andiamo!

So I don't even know what to say or where to start. Living in Florence seems to be the

strangest thing ever, but not in a bad way. I had my first day

of classes today and it's strange to

casually walk by a monument like the duomo on the way to class.

I also live right in the San Lorenzo market, which is the place everyone comes to buy leather goods, scarves, etc. My apartment is bigger than I expected and definitely more decorated as well...The walls are all bright yellow with all brightly colored things (like bright blue doors and a turquoise locker-style TV stand with a TV so small on it we haven't even turned it on once.) One of my favorite things about San Lorenzo though is that the mercado central (central market--just like you assume) is literally around the corner from my apartment door, about a one or two minute walk. I haven't taken pictures in there yet but I'm definitely

going to because I know my family members will greatly appreciate the ridiculousness of the food they have there. There's an open air market outside with just fruits and veggies, but when you go inside there's all kinds of butchers and places to buy freshly made pasta (which is amazing), fresh cheeses, some prepared foods, and so much more. Next weekend I'll be heading to Carnivale, and I'm hoping the weather gets better. It's been in the 30s and low 40s here which is why I haven't been taking my camera out with me, but I know everyone wants to see pictures so I'll do it soon, I promise! Since its a nice one I

can't just keep it in my ba

g and carry it around everywhere so I've missed some good photo opportunities, but I'll try! For now, I

just have a couple pictures from around Florence. The one with the water is the Pontevecchio bridge, it separates Florence into two parts, south of the Arno river that the bridge spans is the less touristy part of Florence, where you find more locals, more authentic restaurants, and as you get further out, more Tuscan-like scenery. The second picture of the locks is also from the Pontevecchio, but it's a monument that the Medicis erected outside one of their old palaces. Nowadays, Florentines and tourists visit the site with boyfriends and girlfriends, write their names on the locks, and close it around the gate surrounding the monument hoping it will lock in their love with their significant other. Cute--but I was told by a professor that unbeknownst to these people, the Carabinieri (police) come around every once in a while and break all the locks since it's a public monument that people are defacing...but I still thought it was cool.

Okay, that's it for now. Much more to come, I'm sure.