Ciao Tutti!
I thought I should fill you all in on my first weekend in Florence, at least, the first weekend without administrative nonsense to take care of.
I spent Friday and Saturday hanging out and exploring the city of Florence while most people left on vacation. I'm really glad I stayed though because there is so much to see and do here that I fear I would miss out on if I were to leave every weekend... so instead I think I'll only leave...most weekends :) On friday my friend Allie and I walked around most of the major tourist spots, feeling awkward and american, although it's difficult to overcome that. We walked across the Ponte Vecchio and saw the "fake" David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Then we went shopping around the piazza della republica. The afternoon was the best part of the day though because we decided to go to the Accademia to see the genuine David. AMAZING. Honestly, its one of those things you really cannot describe to someone who hasn't seen it. Photos say nothing about this work. The detail is simply astounding. Of course, the rest of the museum is splendid too, many of the peices have been removed from Cathedrals and churches in and around Florence, all were religious depictions which I must admit make me wish I had read more of the Bible than I have yet, just to understand where the artist is coming from and the purpose these portrayals served.
Anyway, Saturday I went with some friends to I Giardini Boboli, the Bobali Gardens which are absolutely massive and take up a large portion of the city on the other side of the Arno. There were some beautiful views of the city from the gardens that I wish could be expressed through photography, but simply can't.
Sunday I went with the school to Popolonia, an ancient Etruscan town where we got to see many ancient tombs and learn about the peoples who lived on the peninsula prior to the Romans. All in all it was a pretty darn good weekend! This weekend I'm heading out to Assisi with the school which I've heard is absolutely beautiful and then plan to spend more time exploring the churches and museums here in the city. Yesterday I sat down with a few friends and we attempted to plan out our trip schedule for the rest of the semester, not any easy task! There are so many places I want to go, but very little time, especially before the weather turns bad. Next weekend I'm even trying to fit Cinque Terre and Venice into one weekend... yikes! Wish me luck! I think for my 10-day fall break at the end of October, we're going to go to London, Barcelona and Switzerland. Very random and all over the continent, but they are all places we need to see and it's the only time we'll be leaving Italy...so might as well make it grand!
Pictures have been posted.... Hurrah! They can be seen through the following link! I know there aren't very many, but more to come when I remember to stop gawking and take out my camera! I hope you all are doing well! Keep me posted!
http://usc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2170589&l=56f37&id=3419897
Always,
Ashlee
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