A Date with a Boy Named David

My first Italian experience started with a glass of sparkling wine (persecco) and an amazing arugula salad on a beautiful terrace in the Duomo piazza on a gorgeous summer evening shared with amazing company. As I looked up at the Duomo for the first time...I screamed! It has to be the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen. It`s at that very moment that I fell in love with Florence! It has this vibrant and romantic atmosphere. The small streets are filled with people, cute little restaurants and Gelato stops. For the past 4 days, I feel like all I`ve been doing is walking and eating gelato haha...I can`t get enough. During my 5 days here, I`ve had the chance to visit the Duomo, Michelangelo`s David- which by the way is absolutely mind blowing, Santa Croce- which contains tombs of famous artists such as Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli and the Piazza della Signoria- a beautiful square filled with famous statues. Our guided tour of the city definitely brought light to the whole renaissance period. The city is filled with beautiful art- statues, painting and magnificent architectural work.

I think you could walk around for days and never get bored...Saturday I went exploring on my own...sat in a few piazzas and watched the world go by. I`ve also done a lot of shopping, I bought a few souvenirs, a few leather purses and a gorgeous leather jackets J J

On Sunday, I took the train to Venice to meet the group...as I walked to the end of the platform I didn`t really know what to expect but it`s exactly as you would picture it- Canals, bridges and narrow alley type streets filled with people. I think it has become my new favourite city. It`s crazy to think that Venice is pretty much built on water (117 islands to be exact) with no vehicles. The only way to get around is by boat or by walking. You can literally get lost just walking through alleys and exploring all the Venetian glass shops...it’s honestly the coolest place ever!

Today, we brought our International Business students to the Pagani factory and then the Farrari museum. Some students managed to go test drive some of these cars with professional drivers...they we`re all pretty pumped about it!

Besides that, I`ve been enjoying teaching, exploring, drinking and EATING. I feel like all we do at night is sit in great restaurants where we drink and eat all night J

Gigi- I keep thinking of you...you would go CRAZY visiting museums here...the art is mind blowing!

Tomorrow we are leaving for Rome and will stop in San Gimignano to explore the town and visit the piazza. Apparently it is known for its art, shops and restaurants!

I am having a grand time and I can`t wait to share more stories with you when I get home! It`s been an amazing experience up to now and I can`t wait to see what Rome is all about!

Ciao for now!!

Franny