I've spent two consecutive weekends in Florence for the first time since our first weeks here. Our advisors recommended staying last weekend because they were taking our group to the AC Milan vs. Florence soccer game -- which was def worth staying in town for. And, since so many Davidson students migrate to Florence every Fall, it has become a little tradition for all of our friends in other cities of Europe to come to Florence for Thanksgiving. So, that is what we did.
In the last month that we're here, we are cramming in restaraunts that we want to try, last minute trips, must-see-museums, Christmas shopping, and final papers. It seems like once we've finally gotten settled and into a routine, it's almost time to leave! So after a long week of class (seriously, all the way to Friday because of a make-up day), Milva and Lucca drove us to two designer outlets in the suburbs of Florence. While it was fun to try on 500 euro dresses or fantasize about Prada boots, one had to be willing to spend a small fortune on these "steals". While they were marked down 50-75% of in-store costs, when you're talking about a 10,000 euro dress, its still expensive. After a full day of shopping, I came home with only a gold Ferragamo bracelet. Afterward, we headed to the soccer game via the city bus system. Earlier in the week, Caroline and I went to the outdoor market to buy something purple with Florence on it to wear to the game. We weren't exactly dressed to the 9s. More like sweatpants and UGGS (a big no-no in Italian fashion) and poor Caroline was bombarded by questions (in English) from one male vendor: "Ooooh girl I like your outfit. Next time I see you in the disco, I'll be like 'dammmn, that's unexpected!'" So with our purple t-shirts, we met the crew and headed to the bus stop. Apparently its impossible to drive/walk to the soccer stadium, so everyone in Florence hopped on the same city bus as us. Even though it was sub-artic outside, the windows of the bus fogged with the number of fans crammed inside. Leave it to a soccer player of 14 years to call a 0-0 tie an exciting game... but it was! Europeans indeed love their sport.
A week of school work procrastination followed our lazy Sunday as we waited for a yummy Thanksgiving meal and our friends to arrive on Friday. James had booked a ticket for Wednesday, forgetting that he'd be on a required trip with his program in Madrid, so he booked another flight for Thursday, which Ryanair kindly moved to Friday. So, he had two tickets to fly to Florence. Since his program trip was required, he convinced me that he would be coming on Friday when the rest of the crew was to arrive. However, around 6 PM on Wednesday night, my boyfriend walked into my apartment. Surprise!
Thursday, we had to "pick up" our Permit of Stay from the Police Dept (yes, 23 days before we leave...). Our appointment time was at 2:15, but we weren't seen until 4:45, leaving James to his own devices for the afternoon. Before we left for Milva and Luca's house for Thanksgiving dinner, he spilled exactly how he had spent his afternoon. My birthday is tomorrow, and while James is a great gift-giver, he isn't a good secret-keeper. He couldn't contain himself. In 9th grade, he came on a school trip to Florence and they went to a leather factory and learned about the tanning process, how to evaluate nice leather, etc. He found their showroom in the Piazza near Santa Croce on his last trip to Florence and made his way over there while I was stuck in the Police Station. I now have a beautiful chocolate brown patent leather bag. James forgot to mention the coolest thing about the purse in his description, but Keena informed me that the style is called the "Grace Kelly" because it is the same bag she carried on her wedding day. Thoughtful boy. And did I mention the gold-leaf monogram? Oh yeah, he knows me all too well.
Thursday night, we took yet another city bus to Milva and Lucca's house for an American Thanksgiving meal. Milva is a cooking professor at LdM, so we knew we were in for a treat. We ate pumpkin soup, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, along with some side dishes that had an Italian flare before apple and pumpkin pie for dessert. Certainly not a meal from my Mother's kitchen, but it made the day feel more like home nonetheless.
Our friends arrived mid-afternoon on Friday, which only created a more familiar atmosphere. We gave them a quick walking tour of the city before a dinner of pizza and pasta at Gatto e Volpe, one of our favorite spots. Myki will never again confuse rigatoni and rissotto. We hung out at the boys before heading out to the discotecas. I'm not sure Europe was ready to handle a Davidson court party. An agressive bouncer, tears on the curbside, and a 4 AM bedtime summarized our night. By popular demand, I made loaded grits on Saturday for everyone, followed by gelato from our favorite spot on our street. We sent our friends off to do some touristy things while I indulged in a much-needed nap. Before dinner, Elle, Carlin, Meredith, Caroline and I grabbed some baguettes, olives, and a variety of cheeses and sat on the Duomo steps. Good thing too. We decided not to eat at the resturaunt we made reservations for, so trying to find a place that could seat 14 at 9 PM on a Saturday night proved to be challenging. After more gelato and a sit on the bridge facing the Ponte Vecchio, James and I called it a night.
Sunday, we walked around only to find the Florence marathon blocking nearly every street in the city. Luckily, we grabbed some lunch just in time to get Elle on her bus to the airport. Naturally, there was a train strike, but James made it on his train to Bologna for his flight home.
The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind and its hard to believe that we have less than 3 left. 2 papers and my 21st birthday stand in between me and Sicily this weekend.
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