Oggi e' stato il primo giorno delle lezioni.

Ciao ragazzi,

I had the most perfect morning today. I woke up at about 7:30 (YES Dad, 7:30. I was awake. And functioning, like I always said I was capable of) and put a pot of water on the stove for tea. I got dressed and had my green tea on my balcony while I checked my email. It was glorious. Florentine mornings are kind of chilly until you get in the sun, even though the days are pretty hot in the summer. I finished my tea and made breakfast--two pieces of toast and a peach--and ate with my roommates. We left the house at 8:30 and got to a pastichieri (pastery shop) where some of my classmates were getting espresso and breakfast. I had already eaten so I didn't want to get anything, but I absolutely am tomorrow.

The class I had today was Culture in the Cuisine, a history of the influences of Italian food. It's taught by the director of the program, Sue, and she's fantastic. Today we talked about the different elements that influence the progression of food and culture in Italy and the region that was Italy prior to its unification. We focused on geography, climate, and conquest which was extremely interesting. I can already tell I'm going to enjoy this class. After about an hour of discussion we made our way to il mercato di San Lorenzo, a huge market near the train station. At night it's not a very good area but during the day there are vendors selling leather goods, clothing, and shoes outside. We went into the indoor market where you can pretty much buy anything edible. There are meat vendors, fruit vendors, bakers, spice venders. It's absolutely amazing. I got a slice of pizza today with sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and arugula. It was messy but delicious.

I'm done with class for today! Tomorrow is art history and I'm really excited. I'm heading back to my apartment to read on my balcony and rest for the afternoon. Oh, and on the way home I'm totally buying "un coca-cola". There are some things America definitely got right.

Baci,
Athena