid-December. I have to stop saying, "Oh, I've got plenty of time to do that...," and just do it.

Florence, it's on.

Fall Break in Pictures

PARIS

PRAGUE

SALZBURG

MUNICH

Give me a break (a Fall Break, that is!)

Tomorrow is the day! We are off on our grand adventure through Europe after a week of mid-terms. I take my last test in a few hours (yikes!) and then have to figure out how to fit 10 days worth of clothes in a tiny backpack to appease airline restrictions and the like. Oh wait, I packed clothes for 26 days in this backpack for Running Through History. This should be a breeze (key word: SHOULD). Minus the fact that summer high school clothes might take up a little less space than my winter clothes. Minor detail.

Anyways, we have a few more kinks to work out in travel plans, some boarding passes and confirmation numbers to print out, and then we will be off! We being Christie, Amy, Mary Raine, Margaret and I. I could not be more excited.

Here is our plan of attack:

• Munich (via Rome) for barely 24 hours....a big travel day including trains buses planes and more buses to get there, but a pleasant day in the city the next morning
  
• Leave by train for Salzburg Saturday night for a 2 night stay, Sound of Music Tour included...perhaps the stop I look most forward to!! We may watch the movie tonight in preparation.
  
• Train to Prague (on Halloween!) for a 3 night visit...itinerary of sight-seeing TBD (any hot tips would be appreciated! Email me please!)
  
• Early morning flight to Paris for a 2 night stay in the land of Secco baguettes and pain au chocolat out the wazoo. So very excited.
  
• Sunday afternoon, flight to Pisa and train back to Florence
  

I WOULD be very sad for the end of Fall Break as we have been looking so forward to it for so long, buuuuut my parents will be arriving in Florence the very next day!! (Sans Eliza. Which is sad) I am so excited to see them and take them around for the week!

Looking forward to updating you on all of our adventures.

Until next time,
Grace

Cho-co-late (choco, choco)

In case you were curious where I was yesterday, listen the following:

Chocolate, by Soul Control (You can ignore the silly video that goes along with it)

This was a song that we heard yesterday afternoon on our day trip....to Perugia for the Eurochocolate Festival 2011! It was really something. Picture a beautiful, quaint Italian town packed with happy people wandering the streets eating chocolate, tent after tent after tent of chocolate vendors, and everything chocolate. Literally everything! With our handy-dandy ChocoCards supplied to us by our program director, we got samples at various tents throughout the festival plus a souvenir picture frame....made of chocolate! At the festival, you could find chocolate churros, hot chocolate (of every variety- including hot nutella!), chocolate kebabs, chocolate muffins, chocolate liqueur, chocolate bars, chocolate gear (?), chocolate covered nuts/fruit/espresso beans, crepes with chocolate, chocolate juice, chocolate bears, chocolate truffles, and chocolate anything else you can imagine. It was truly a sight to behold (and taste!). I even sampled an onion flavored chocolate (not by choice- the lady behind the counter said, "Here, try this! Can you guess what is in this chocolate?" I don't recommend it if you've never had onion chocolate).

We had a blast sampling and buying various chocolate products and salivating while eyeballing what we didn't. The look on Caroline's face said it all when she took the bite into that (first) Lindt chocolate truffle. We were happy as could be.

And chocolate is good for you, right? That's what I've always heard, anyways...

Ciao for now,
Grace

...on an evening in ROMA

This past weekend I went on a 4-day "traveling seminar" to Rome with my Imagery and Public Spaces class (or Imagery IN Public Spaces? I have never been sure). There were 10 of us girls all together, plus our English professor, whom I love, and Anna, the wonderful director of CET.

We had a ball! We had such a nice time powering through churches, museums, parks, and ruins and kept our sanity by breaking for the best cappuccino in Rome (Sant' Eustachio Il Caffe) and the best gelato in Rome (Giolitti). We came back for the gelato several times after that.

A very excited Kara and Annie amongst the ruins of the Forum

We saw so much that I can't even begin to discuss each place and what we saw, so here is quick break down of our stops:

Colosseum
Forum
Capitoline Hill
Trajan's Column
Pantheon
Vatican City
Sistine Chapel
St. Peter's Basilica
S. Maria della Vittoria
S. Luigi de' Francesi
Santa Maria del Popolo
Borghese Gallery

Some Post-Rome Reflections:

1) Caravaggio is my new favorite painter. Love him. Love his paintings. Especially the chapel with his paintings in S. Luigi de' Francesi. Or maybe his Madonna of the Pilgrims. That's a nice one. But I probably couldn't pick a favorite anyways.

2) I love cappuccinos. I technically knew this before going to Rome, but the cappuccinos I drank during our stay (from Sant' Eustachio or even just from the machine at the hotel breakfast) were just delightful. If only it wasn't a faux-pas to drink them all day long. (Coffee with milk is a morning thing and morning thing ONLY here in Italy).

3) Bernini is my new favorite sculptor. Appolo and Dafne?? Talk about awesome. One of the most amazing things I have ever looked at. The Rape of Proserpina?? Equally amazing (if not more). The David? Another great one. And then there is the Ecstasy of St. Theresa. Bernini rocks (pun intended). He turns rocks into these incredibly complicated, delicate, detailed figures that are so beautiful and wonderful to look at. Amazing.

4) In my next life, I might like to study abroad in Rome. Rome rocks! It is beautiful and vibrant and colorful and exciting and just feels so very Italian. There are obviously a lot of tourists there, as there are in Florence, but it just feels much more Italian since there is more space for everyone to just be. Now, don't get me wrong, the Vatican was a total zoo, like the Ponte Vecchio multiplied by however many square kilometers the Vatican City occupies. But otherwise, I just felt that I was getting gelato and the Italians were getting gelato and I was walking around and the Italians were walking around and it was just wonderful. It's hard to explain, but all I know is that I loved Rome even more than I remembered loving it last time. I hope that I will get a chance to go back there before I go home!

5) Comfortable walking shoes are necessary in Rome when keeping a schedule like the one we did. I unfortunately did not take this into account when packing. Lesson learned.

Taylor, Mary Raine, and I, so happy despite how much our feet hurt from a full day of touring the city

Margaret, MR, and I looking towards the Pantheon. (It's behind the photographer.)

About to toss our coins into the Trevi Fountain to ensure that we will come back to Rome one day!

In case I haven't been clear enough, I love Rome and had a wonderful time. Now it is crunch time- mid-terms, papers, and getting organized for FALL BREAK! (We leave in exactly one week for Munich, Salzburg, Prague, and Paris!!)

Ciao!
Grace (or Gra-che, as Caroline has speculated is the true Italian pronunciation)

Disposable camera (#2) but memories that will last forever...

A few weeks ago (3 and a half!! It's hard to believe..!), I journeyed to the Amalfi Coast with a group called Florence For Fun, which organizes group trips to various destinations in Italy and throughout Europe. We braved the unknown and got to see Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. With consistently gorgeous backdrops, we had many, many adventures, like going into the Blue Grotto (one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Italy?) in a row boat through a tiny hole in a cliff, surviving the surprises of Hotel Cavour (including broken keys and bad, baaad coffee), slurping down delicious granites, seeing the amazing ruins in Pompeii, and climbing Mt. Vesuvius.

We had good fun but were exhausted upon our return to Florence late Sunday night and were very glad to catch a few hours of shuteye before I had to be up and at 'em bright and early Monday for my class trip to Venice! Bleary-eyed but ready to go, I arrived at the train station at 8am, looking forward to an intensive day of visits to various churches and sites throughout the city (with our English professor who is married to a Venetian and lives right outside of the city--we were so lucky to have such an experienced guide who knew exactly where she was going in the maze of a city). After a full day exploring lovely, gorgeous, magical Venice, I was ready to go back again! I am hoping to make another stop there before I leave Italy in December.

Here are a few pictures I cranked and snapped disposable camera style throughout the weekend:

AMALFI COAST WEEKEND:

Caroline and I with a stormy Capri behind us (the weather cleared up, don't worry!)

The "Blue" Grotto, which, if you can imagine, was actually the most gorgeous, glowing aqua blue that I have ever seen. See that black section over there on the left hand side? Yeah, it was BLUE. Like really, really blue. Look it up, I promise I'm not making this up.

A cute little pooch we spotted in the town of Positano. (Mom? Dad? Can we get one?)

Mary Raine, Caroline, and I with the lovely backdrop for our afternoon at the beach. We decided it was fairly attractive.

A view down one of the main streets in the city of Pompeii. Super cool, right?

Posing in front of the crater (word choice?) of Mt. Vesuvius. We virtually walked straight uphill on a giant pile of tiny volcanic rocks and almost fell multiple times. Don't worry, as expected, the Italian women plowed straight up the thing in their 4-inch wedges and heels.


DAY TRIP TO VENICE:

Margaret and I extra happy on our one-minute-cross-the-canal gondola ride! (That's my professor's shoulder in the corner)

Just one of the many views in Venice that left me speechless.

MR and I on the balcony at San Marco

A glance out the window on our water taxi back to the train station. Just lovely.

All in all, it was a truly wonderful jam-packed weekend. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to visit so many remarkable and beautiful places while I am here. It's really something.

Ciao for now,
Grace

My next adventure...

I'm telling you, this is what dreams are made of. There is never a dull moment over here!

Just watched The Lizzie McGuire Movie in preparation for my departure for ROMA with my Imagery in Public Spaces class tomorrow morning. We will be there until Sunday following an intensive, jam-packed, awesome schedule. Looking most forward to going to St. Peter's Basilica as I was very sick when my family went and had to stay in the hotel. And, in case you didn't know, I love Rome as much as Lizzie does in the movie. (Or maybe more!) I'm pretty pumped. Maybe I will meet my own Paolo (hopefully a little nicer than the one in the movie) while we're there! Or my own Gordo, whichever.

In any case, bags are packed, itinerary printed, readings (mostly) completed--I'm ready. Bring it, Rome!

Buonanotte,

Grace

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? Not Verona but...San Gimignano!

All week, we have been anticipating our journey to Verona, the place Caroline has been referencing as "The Most Romantic City in the World." You know, where Romeo and Juliet fell in love. And where you can write letters to Juliet and stick them on the wall and cross your fingers that Juliet's Secretaries might write you back. Caroline and I even watched "Letters to Juliet" yesterday in preparation. We were ready.

Well, a bump in the road came, and I goofed up the train schedule and prices. Whoops. BUT do not fear; our day did not in fact end as tragically as did the story of Romeo and Juliet. Instead of Verona we decided after a quick pow-wow to journey to SAN GIMIGNANO, a wonderful little medieval hillside town just a two short (I use that term lightly) bus rides away from Florence. Apart from a few slight (again, I use these terms lightly) delays in the busing system, Caroline, Amy, Christie, Margaret, MR and I had a lovely, relaxing day poking around the town, dining at an absolutely picturesque cafe on a beautiful square, shopping for terra cotta pottery, and eating World Champion grade gelato. At the end of the day, I'd say it was a success.

A view down one of the many scenic streets in San Gimignano.

Christie and Amy just glowing at our very pleasant lunch spot.

Caroline and I at the "punto panoramico." Talk about beautiful countryside!

Margaret with her gelato from the "World Champion" gelatria. I got stracciatella and cinnamon (in honor of you, Mom!). It was pretty darn good!

Ciao til next time,
Grace

A burn-your-fingers, melt-in-your-mouth, exploding-with-chocolate cioccolato croissant

We (Amy, Caroline, MR and I) did it. We went to the Secret Bakery (the place I posted about earlier in the fall where the bakers serve people freshly baked goods out of the back door as they bake for their morning opening). We went at the wrong time, but we were willing to wait as tensions rose, the line grew, and volume became a problem. There were mixed thoughts about how the system of this underground, back door in a tiny alley, middle of the night bakery worked amongst the people in line (who also happened to be primarily American).

Some were sure that the bakers won't serve people if it's too loud. People who believed this were the shushers of the evening. News flash, people, but shushing is just as loud if not louder than the people talking.

Some (well one boy in particular) were sure that the bakers didn't know that we were out there. Said boy proceeded to knock on the door every few minutes. News flash, buddy, but all the windows of the bakery are open, and there are fifty people standing out here. They know we're here.

Others were generally debating the time the door opened and the bakers began bringing out the freshly baked goodness to serve the hungry crowd. "I came at four last night, and it was open." "Well, that girl said she was served at 1:15 once!" Nobody seemed to know, but nobody wanted to leave in the off chance that the door would open any minute.

So we waited. We waited for quite a while. Legs got tired. People got tired. We had moments of doubt ("Should we just come back another time?" "Do we really want to wait any longer?").

But the smells were what kept us hanging around. We were more or less standing directly outside of the kitchen of a bakery where they were baking the fresh goods for the next morning. The smell wafting out the windows was so heavenly that we decided that we should stay.

Then, the moment arrived. The door opened, and one of the bakers took the first group's orders. We were the third group and were instantly so glad that we had stuck around.

Finally, it was our time to shine. Caroline ordered two plain croissants for her and Amy and two chocolate croissants for MR and me. (Why get plain when you can get cioccolato..?!) The man shut the door and returned shortly with two paper bags with our treats in them. Each item costs a euro, so we paid him and headed on our way.

The croissant was hot and buttery and soft-- fresh out of the oven. It was the most divine thing I had eaten all day. Perhaps in my top five pastries of all time (that's a list I might have to think about). The thing literally melted in my mouth, and I devoured it in no time. It tasted like pure goodness. We were astounded at how delicious and worth the wait these treats had been.

Feeling pleased with ourselves and very happy, we hopped in a cab and headed back to our apartments. We talked about our treats from the Secret Bakery the whole way home.

A day with lots of laughter

Today (my day off of class) was truly simple but truly delightful. It started off with a delicious bowl of cereal, a quick load of laundry, a bit of Italian homework, and a post card in the mail. I then made myself a truly simple but delicious salad and met Margaret at her apartment to run to the Mercato Centrale and then explore the city.

We browsed around the market for quite a bit, eying all the mounds of produce and interesting cuts of meat you can buy there (or not buy if it was up to me...stomach/hoof/muzzle is not my cup of tea). After Margaret picked out some things, we dropped her stuff off at her apartment and set out again for the afternoon.

We walked all over, poked into a few shops, found a jacket I might like to buy, split a goat cheese sun-dried tomato panino at Il Due Fratellini (my favorite panino spot, as of right now anyways), had a really good laugh that included a few tears about the "brothers" that work the panino shop (while Margaret claims they are different brothers each time she goes, we realized that actually the original brothers must be dead since the place was started in 1875...don't worry, you probably had to be there), got limone granites, walked through the Giardino Botanico that we pass on the way to Italian class, then called it an afternoon.

I came back to my apartment and watched the most recent episode of Modern Family (it's absolutely hysterical if you haven't seen it yet) and laughed really really loudly by myself. Nobody else was home, so nobody thought I was crazy.

Then the girls came back, and we ate a quick dinner before Christie and I headed out with Caroline to support her in her endeavors on the soccer field as she played on the CET-Georgetown soccer team in a match against another team of Americans. This was so much fun--there are two small soccer fields in a courtyard above the Duomo where all sorts of American study abroad students can join leagues and play soccer! While our team (apparently called "Vandy-town"--Vanderbilt and Georgetown combined) may not have dominated the soccer field, Christie and I were in total cahoots on the sidelines as we watched our friends out on the seemingly VERY slippery field... I won't use any names, but some people may have fallen a few times out there in the very first few minutes of the match, but with great honor and dignity. The other team was also incredibly serious and aggressive in contrast to our fun-loving, low-key demeanor...so of course there were many moments that had Christie and I crying laughing. It was so much fun, and we are excited to go support Vandytown in the future! And also get some more good laughs.

After that, we met up with MR and Margaret and went to (you guessed it!) Cantina del Gelato. We always seem to laugh here when we go because the two men who work the shop tease us and shake their heads when we attempt to speak in broken Italian. Tonight, the younger of the two men who work there tricked me into believing that he had run out of marscapone-nutella gelato, forcing me to order something different. I got caramello and cioccolato (Margaret's signature combo) and was not disappointed in the slightest, but it was not until Mary Raine was ordering and I had practically devoured my entire cono piccolo that he let on that he had pulled my leg and actually had a full tub of my favorite flavor. We laughed and laughed, and he seemed quite pleased with himself. Caroline then told him that she had an Italian test tomorrow, and he said, "Tomorrow? Ay...."

After all this laughing and exploring and cheering and eating, I am feeling totally satisfied and so very happy to be where I am. It was a truly delightful day filled with easy time with sweet friends in a fabulous city.

Ciao until next time!

Grace

Did somebody say gelato???

Yesterday, a group of us took a day trip to Lucca, a lovely, quaint little walled town in Tuscany about an hour and a half train outside of Florence. This was a blast from the past because when the Granade-Turman clan took Italy back when I was in elementary school, we rented a beautiful villa on a hill just outside the town for about a week. From that vacation, a lot of "Granade-isms" and "Turman-isms" were born.

For those of you who are in on these moments, here are a few things that you will understand that happened in that very city:

"Did somebody say gelato??"

"Uh, scuzi. I'll take the local pudding, too!"

"Do we look the type?"

"And I know Ferragamo."

For those of you who don't have a clue what I'm talking about, don't worry. You had to be there.

Anyways, Lucca was just as delightful as I remembered it from fifth grade, if not more! We spent the morning strolling around the town, poking into a few churches, moseying through the markets, popping into a few shops, and munching on some delectable pizza at the recommendation of Gillis. I had asked for a slice of pizza with salami on it (surprise, surprise) but was presented with slice of margherita with a large piece of proscuitto on top. While I was initially disappointed, this slice of pizza was divine. I scarfed it down, and we moved on in search of a bike rental shop.

Mary Raine, Christie, Amy, Taylor, and Caroline outside of Pizza da Felice post-yummy lunch

The main thing I remember from when my family came to Lucca was riding bikes around the walls of the city. Eager to do this again, we grabbed bikes and set off through the town to get onto the wall. After weaving through a few pedestrians, we rode up onto the wall. The views of both the town and the mountains and countryside were just amazing. We had the best time zooming around and trying to take pictures of each other on our cute Italian bikes.

MR and I looking tres sportifs (sorry, I don't know how to say that in Italian yet) on our bicycles

A view into Lucca from on top of the wall

Caroline looking good on her bike as she zoomed ahead

Also, the weather here in Italy is just perfect right now. It's not hot, but it isn't cold, either. It's that cool beginning of fall sort of breeze that keeps us feeling happy and comfortable as we explore more and more of this wonderful country. Christie has been occasionally stopping dead in her tracks and saying, "There it is!! Do you smell it?? Do you smell fall??"

Did somebody say gelato?? At this scrumptious window I got a scoop of serena, a flavor that combines ricotta, pine nuts, and honey.

Off to the laundromat to wash my bed spread--I think it could be the reason that I have been sneezing up a storm since I've been here!

Ciao ciao,
Grace