First days in Firenze

For our second night out we headed to a pub called the Lion's Fountain. It is an american friendly bar and even has JMU tshirts on the ceiling. Not only that but they also have a JMU shot! We spent all night there and had a great time.

The first day of classes was pretty rough since most of us stayed out a little too late. First we had Italian. Susanna, my italian teacher is amazing and so energetic! After Italian we left the British Institute to head for Palazzo Capponi, JMU's study center. There we had our first art history class. I'm really excited for this class especially because of all the trips to the museums we will be taking! After classes were finished it was time for some serious napping. When I woke up I decided to go for a run through a park in Firenze. It was beautiful and really big. I think that's when it finally hit me that I'm in Firenze and so fortunate to be here.

Right after showering it was time for dinner. Mama Lo is such a great cook! We had ravioli with herbs, salad and the best eggplant parm that I have ever had. Everything is so fresh and flavorful. After dinner some of our classmates came over and we headed out for the night. We ended up at a bar called the Red Garter. It was also very american friendly however, there were a lot more locals there than the Lion's Fountain. In the back of the bar was a dj and karaoke. It was so much fun! We sang I wanna dance with somebody. We spent the whole night dancing and hanging out. Definitely a place I would like to go back to.

Today, we had italian again and then our literature class Dante's Comedia. In between classes we grabbed lunch at a small place Gusto Panini. I ordered a panini with mozzarella, tomatoes and pesto. It was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had! We ate it on the stairs on the cathedral in Palazzo Santo Spirito. I really like my literature professor and think I am going to learn alot in his class. All of the professors here are really great and helpful. After class, we had a meeting to declare our presence in italy. We had small group meetings with our directors afterwards to discuss our homestays and details for our trip to Siena tomorrow! Following the meeting I wanted to take advantage of this beautiful weather so I went for a run again in the park a few bridges down. Tonight we don't have dinner with Mama Lo so we'll be experiencing our first dinner at an italian restaurant. Afterwards, we are going to get gelato and hang out with a few friends since we are leaving really early for Siena in the morning!