I made it!

Ciao Tutti!

I have made it to Florence, or Firenze as Italians call it.  I am in the midst of my second day here and I have already had many different experiences.  Let me start with the part on how I got here.  I spent a little over 24 hours and 2 days worth of my time(because of the time change) in airports and on airplanes, with only about 2 and a half hours of sleep.  All that time was definitely worth getting here.  I fell asleep on the plane ride from Zurich to Florence for about a half hour and woke just in time for the complementary snack, and shortly after the decent into Florence.  I was lucky enough to have a window seat and got to see an amazing view flying over the mountains that are just north of Florence.  Words cannot express the immensity of that view, but I can try.  It was breathtaking, the peaks with snow covered and as we got closer to the valley in which Florence resides little patches of green grass popped up more frequently and then I could see the mountains speckled with houses and little villages.  They look so tiny and neat, but from what I have read about Italy I knew they couldn't be as neat inside as on the outside.

Then we started flying over Florence, which was amazing, the red and yellow tuscan brick buildings were easily visible and nothing short of my expectations.  Just like the small hill towns Florence look so neat and tidy. Soon we had landed at the airport and shortly after transported to our apartments.  

Immediately after I got in the taxi I knew that the neat and tidy city I saw from the plane was just organized chaos.  It was exciting and a bit frightening at the same time.  I felt that at anytime there could be a huge crash and a pile of cars, what with the zig-zagging vespas and the fast paced driving of any other vehicle on the road.

After about 3o minutes I had arrived at my doorstep where I was told I lived on the second floor, but I soon learned that in Italy the second floor is actually about 8 small flights of stairs.  Once in my apartment I briefly met my roommates and my landlord and was then off to go find my school for our welcoming dinner.  I live about a ten minute walk from my school and about 5 minutes from the Ponte Vecchio and right down the street from the Uffizi.  It is a great location.  Every street is lined with small shops and many designer shops as well. It is a city truly full of life.  The welcoming dinner was amazing, a meat platter and some oiled bread for the appetizer, follwed by a type of pasta that resembles a small coin bag that was filled with something that was slightly sweet and well complemented by the sauce, and then for dessert we were served triamisu, which is much better that what they have in the states.  A very delicious dinner.

After the dinner I went back to my apartment only to get lost for the first time in Florence.  It was a nice little walk around my area and the whole time only about a block away from my apartment. We finally made it back home and I unpacked and went to bed and got my much needed rest.