What a ride! I am here and loving every minute of it! It still feels pretty surreal.  My Italian is flowing beautifully—thanks Michele (my prof in LA).  Some have thought I am Italian, surely cause I’ve changed my name to: Giorgio!  Fiorentines can hardly pronounce my name in Spanish.

 

On Wednesday I settled in my apartment which I absolutely love. I am only at a 9-iron distance from the Stazione Santa Maria Novella (Centrale di Treno) which takes me to any city in Italy and other countries as well. I got a private room and bathroom and a shared kitchen with two students from Brazil; Mabel and Rene. Yesterday, I quickly care of the basics: groceries, sim card for my new local cell number, and toiletries. Firenze is not cheap…but good wine is!

 

DISCLAIMER:  I’ve got quite a mélange of languages at this point so excuse my grammar or long sentences. This is a blog…not an academic paper…thank God!

 

Allora, back to my journey! 

 

On my first day to school (Istituto della Lingua Italiana), I stumbled with the majestic Duomo Santa Maria. This is one of the oldest gothic cathedrals in the world, built with the best marble from Carrera. I was surprised there weren’t many people (tourists) around, but gosh I was wrong. When I came out of class at 1pm, there were people everywhere!   

 

People hardly obey traffic signs.  In the midst of speeding motorcycles, bikes, people, cars, and buses…making your way around the city [alive] is something worth celebrating.

  

The 3 months I studied with Michele Putini in LA have really paid off. However, there is much to learn about la lingua Italiana-it’s not as easy as most Spanish folk make it-the grammar gets pretty complex as you advance.

 

My class meets everyday for four hours. The community of students is amazing- there are over one-hundred studanti di tutti paesi del mondo.

 

Firenze it’s small, old, somewhat dirty, yet quaint. I will report as my adventure evolves.