Settling In...

Today is Sunday, one of the first days I’ve been able to sleep in and catch up a little bit on my jet lag. It hasn’t been so bad; I just have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night because 3am feels like 9pm to me and that’s a bit early for bed time.

The last few days have been packed between orientation, getting used to my surroundings, and some of the group trips we’ve had. It’s like the first week of freshman year plus a language I don’t speak, way better food, and a medieval city. So it’s really not that much like freshman year except for the sensory overload.
On Friday we had orientation in our study center. A lot of it was a bit boring but it was great to start meeting the other people on our program, most of whom are great. Some people are returning for another semester, so this should be plenty of fun. Our director, Sue, is wonderful. She came on the program 35 years ago, met an Italian, and hasn’t left since. She is essentially living my dream.

I got a chance to sample some of the restaurants around here. We have this amazing sandwich place a few blocks away. It will most likely be my daily lunch stop. There are so many different little cafes and bars around here that it will not be hard to find something amazing each day.

Sue also took us on a tour through our neighborhood, pointing out good places to eat and stores that would rip us off. Most importantly she brought us to our meeting place for group trips: the column in Piazza della Republica. We learned a bit of the history of it the next day from Frank, one of the art history professors. When the Romans founded the city, they chose the site where the column is today as the center because of some sign from the gods, usually birds flying in a certain formation. Then they would lay out a grid over the land and begin building. This piazza was once the site of the Roman forum and later the Florentine “red light” district. Once Italy became a country, the king had the piazza torn down and rebuilt, giving it the look it has today. And there you go.

One of the most beautiful things about Florence is the way it has built on its past, not over its past. Medieval buildings sit snugly beside 19th century townhouses and still it all fits together. The city has of course changed but its look and flavor evolves—there is always something of the old city mingling with the new. It’s like the great cathedrals of Europe, each one with designs and decorations from different periods that live together, giving these stone buildings life and energy. Nothing here is stale.