After walking around Florence the past two days, the one thing that I really have been craving is to ride a bike. People young and old ride there bikes throughout the city, and can I just say that Indiana could learn a lot about how to treat bikers from the Italians. Their bike lanes are very clearly marked, and pedestrians and cars respect one another (even if the driving is a tad bit crazy here). The other thing I have been craving since I got here is Gelato! I had never tasted this incredible delight before now, but I'm glad I finally stopped into one of the MANY gelato shops where they have every flavor imaginable...I'm talking rows and rows of it. I chose the nutella one (of course), and it had this mousse in it that turned it into extra fluffy goodness.
The food is just as wonderful as everyone says it is, and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on all there is to eat. The streets of Florence are full of little places to eat, small cafes, and hundreds of shops. I have had the local pizza from right around the corner from my apartment where the waiter was so excited that I was American so that she could practice her English. A group of high school age Italian boys (who appeared to hang out there a lot) were making fun of her though, but I think it was just their way of flirting with her. I am getting pretty good at ordering, and I've figured out ways to cheat if I don't know what the food is called in Italian. I will just say "Vorrei questo per piacere" and point (which means I would like this one please), and this phrase has not failed me yet.
Other than eating a variety of things today, I also went to the Piazza Della Signatura to scope out where I needed to go when I go to the Uffizi on Friday. While I was there, a street musician was playing "My Heart Will Go On" on his guitar, which I found a little strange.
Around the corner from the Piazza I found the Galileo museum, which I knew I HAD to go to for my mother. She had been saying before I left that I had to go because she A. Obsessed with Galileo and B. She wasn't able to see it when she was here and so I went. It was actually pretty interesting because they had many of his inventions and microscopes, telescopes, ect that he created and used.
The museum also kind of gave a a history of the evolution of these various devices.
So, Mom I hope you are happy that I listened and went just for you:)
(I took an artsy shot of the interior of the globe from the Galileo Museum)
Tomorrow the Accademia where I will get to feed more of my art history nerdiness!
Buona sera,
Rachel
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