Highlights from Italy I

Weather has been lovely- a little chilly in the mornings and after sunset, but the rest of the time has been beautifully warm and sunny. Spring is truly the best time to visit Italy, before the miserable muggy heat of summer. The light is strong and crisp, makes me jealous with our crappy St.Louis light.

Strolling through the Uffizi gallery, not looking at art (I've seen it all before) but looking at the architecture and trying to get views of the piazza below. We got student cards usually given to local students (E25) so we get in 'free' and dosn't have to wait in line (60min+) to get in. We just flash the card and get our entry tickets, this way please. It kind of feels like a VIP pass.

Picnic lunch of toasted caprece paninis on the piazza Pitti with the locals. Its amazing how a little incline turns a square for standing and meandering for a place for sitting and laying down.

Walking around the Boboli gardents, the Medici private gardens, which rise above the city south of the Arno. The old marble statues, the quiet paths, the beautiful weather, the wind in the olive trees and bright sunshine. The whole garden rises above the city in the hills, so there's a lot of stairs and hills, and the city spreads itself out in the background.

Walking around the city with Leif and Dave before everyone else arrived, the full three mile loop across the historic city center, through the piazza delgi uffizi, across the ponte vecchio, and up into the hills north of the city, getting really lost, and finally working our way back through the countryside, ending up drinking beer at the piazza michelangelo which is an amazing overlook of the city.

Dinner with Dave and Leif the first night at a Kabob place where the owner lamented how mean the Italian girls are, wishing he could come to the US. Really good. Super cheap meal.

Meeting up with everyone on the piazza michelanglo, drinking a beer, and sitting on the steps with all the other American students in Florence and maybe five Italians, watching the sun set.

Dinner at this trattoria the guidebook on my kindle recommeded, which was tiny, filled with locals (we had to share a table with another couple), delicious, and cheap! It was fantastic. A liter and a half of wine. Good times. I got canneloni and the pork loin. Belissimo.

Gelato. G. E. L. A. T. O. Say it with me. Prego!