Well...I guess the Tide didn't roll

This morning I woke up from a TERRIBLE dream that my mom called me about the game, but in my dream it was the Auburn game and we were losing 21 to 0 at halftime. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!! The weirdest part was that right after this, my momma did actually call and said that we had just made a field goal. Right before she called though I had gotten on facebook and saw an Auburn fan that had said, "what do myself and the Alabama kicker have in common?? Neither one of us can kick a field goal." This was my first clue that maybe things weren't going so well. Then I got on cbs sports on the game tracker (because it wouldn't let me watch live) and saw that we had just made a field goal. So, with two minutes left in the half when my momma called, I went back to sleep hopeful that the next time I talked to her, there would be a better score.

However, at 4:23 am Florence time, I received the bad news. WE LOST IN OVERTIME....thanks to the kicker. WHAT IS UP WITH THE KICKER(S)!??!!??!!??!? I cannot believe we lost...I was so sure we were going to the National Championship...so sure. But now, we will probably have to watch LSU go and I'll HAVE to cheer for the OTHER team. I'm sorry, no SEC loyalty here...if you dont like it...well....I DONT CARE!! I do not like LSU and they have never been nice to us (remember them "burning" Saban at the stake, etc. etc.). Therefore, I do not congratulate them on their win and I DO NOT want them to win another National Championship!!!

Then, when it was time for me to get up and go catch a train to go to Pisa, it was raining. :( I was sad, but I knew this was a possibility. I looked at the weather and there was a 40% chance of rain allllll day, so I decided to use today to rest, rewrite some notes, if it's not raining, walk to get some lunch, and just relax a little bit. I have been exhausted from walking around all day/going to class that my head has been hurting and I can barely hold my eyes open at dinner. So, I think it will be okay to just take today and get it together. I looked at the weather and I think Tuesday will be a good afternoon to go immediately from class to the train station and take a train to Pisa. I'm also hoping that I can convince Fiona and/or her roommate to go as well!!! I HAVE to go then though...technically I am running out of time to fit all of this in. I've already had to accept that I probably will not see Venice at all! :( Very sad about this, but I WILL be back to Italy...so I suppose I will see it then. Next weekend I am going to Rome. Then the next weekend I am going to Lucca on Saturday and then we have a day trip to Chianti with the school on that Sunday (that will be my last weekend here). So somewhere in all of this I also want to take an afternoon or two and go to Sienna. There are SO many places I want to go, but just not enough time.

So after I decided to definitely NOT go to Pisa, I got dressed and decided to go to the park to study and then find something for lunch. The park was beautiful today (and every day really). I need to walk around the wall on one side of it...I think there is some sort of palace there or something! :) However, for today, I just sat on a bench and watched as this sweet daddy taught his little girl how to ride a bike, people walked, people ran, they brought their animals to the park, and there was just so much to look at. I spent my time there writing out my new vocabulary words...truthfully I should have studied ALL day, but who wants to do that when they are in Florence, Italy and not here for a grade!?!?!? So I sat there for maybe 45 minutes or so and then I decided to start walking towards the center of town so that I could search for something to eat.
This was an interesting walk. I came across the McDonald's again...and it is actually across the street from a Subway (which had pretty much the same things that our Subways have. I HAD to go in the McDonald's for three reasons: 1. Brad V. needed to know whether they have "McPasta" 2. I wanted to see what an Italian McDonald's looked like and 3. I figured I could probably use their bathroom (and I was right).
I was surprised to see that they had Tiramisu on the menu. Their menu was pretty much the same as ours though. I was kind of surprised to see how many people were actually eating in there. Come on people, you are in ITALY!!! However, they did have clean bathrooms and for that I was grateful. I stopped a few places to look at the food, but I could not decide what I wanted. Part of me kept saying that it was time to try the pizza, but nothing looked good. Then, I turned down a little side street (because I figure getting off the main roads with alll of the tourists is my best bet when looking for food). I actually turned down the street where I ate yesterday and there was a pretty decent line waiting for the sandwiches and wine, but I kept walking and boy am I glad that I did. I stumbled upon this little area that was a pretty little niche and there was a restaurant that looked pretty good. I decided to eat there.

I sat down at a little table and I had already decided from the menu outside what I wanted. I was definitely going to try the pizza and the house wine. I ordered and then just waited. Thankfully, this really nice couple sat down next to me and I was able to talk to them. They were from Oregon. They were so sweet and it was really nice to have someone to talk to. They were on a tour, so they had been to Rome, Lucca, Sienna, Assisi, and some other small towns and then at the end of the week they go back to Rome. Then another couple sat down on the other side of me and started talking to me. It was so great to have good conversation in English! :) I truly was grateful to have people to talk to while I ate! After I finished, I sat and studied my map trying to figure out what to go see. I asked the waiter where we were on my map (and I asked in Italian!!!). Side note: I did a really good job today of using my Italian...I asked everything in Italian first and then if I needed to use English I did...I was pretty proud of myself! yay!! Anyway, so the first couple left and the second couple kept talking to me. They were from Columbia, South Carolina. The man teaches at the University of South Carolina. He told me, "you know Alabama lost yesterday." He wasn't mean about it, but I told him, "yes my momma called me this morning to tell me...it was depressing!!" Then he told me that Arkansas beat South Carolina!! Anyway, he had used Rosetta Stone for 3 weeks prior to their trip...which I thought was kind of funny and expensive for a short tour of Italy!! However, they were very sweet and I passed on Ashley's tip of going to the Piazzale Michelangelo. I warned them about all of the steps, but made sure that they understood that it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!! Again, it was so kind of these couples to talk to me and we had interesting conversations. So, I will include a picture of my meal, with a note that I brought home half of the pizza (dont judge me for how much I ate either...I only had a granola bar for breakfast...and some yogurt...and that was HOURS before this). I am also including a picture of the first couple's (the lady's) calazone because it was UNBELIEVABLY big...i asked her if I could take a picture because I had never seen ANYTHING like it!!
Once I finished my wine and got an idea of where I was, I used their clean bathroom and was on my way. I walked towards The Santa Croce and took some pictures, but did not go in. I didn't have my book with me to see if it was worth it (though I just looked it up and I suppose I will have to make it back here because it is where Michelangelo is buried and Machiavelli). They seemed to be having some sort of military recruitment thing in the piazza and there was a Red Cross Band playing and a lot of people out. I took some pictures of the outside, and I will go back one afternoon.

After this, I just picked a direction to walk in and I was off. I was so excited to find a store that sold nothing but Murano Glass. This is handblown glass made in Venice (and seeing as how I will most likely not be making it to Venice, I HAD to go in). Everything was BEAUTIFUL...I wanted buy it all. There were glasses and shot glasses and dishes and little like decorative dishes (that I might lay my jewelry in or something) and perfume bottles and vases and jewelry and knick knacks...it was just amazing!! I decided to buy a small pendent they had that will fit perfectly on my charm bracelet. I figure it is the perfect "charm" even it if isn't Tiffany! ;) It will be a reminder of Italy because it was made here and I bought it here! :) If I see another charm that just blows me away, I'll buy it too...but I like this one! It will always remind me that once again I set a goal and I made it happen. It will represent another dream come true...just as my "Class of '08" charm represents making it through undergrad and my "Return to Tiffany" charm was my gift to myself for moving to NYC and surviving/thriving. I also bought a gift or two in here..but I can't say it on here because then the person/people will know!! :)

Also, since I had been at the restaurant I had been trying to get this stupid Italian phone to work..FINALLY just as I was needing my momma to help me make a decision in the Murano glass store, it worked and she was able to call me! Thing I miss: my working, fabulous, amazing, samsung galaxy phone with american cell phone service. Neal said I would get here and thing American cell phones sucked and that international phones/services/costs were amazing...NOT TRUE AT ALL....they suck!!

Moving on...so at this point I decided to stat making my way back to the apartment, slowly, but surely. My feet were kind of hurting and my knees were kind of stiff. I walked into a few stores here and there. I stopped in this one store to look at the wines, meats, and cheeses and ended up buying a few little pieces of chocolate. The best part of this experience was the sales girl. She was so sweet. They had a sign that said that all of their employees were Italian and Japanese (she looked Japanese, but spoke fluent Italian). I tried to speak to her in Italian, and was rather successful. She asked me if I was a student here and I said yes...told her that i was studying Italian and had studied it for two years, but that was three years ago...etc. etc...but I told her ALL of this in Italian! :) yay me! She complimented me on my Italian...yay her and I was grateful for the sweet comment...and then i was on my way! I tried one of the chocolates immediately. It was chocolate with a coffee flavoring...veeeery good! Then I just walked and walked and walked some more. I ended up going a different way home, but was glad that I did because I saw some interesting architecture.

Thing I love about Italy: every building is different and they all have such beautiful details! It is something that I simply cannot even describe. It's just too amazing!! I mean New York is diverse in it's architecture, but this is all so old looking (because it is) and just ornate and just beautiful. I cannot come up with any other words...I took a picture of a house today to illustrate my point:













So because I went a different way, I crossed one of the main streets at a different point and got a great view...Italy truly is beautiful, and all i've seen so far is Florence. I cannot wait to see Rome and then Lucca and then Siena and then Chianti and even Pisa (though I really only care about the tower).
Then, there is a walking bath under these bridges down near the water. I saw the most interesting lady. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is RED hair!!!













Then, when I got home...for the first time, no body was home! So, I took this opportunity to take a few pictures of the apartment. Ill have to take some pictures of the living room/dining room...which are the same thing later. The door was closed and i didn't open it. But here are some pictures of the entry way, long hallway that my bedroom/bathroom, the kitchen, Guenda's room and the other room are all off of. I'll try to put captions with the pictures, but blogger is bad about putting captions under pictures...so sorry if they aren't perfectly aligned.
The front door with WEIRD locks...

















The entry way, and the living room/dining room is on my right as is Signora Gabriella's bedroom.
















Around the corner from the last picture














Through that door in the last picture and looking down the hallway. My bathroom is immediately on my left and the open door you see is my bedroom.
























Across from my room


















Where the pots and pans are stored...you'll understand why in a minute when you see the tiny kitchen




Part of the kitchen


















Behind the door in the kitchen









Other room













Balcony













View from the balcony!












Ill take more pictures later...my bedroom, etc. etc. For now, that is all I can do. While I wait on dinner I am going to study and try to put some pictures on facebook!

I didn't get any pictures on facebook, but dinner was good!!! We started with the same little tortellini things. Then we had what I think is their version of fried chicken and then fried artichoke. I had veeeeeerry small portions because the pizza had been so filling. However, it was AMAZING!! Good food all around! :) Then i had a small orange thingy...and a few bites of this chocolate thingy. The best part of dinner was when Guenda asked me if I wanted to go to a party with her Friday night for 11/11/2011. It would make more sense to me if the part was Thursday at midnight so that it would turn 11/11/2011 at the party, but it is Friday at midnight. I DEFINITELY would have gone if I weren't going to Rome early the next morning. I was super bummed because she was so sweet to ask me and seemed disappointed that i couldn't go. The part starts at midnight so there is no way I would make it to the train station for an early train. Plus, I want to make the most of my time in Rome. I dont want to be exhausted. I truly am sad that I can't go with her because it would have been an amazing experience...but Rome is going to be that much more amazing!!!

Then after dinner I got to talk to Erin!!! Amazing...I miss seeing her face every day and being able to pick up the phone and talk to her at will!!! I miss that about every one right now actually! However, it was soo good to hear Erin's voice (and Meagan's last night) and it just reminded me of how fortunate I am to have such amazing friends. Even now, as I am talking to APril on facebook, I just realize how lucky I am to have so many amazing and genuine people in my life!!! AND I got to talk to my momma before I went to sleep! Dont know where my daddy was?!?!?

Okay, well now that I have been emotionally fulfilled...I am going to get ready for bed!!! Tomorrow is another day...oooh and before dinner I studied vocabulary and verbs...hopefully I'll be better tomorrow than I was on Friday!! :)

Oh and also, Roll Tide...my poor football team! However, as long as we beat Auburn...I'll still consider it a successful season! ;)