normal day.

GIORNO VENTIQUATTRO
After the disaster that was yesterday, it was almost nice just to have a normal day taking classes and walking around Firenze.  I definitely took it easy, waking up around eight thirty to study for my Italian quiz today.  I made Christina and myself a traditional Italian breakfast (joke) of eggs in a basket as we quizzed each other on the material and maybe did a few Sporcle quizzes.

At eleven thirty, we headed to class... happy to be confident in the direction we were headed!  During class we had our quiz.  It didn't seem bad at all, but always after I finish an exam, I remember something I did wrong.  Today at had to do with the imperative, but overall, it is all making a lot of sense!  I love Italian!  It's nice to actually enjoy a language... unlike Spanish...

Allora, after the quiz, Marta gave us a sheet of paper with some questions on them and we took a field trip to the local library where all the young people hang out, study, and eat.  We walked to the second floor and she told us we had to go up to random strangers and ask them these questions... like: Come ti chiami?, Quanti anni hai?, what do you eat for breakfast (what)?, and you get the idea.  Okay, so, lets just say it was a little awkward.  Picture this: thirteen random Americans scattered around a library asking college-aged Italians remedial level questions, while they are studying and eating with friends.  Europeans don't talk to strangers... sometimes they don't even smile at them!!!  I do it anyway.  It is second nature for me to smile at people I make eye contact with on the streets... they always look at me weird.  Maybe I have something in my teeth?

Anyway, after awkwardly finding individuals to ask our questions to and after being thoroughly embarrassed, our teacher walked with us to Grom for a "study of the gelato culture in Italy..." or she just wanted gelato really bad, so she brought us with her.  It was really delicious.  I got lampone (raspberry) and nocciola (hazelnut)!  Way better than yesterday's sub-par experience!

The gelato took us right to the end of the class, so Carrie and I walked to wine class.  I am serious about this... every time Livia puts her hair down, she is a lot more relaxed and fun. I don't know the science behind it, but this is real.  We tasted sparkling wines today, one a Ferrari and one a Prosecco.  Neither I liked very much for some reason, but I know that I do enjoy Prosecco normally so it must have just been an average producer.  After that she gave us blind tasting.  So far I can now smell certain aspects of wines to a pretty good level and I can taste certain key aspects, such as saltiness and bitterness, but I never know in what region of Italy a wine is specifically produced.  It makes me worry about the final exam... I know it is pretty far in advance still, but this stuff is hard man!!

After class I went back to All'Antico Vinaio for that AMAZING sandwich with Carrie.  This time I got the same thing but I added goat cheese as well.  It was so perfect, and luckily this time it was a little smaller so I didn't feel like I had to eat the whole thing like last time when I got full.  If you are ever in Firenze and you are craving the most perfect and delicious sandwich of your life, go to All'Antico Vinaio.  You won't be disappointed! 
  

This is literally the line out the door every time!!!

When I got back to the apartment, I said goodbye to Erika and Cole, who are going to Switzerland for the weekend, lucky them, and then I decided to walk to Conad to buy some pineapple and other random snacks for the five hour plus drive we have tomorrow!  I am so excited to see Rome and visit Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel!  Tonight is going to be an early night since we have to wake up so early in the morning... so I just need to pack and hit the sack!

Arrivaderci

PS:  Since I am going to Rome I will not have my computer on me, so I won't be posting again until Sunday night!  Hope you all have a great weekend, and ci vediamo domenica!