2nd Day of Florence, or if you speak Italian, Firenze
At the moment, I am feeling incredibly accomplished and satisfied with myself because I have officially finished all of my shopping. I also finally got myself something nice, so I think I've spend all the money I brought, and I think I did it rather well. I found bartering fun.
I'm very thankful for my big sunglasses here, as they give me a certain amount of privacy. Like when guys try to get your attention, and you can pretend you didn't see them. Or while we were rehearsing out in the Piazza del Republica below our hotel, and people were stopping to gawk, which I found rather embarrassing, and therefore, appreciated my slight anonymity. Actually, it was probably pretty funny to watching all 40 of us shuffling around the square, trying to stay out of the sun. But it is worth it; the difference between the sun and the shade is incredible, at least 7 or 8 degrees, and definitely worth trying to stay there.
The two museums were ok. At the Uffizi, there were some original Rembrants, and at the Accademia, of course there was David, which was amazing. Now we're free from any choir business until 11:15 tomorrow when we all have to arrive at the Duomo to prepare for the mass.
I have somehow managed to completely decimate all the nail polish on my right foot, while my left foot is still relatively unharmed. Which is weird. I must be harder on my right foot.
Florence is really different from Venice. I think I like it better. The downside is cars and buses and mopeds, which is not really that great as I liked the water better, but it is much easier to get around in Florence. Venice was literally like a maze. I also completely don't understand traffic here. Very few of the streets actually look like one. Like when we were walking in the piazza last night, 2 cars just came right through the middle of it, and people just kind of got out of the way. Very weird. Almost nothing is marked.
Also, apparently, the Piazza del Republica is a great hangout, with great food, and lots of entertainment. I know this because I could hear it all from our 5h story room last night. It wasn't like drunken, rowdy, annoying noise, just enough Italian singing to keep you awake.
Late evening in Firenze
I'm waiting for mom to get out of the shower, and listening to about 3 different performers down in the piazza through our open window. It's really cool when you're not trying to sleep.
We trecked all around the city with bags of dirty laundry with the MacMurphys looking for the laundromat, which we found, and thank God, cleaned our clothes. Mom and I left Aimee to watch the clothes with some other people from the choir while we went back to the open-air market that I got the rest of my gifts at to shop a little more. We bargained more, and decided more, and found good stuff.
We got back to the hotel for a little breather, and I was able to facebook chat Nick for about 45 minutes, which was nice. The internet connection was taking a long time for some reason, so it was more like a 25 minute conversation, rather than a 45 minute one, but it was still good. After that, our family and Tiffany decided to try to find a particular bridge that is famous because it's the only one the Nazi's didn't blow up on their way through Italy, for whatever reason. We found it, looked at it, and then crossed it to find something to eat. We stopped at a little grocery store, and Dad picked out a very typical meal for our family: wheat bagel-bite things, and a tub of cream cheese. Our family can put away some cheese, I'm telling you. We ate it on a stone wall overlooking the big river in Florence, then ran into another group of our people on the way home, and got cheap but delicious gelato (Aimee's third of the day, by the way.)
We have to be checked out by 10:30 tomorrow, and I have no idea what kind of internet situation it will be in Spoleto, so I'll try to post this last little bit I've written tomorrow before we leave. It makes me happy to know that at least a few people are interested in my trip and me, and reading this. I love you few people :)
Ok, the shower's mine. More tomorrow. Home has nevr looked so good :)
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