I had decided to explore "Northern" Florence today. My first stop was Il Mercato Centrale. It was awesome. I looked outside first, and almost bought this packet of spices for your spaghetti, but then I decided that I could by that another day if I decided that I truly wanted it. So then I went inside the building...simply awesome. So many different stalls and so much food. I tasted a few cheeses, looked at some wine, but the BEST part was the dried fruit I bought. I looked at it outside, but didn't buy any until I found this stand that had SO much variety in the fruit. I bought a small bag and you could mix and match. I bought: pineapple, mango, strawberries, kiwi, and something that looked good, but I didn't know what it was. The fruit was SOOOOO good! My favorite was the kiwi! The pineapple and strawberries were reeeally good too! The little things that i didn't know what they were, were not very good. They weren't bad, but they weren't that good either. I ate them as I walked around and looked!
The rest of the market was interesting. A LOT of meats hanging around, yuck. I also saw a "Jack Daniels Coke"...weird...I was unsure of what it actually was, but there it was...in the cold drinks thingy with all of the "regular" sodas! There were places you could try things out, but I was unsure of everything so I mostly observed. I will be going back to the market though. I'll be going back for some fruit, and hopefully some spices/lemoncello to bring home!! I also really enjoyed the buildings around the market. They really looked, "Italian" to me. I know this sounds stupid, but like they just looked like buildings you see when you look at common pictures of Italy! :)
After the market, I happened to come upon one more TIM store. I decided to go in and see if I had better luck getting answers about my phone. THe lady barely spoke English, but between her broken English and my broken Italian, we got it together. FINALLY someone that could help me!! I found out last night that it was because my phone was American. So, I needed to buy an Italian phone. She pointed me towards an "electronics store", but I decided that was stupid.
SO, I just started exploring again and decided to find a store as I walked around. My next stop was San Lorenzo. At first I just went to the free parts, but then I decided to pay to see inside the church and the library. In the Cloisters, the free part, it was beautiful. These sweet Japanese girls were so kind and took a picture of me in the garden.
They were beautiful, but then I decided just to fork over the money and see the good stuff! :) I went to The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana first (Biblioteca=library). It was gorgeous inside. I wish we had more buildings like these in the U.S. I mean even this one, which the guide book described as "simple" or something like that, was just stunning. All of the little details and even the big details. I decided that in this beautiful library, it would be a good time to take my "game day" picture...so dont judge me for doing this, but here it is:
I was sad though that I could not take pictures inside the church. It was beautiful! There were two pulpits done by Donatello (i'm sure that here Mike would insert some comment about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...haha). The ceiling was gorgeous as well. Apparently parts of both places were designed by Michelangelo! I really, really wish I had pictures from inside. But, I suppose rules are rules. THen I went into the "museum" (all included in my 6 euros) and no one told me I wasn't supposed to take pictures here so I got a few...before she said I couldn't! But this one of Jesus on the cross was just amazing!! I definitely stopped to thank Him for doing that...all of the images, and I guess they are crucifixes, in Italy of Jesus on the cross are just jaw dropping. It makes me wonder how anyone around here (Italy) could not believe in Him and be thankful for what He did for us! And yes, I know that this country is mostly Catholic...I just meant that of course not everyone is Catholic here, and definitely not everyone is a Christian...but with all of these images around you, I would think that they would at elast be curious about who this man is. Anyway, coming down from my soapbox, and here is the picture:
THe picture doesn't do the real thing any justice.
By the way, this whole time it never rained at all (I got one or two drops when I first left the apartment this morning, but then NOTHING!!). I was very excited about this because it meant I could cross things off of my "must-see" list and begin concentrating on other cities (Pisa, Lucca, Siena, Rome, etc. etc.). Also, I have a few bigger things to do in Florence like Il Duomo (inside, the stairs, etc.) and go back to Piazzale Michelangelo when the sun is out and get some pictures with my big camera there.
After all of this, I was sooo hungry. I decided to walk back to Via Neri where I had seen a place that looked like it had really good food. They sold like the meats, wines, cheeses, etc. and they had a sign that said, "We sell sandwiches" so I figured I'd go try it. On my way there, I stopped in the "leggings store" and asked about the push up leggings. She said that they actually wouldn't be getting anymore. I was actually kind of sad. They still have the tights, and I will consider them, but probably wont buy them. My big clothing purchase is supposed to be a dress for graduation. I am still in search... Anyway, that is all beside the point. As I'm walking to Via Neri, I see this long line down a little side street. I decided to check it out. I couldnt' figure out what all of these people could be waiting in line for, but then I saw these girls eating a sandwich and they looked "American" and they were speaking English, so I asked them what everyone was waiting on. They said that this place had really good sandwiches and they were really cheap! I also noticed that they all had little glasses of wine in their hands. They said they waited for about 10 minutes and I figured if that was all I would have to wait, then it would be worth it (it would have taken me that long to walk to the other place, and cleeeearly this place was popular). I waited in line...the only bad part was these two girls right in front of me decided that they had to smoke cigarettes and blow it in my face. WARNING SOAPBOX: STOP ALL OF THE SMOKING....seriously, the rest of us DO NOT WANT TO DIE FOR YOUR HORRIBLY DISGUSTING HABIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could barely breathe and it was making me cough. It was also making me want to throw up. Okay, but the GOOD part. This guy came around giving out little menus so that you would know what you wanted when you got to the counter, but of course it was all in Italian. Well, with my knowledge of the food, I picked out a sandwich. While I was waiting, I discovered that the other side had English on it and THANK GOODNESS that it did. The sandwich I had picked out was some meat with some sort of fresh goat cheese. YUCK!! SO, I decided on the ham (which isn't at all like our ham) and mozzarella. Before I talk about it more, here are some pictures so you can see what it looked like and it will help me explain this process:
I decided that I should also treat myself to a little glass of wine...consider it my "tailgating" for the LSU game! :) I decided to do just as everyone else was, and pull up a seat....on the sidewalk. The sandwich was very simple, but very good! :) The wine was good too, and it was just enough to enjoy it, but not so much that it was, well, too much! Before I got up, I looked at my book and my map and decided that I wanted to start making my way back to the apartment; however, on my way I wanted to stop at La Galleria dell' Academia where "Il David" is located! :)On my way, I saw another TIM store and I decided to try oooooooone last time to get some help! Again, this lady barely spoke English, but was BY FAR the nicest person that has tried to help me!! Between both of our broken languages with each other, she got me the cheapest phone that they had and we got it to work with my TIM sim card...she called customer service for me...I paid the 29 euros plus another 10 euros of credit...and I was on my way with my old school Italian phone!!! I was so excited to be able to call my momma and daddy!! :) yay!!! Also, I was excited to have a phone that works in general. It is very unnerving to know that if you needed ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL...you can't call anyone! :(
Also, it took me FOREVER to send Fiona a text message using this phone...I'm SO used to my blackberry and now my Galaxy phone...but a working phone, is a WORKING phone!!! :)It was a nice walk, and nice to discover new streets. Right across the street was a Christian bookstore. I went in and looked! It was really neat! They had a lot of magnets and postcards with Bible verses in Italian...I looked for something with Isaiah 41:10 on it, but they didn't have anything. I might go back and look for another favorite verse one day! Anyway, so then I went into the museum (through security/bag scan) and bought my ticket. Now, I'm not really a museum person...I dont care that much about art and I dont want to take 5 hours to look at anything. However, I went into all of the exhibits! The best part was David...I was shocked at how tall he actually is! I was also thankful to have my FLorence book because it told a lot about him. Dont laugh, but I didn't know he was David, like David and Golith, David (again, I care nothing about this sort of stuff). I also didn't know that Michelangelo was the only one to be able to make anything using this marble slab! WOW!!! It truly was amazing...and so tall!!! I sat there for a while (because there was seating) and read about stuff in the museum and looked at my map to see how I wanted to walk home. I saw some other things in the museum and they were beautiful. Again, all of the depictions of Christ and the disciples were simply AMAZING!!! I climbed a bunch of stairs to see some of them...I really have worked off a good bit of the food I've eaten I do believe...so yay for that!! After all of this, I used their bathroom (which had stalls...their idea of bathroom stalls are so weird...they have like full doors and everything).
On my way to the apartment I got a little gelato (very small and it was actually yogurt with strawberry). I knew I wouldn't be eating for another 4ish hours. I walked a different way home and went through Piazza Della Liberta. It was pretty and the yellow leaves on the ground make everything better! :)
When i got back I talked to my mommy and daddy on skype!!! yay!!! Updated blogs...then i talked to my beautiful friend Meagan on skype...yay yay yay!!! Blogs took me a long time to do and I have not studied AT ALL today!!! Dinner was just me and Signora Gabriella...Guenda once again seemed so surprised that I wasn't "going out"! What is it with these people...you DO NOT have to go out to have fun! :) Whatever...Signora Gabriella and I were able to communicate some! I think it actually helps when Guenda isn't there because I am not tempted to use English and I dont feel like anyone is judging me! Dinner was spaghetti noodles with olive oil and real parmesean cheese...MY FAVORITE...adn then this meat patty thing that I am unsure of what type of meat it was...which made me gag a bit in my mind because I dont like to not know AT ALL what I am eating! I finished with a few bites of the sweet tort thing from last night.
Then i just spent my time updating my blog and getting ready for bed. I texted Fiona about tomorrow, but never heard anything back from her. I suppose since I didn't hear back from her that I will just go to Pisa instead!! Surely there will be some American tourists who will take a few pictures of me!?!?!? I wish that out of all of the amazing friends I have (or my momma and daddy) that SOMEONE was here with me!!!
Oh well...hopefully tomorrows blog will contain pictures from Pisa!! :)
I'm so glad I was able to put so many pictures in this blog...I would put more, but I have to get ready for bed and get my ducks in a row for tomorrow!!! :)
PS ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment