It was Enchanting to Meet You...Except that it wasn't.

There are two stories in this post, the first of which relates to the title and the second of which is about food. So if you prefer to read about food, skip to part two.

Today, I set out from my house about 11:45 with the intention of hanging out on the Campo reading and people watching until about 12:45. I had 30 wonderful minutes of reading my Italian translation of the Hobbit happily before I was again disturbed by a "ciao" said somewhere near me. Yet again, I though that this person perhaps knew me. We met a lot of Italian people living with some of the students in the first few days here, and one time I accidentaly walked past one of them without saying hello despite that fact that he recognized me, so I now I am paranoid of unintentionally ignoring one of them.

This was not one of them though. It was another person. A guy, who decided my looking up and smiling a little instinctively (American habit) was an invitation to come and sit next to me. And ask me to come get a drink with him. Over and over and over again. It was a funny conversation and went something like this:

Him: what are you doing here?

Me: Reading a book. So you are a student?

Him: Yes, of medicine. Do you have something to drink?

Me: Yes, I have water because it is hot.

Him: Do you want to come get something to drink?

Me: No. I am reading my book. And I have water.

Him: Oh. Leave that and come get something to drink with me.

Me: No. After I read my book I have to go to school and meet my friends for lunch.

Him: Skip School and come have something to drink with me!

Me: No.

Him: Please? You can go to school tomorrow.

Me: No. I can't.

Him: Please?

Me: No.

And on.

Positive of the experience: I learned that I can fight off persistent Italian men such as him in their own language. I spoke only Italian. I also learned that the stereotype does in fact come from somewhere, although most of the men I have come across here have not been that way- the Italian roommates in the program are all very nice and I have had very little interaction with other people but for the most part we have all been left alone. I left as soon as I realized he wasn't going to leave. A bit of advice for the young Italian man: ask questions other than "do you want to get a drink with me" for a while. And don't beg like a five year-old. That's just pathetic.

This afternoon we want to the Tuscan Wine School for a wine tasting. That was really fun! We got to try five different types of Tuscan wines, learn how they are made, how you properly taste them, what they are typically paired with, how to describe the taste, and what makes them taste particular ways. It was very interesting! I liked all of the kinds I got to try except one, a dessert wine. It was so sweet! And, it was called Vinsanto. This is Italian for Wine Saint, or Saint of Wine. Other than this, we tried two red wines, and two white wines. And we got to eat Pecorino cheese. Pecorino cheese! If you want to be my best friend forever and ever, find me Pecorino cheese in the United States. This is the kind of cheese I fell in love with last week or the week before. And the olive oil and bread even was delicious, the oil was so good. And of course, after we finished this we had dinner with my family which was delicious as well. Tomatoes stuffed with seasoned rice and roasted, followed by salad and tuna with a homemade sauce...kind of? I don't quite know what to call it. It was a topping, I guess. And then, we ate the simple dessert which seems so obvious and yet which I have never thought of before.

We ate Ricotta cheese with marmalade or Nutella on it. They don't put ricotta in lasagne here, they eat it as dessert or on a few other things, but not with lasagna.

It was very delicious, and something I can easily bring back to the States!

Americans Everywhere! And Sidewalks...

I have been to and returned safely from Florence! We had a wonderful time. My legs hurt and I am terribly tired, but my head is filled with beautiful artwork and architecture so I am quite happy.

Florence is a beautiful city in many ways. It seems to be primarily Renaissance, unlike Siena. This makes sense since I believe Florence became more powerful as Siena became less powerful, which was during the Renaissance with the rise of the Medici family in Florence (Firenze here, pronounced fear-in-zay, roughly. If you have never heard it called that before, I refer to it as both and you may see or hear me do so). The roads are wider and the buildings are newer. Slightly newer, anyway. And the city is just so big! Think of Siena as Charlottesville and Florence as Washington, D.C, Renaissance style.

Another reason for the Washington, D.C. comparison? There are Americans EVERYWHERE! I knew there would be a lot, but they were literally everywhere we went. People speaking in English this way and that way in line at museums, looking at maps, trying to find books at museums in English. I have not heard so much English since I left the states! Signs on stores were in English too, and there were actually shops labeled "Souvenirs" all over the place. I saw two McDonalds. And I have to admit, at some point I thought to myself in a somewhat haughty way, "Why are all of these Americans here?" Of course I am one. But I love Siena so much because it is small and personal and so not Americanized or tourist influenced. Florence caters to tourists and has adapted itself for them. Siena lets tourists come and helps them but does not try to be anything other than itself.

I did love Florence, though, even if I am very happy that I decided to study in Siena. We stayed in a small hotel that took up one floor of an apartment building a few blocks from the Duomo. The owners did everything themselves, and spoke English but not as much as the other people around Florence, or at least they learned that we spoke Italian and then let us speak it with them. Four of my friends and I set out Saturday morning to go to the Uffizi, perhaps Florence's most famous art museum. At the height of tourist season, people will wait for hours to get in! We waited only one, and then we spent perhaps five hours in the museum moving slowly from one work the next until we had seen everything and couldn't stand to look closely anymore! I saw two of Botticelli's most famous paintings, the Birth of Venus and Spring. They were absolutely beautiful, and much larger than I realized! I could have sat and looked at them for hours. We saw many things too from the 13th and 14th century which we were able to put in context from our art and art history class. There were two paintings by Da Vinci which I found absolutely beautiful as well- his Adoration of the Magi, and several other paintings and artists. I may be able to post them.

We went out to dinner as a group for one of the other student's birthdays and had a very good time! The family sitting behind us was, of course, American, and I learned that they are from Atlantic Beach, very near Jacksonville, and have connections to my high school. That was quite a place to meet a family from my area! a small Trattoria on a back road in the middle of Firenze.

Today we walked and we walked and we walked, just like yesterday. We walked on sidewalks, because they actually do exist in Florence, unlike in Siena. And we went to the Academia museum and saw many beautiful sculptures from the early 19th century as well as the David. again, I could have sat and looked at it for hours, it was so beautiful.

And now, I am so tired that I have to stop writing. But I will post pictures from the trip very soon!

My favorite Italian commercial.

FOUND IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4LDI87LZIM