Rainy Sunday
So I’m almost through another weekend, which means there is a lot to talk about! Let’s see if I can keep this organized …
Chocolate Festival - Last weekend there was a HUGE chocolate festival at Santa Croce. A ton of chocolatiers from the area set up tents and gave out samples and sold all different kinds of candies and desserts. Colleen and I went on Sunday, and seeing as I have the most insatiable chocolate obsession latey, it was one of my favorite days of the trip so far. The portions were small enough that we could try a lot of different things, so we had hot chocolate (which here is just melted chocolate in a cup..), chocolate mousse, and a cup of strawberries with chocolate fondue poured over them. Then I bought a few pieces of white, milk, and dark chocolate, homemade nutella, and hot chocolate mix. Of course the candy is gone, but I’m going to try to hold off on opening the other 2 so I can bring them home …
I Mosaici - On Wednesday my Italian teacher took us to a mosaic shop. They let us watch them making new pieces from stones all over the world (we saw rocks from Lucca, Afghanistan, and Arizona!). They cut tiny pieces with a saw made from a thin metal wire and they build the pictures face down so any uneven edges are in the back and the front of the piece ends up perfectly smooth. They do landscapes, portraits, and artistic designs. It takes a lot of time and precision, so even the smallest pieces sell for around $200. When we were there they were copying a painting of the Duomo .. they plan to sell the finished product for 50,000 Euro.
Travel - After all that time and stress, we finally booked flights for spring break! We’re going to visit friends in Amsterdam, Cork, and London. We also might go to Belgium for 2 days if the train tickets don’t look too expensive. The following weekend we’re going to Paris (our flights cost 30 euro round trip!), and we still have a few more weekends to book. I’ll post my final travel schedule when it’s all done.
Delicious Breakfast - Colleen and I are falling in love with a cafe by our house .. last week we stopped in for a snack on the way home from school and found mini sandwhiches smaller than the palm of my hand! Then, the other morning, we went for breakfast. We each got a pastry filled with apple and nutella (so much better than you would think) and a caffelatte. I caught the barista sprinkling a little cocoa in the coffee, and he made such a pretty design with the milk! We will DEFINITELY be going back…
I Fiori - The other day we came home to find tiny flower pots on our desks. Our host fam gave me little yellow flowers with a note that said “Siamo molto contenti che state con noi,” which means “We’re so happy that you are with us.” How sweet are they?
Lauren is here! - Mia bella cugina e arrivata!! Even though it’s a little far, it’s really easy for me to get to her apartment, which is so exciting :) We went out to dinner with her friends the other night to this incredible restaurant called Acqua al 2. They’re known for their inventive dishes and sample-style of ordering. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can order the chef’s choice sample and try 5 different things for that course! I decided to stick with one thing that night, so I ordered gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce and a salad. Even though it’s getting difficult to keep track of them all, that dinner was one of my best meals yet. The pasta was just SO GOOD and the sauce wasn’t overwhelmingly blue-cheesy, but it was sharp and smoky and delicious. All the pastas looked good, so maybe next time I’ll go for the sampler. Or maybe I’ll copy the seasoned diners that ate next to us that night: First, the two men split the pasta sampler, each eating half of the mini portions of the 5 pastas. Then, they split a salad and the restaurant’s famous balsamic-drenched steak. Finally, we watched them each devour their own orders of the dessert sample. A plate of tiramisu, walnut cake, cheesecake, and chocolate cake for each of them. Genius!
The Top of the World - Saturday afternoon was devoted to our favorite: the Duomo! We climbed the campanile (bell tower) all the way to the top and the word ‘breathtaking’ is nowhere near good enough. We saw the whole city and all the nearby towns and hills. If you can come to Florence and do one thing, this should absolutely be it. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had so far. Afterwards we went inside the church. Colleen explained some of the cool facts her art history teacher taught her, we took some pictures of the beautiful artwork, and we lit a candle before leaving. It was a really nice afternoon .. I love that place!
The Other Locks of Love - Vittoria told me something cool the other day that I’ve been meaning to share with you … Couples here have this tradition of writing their names or initials on locks and going to a special place to attach them to a fence, grate, or anything permanent. They turn the keys and “lock up their love” somewhere that will be there forever. There is a certain spot on the Ponte Vecchio that has a lot of them all in one place, but we spotted a few tucked away in hidden spots on our way up the campanile. I think it’s one of the cutest stories I’ve ever heard, and I love finding the locks all over the city.
My Favorite Food - I don’t know how I had gone so long without ever having it, but for lunch today I discovered the best pasta dish ever created. It was all of my favorite things on one plate. It was gnocchi stuffed (ripieni) with cheese, served in pesto sauce. Divino. There are no other words.
I think that should be good to hold you over for a while, but there’s a lot going on this week so I should have something new up here by Thursday.
Hope you all have a good week!
