OBAMA PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!

Most exciting news of the morning! Staying up in Italy to watch the incoming returns. The moment the West Coast took over, cheers and champagne! A  breakthrough in history, so ecstatic about the future of America!!!!!!!!!!! 

Free?!

This weekend in Florence at the Fortezza di Basso, literally, used to be an old Fort, there is a Creative Arts Festival going on. I ventured over there last night to find that the whole festival this weekend is entirely FREE! It came as a shock and a surprise, because it was such a large festival with capoeira dancers, art galleries, live djs and a huge stage with bands....best of all it was free.

Today, I'm taking the train to Roma, to meet up with the parental-units! It will be great to see them and show them around. 

A Porcini and A Fresco

Hey! So everything is beginning to calm down in Florence. The tourists are tapering off and it's such a relief. During the fall, Porcini mushrooms come into season and take a look at this huge GUY I bought at the Mercato San Ambrogio. It's like a small tree, granted it's a funghi. Delicious.....

Just wanted to let everyone take a look at one of the frescoes I'm working on in my Fresco Painting course. Still currently working on him, but here's a 

quick peek! It's the face of God, by Michelangelo. 

Siena

A change of scenery from Florence is a nice way to mix things up. Only an hour and a half on train or bus, Siena is gorgeous. The lack of trees in city center forms sort of a bubble with the change of seasons. It's nice to see the trees turn color when you travel from one town to another. 

A medieval town, Remus founded the city, where his brother Romulus founded Rome. Famous for the bare-horseback races in the Piazza del Campo, the sloping  piazza, where people CAN NOT lay down on their backs. Odd. There's some officer who regulates who is lying down and not. If you are, then you get yelled at. 

There was this crazy festival going on where Siena turned into a mix of the Middle East and Asia, walking through India, China, Afghanistan and Tibet. All the locals were dressed up ran into Osama bin Laden and the 40 theives. 

The Duomo there was beautiful as well. More intricate, but smaller than the one in Florence. There was this huge glass window in the middle where it looked like the sky shone through. The view of the rolling Tuscan hills were amazing. Tuscany is absolutely breathtaking. I'm always shocked by how beautiful this country is. 

Grom

I found the best Gelato place in all of Florence yesterday. Grom Gelato is situated right near my house which can become very dangerous. Freshly made gelato with fresh ingredients coming from their farms that are all over the world. Sooo good! Il gelato come una volta. 

Turista, Turista, TURISTA!

They're everywhere. I step outside to go to school in the morning cross the Piazza del Duomo and I come to complete halt. Late for class and I can't squeeze by with the large groups all stationary listening to their tour guide chatting away in the microphone. I can't complain too much because it's Firenze of course, but will it ever clear out? I give all the props to bikers, scooters and cars. I am amazed by people riding bikes because there is no consistency in riding in a straight line, dodge and stop, dodge and stop, ring the bell. A busy city, it's definitely a change from Seattle. 

Leonardo da VINO

My 2nd week of school went by quickly and smoothly. A great way to start the weekend I went to a winery/olive oil farm with my professor Lorenzo, from my fresco painting class and a few other studentessi. OF course, I woke up late and scrambled to get to school on time at  7 am, luckily they hadn't left yet... We drove to the town of Vinci, where Leonardo da Vinci was born, about 40 minutes from Firenze.  

So once we arrived we were welcomed in by a sweet Italian family and the owner, a vivacious well-worn older gentleman. We were served breakfast with wine, a little early to drink wine, eh? Nah...if your Italian it's a great way to  start the day at 9am. It's better to work with some wine in your system before you start the day. That way your happier to do your job. i.e drunk. But, I could get used to that. It seems to be that every Friday is Rain day. So due to the piove, rain, it restricted some of the events of the day, but we went out to the vineyards picked some grapes and ate some grapes. I didn't realize all the variations there were in size, taste and flavor.          

 Amused by a black kitten for quite some time. Cute little guy. Had the best 3-hour lunch yet in Italy. Stuffed to the brim, with delicious Tuscan food, freshly made vino rosso, and great company, accompanied by the accordion at the end of the meal. Eventually the rain lifted, but already arrived back in Florence. Luckily, I came back with two bottles of wine. Not too shabby.