Sunday....a day of rest. Not me....out to walk in circles again...but I have a map this time.

Buon giorno

Come stai?

One more day to play before I start school.  Today I prepare my art portfolio and sharpen my pencils.  I am excited to meet new people, although I have met some now along the way.  For the first time since I arrived I have had a full night of restful sleep.  I am getting used to my narrow bed and haven’t fallen off yet.  I understand that today is a quiet day in the city.  It might actually make for a good day to go out and take some photographs, although at the moment it is rather cloudy and yesterday it rained most of the day.  I don’t mind the rain actually.   I feel like I am acclimatizing now to my new life here is Firenze.  

Last night my Rosetta Stone Italian program decided to give me the boot (no pun intended as the shape of the country is a boot) and is requesting my registration numbers.  I know exactly where that program is on my bookshelf at home so must call home today.   I am so eager to learn the language now that I am here.  It might enhance the pleasure of this experience.  There are a lot of English speaking students here.  Good to see that the younger generation are experiencing life culture.  

I bought a version of what is known to us as the Brita filter, although they have a different name for it, the Zephir ZHC 95 Caraffa Filtrante.  What I have noticed with the water here when I boil it for my morning coffee is that there is a film of minerals in the pot.  Reminds me of the water in Sudbury.  So I will try to filter and see if there is any significant difference.  I am still uncertain about drinking straight from the water tap and boiling it is good.  The water pipes may be a tad old in this building.  What is interesting about shopping here well in this one particular store and the store where  I bought my cell phone is that the items are behind glass.  So for example in this appliance store the items are all in the window beautifully displayed and priced.  When you walk in there is a counter with a couple of sales persons and they run up these stairs to retrieve what you want.  Given the limited space they have in these buildings I am certain it is also an added security feature.  In the appliance store no one spoke English and I found myself acting out what my question was.  The sales girl was laughing.  Anyone for charades?  I am getting really good at it.

I discovered they have Lily coffee here so when my starbucks runs out I am good to go.  Another interesting discovery is that their paper towels are strong enough for me to run water through my little Second Cup plastic filter.   I figured the 40 filters I brought may not suffice until I return home to attend my retreat.  I also found that little battery operated milk foam device that I gave my sister for Christmas.  I see I have several manual expresso coffee pots here.  

I had suggested earlier that today is cleaning day, however this morning that is the last thing I feel like doing.  So I will do a little and then hit the cobblestone streets again.  I am happy I brought flat shoes.  These Italian women must be used to walking on the uneven stone streets.  Can’t imagine wearing stilettos.   At the Duomo yesterday I found a great little perfume/bath shop.  I bought this hand cream that an old boyfriend has given me many many Christmases ago.  I never did find the store on Yonge Street that carried it..but now I found it in the city that makes it.   I just love the synchronicity of how life just happens.  I have looked for this hand cream forever and then gave up.  To me that was a metaphor that suggests if you love something so much…give it up…and it’ll come back to you.

For those of you who are taking the interest in reading my blog, thank you and I do hope that you post comments as I would love to hear from you all.

La Firenza mi piace moltissimo!  Saluti!