"Home is where the beach is"

WEEK FOUR IS DONE?!

It beings me so much joy to be able to say every week that "this has been the best one yet!". How can things keep getting better after they are already perfect? Well in Italy, they can.

 

This past weeks main highlights:

We went to our third trip to Florence to tour the Boboli Gardens and the Uffizi Museum. I wasn't feeling too well this day and was a bit of a Debbie Downer, but later in the day my allergies started to die out and I was able to enjoy myself. While we were in the garden I do remember really liking the lemon trees growing all over in pots. This is something I have seen everywhere in Italy and have grown to really appreciate.

Another one of my favorite parts about the garden was the abundance of hydrangeas, which just so happen to be my favorite flower. (If anyone is wondering my dream wedding bouquet will be nothing but hydrangeas… color TBD)

:)

Then we went to Cinque Terre, but first of course we had to stop in Pisa and get our pictures!

Cinque Terre was absolutely beautiful and I HAVE to go back there one day. We stayed in the cutest little old couple’s apartment with a beach view and traveled to all 5 lands as well as soaked up rays on the beach. I also finally got into my murder mystery book I found back at the center (I can’t tell you how good it feels to have time to be able to read for fun again!). The last night we were there we all went out to a beach party with the locals, it was a lot of fun and I met a guy from France who had studied ballet in the States, it was cool to talk about ballet again, which is something I miss so much! And I also met a handful of really cool British folks who were confirming and/or denying common stereotypes I had about them (they really do say mind the gap and bloody hell, but don't get them started on chip chip cheerio!).

After we spent the weekend exploring, we made our way back to Castig just in time for their Palio race, (horse race between neighborhoods, the town goes crazy for it!). I watched the opening parade before making my way back to take a hard earned nap.

Then on Tuesday we went back to Florence to see the Academia where good ol' Mr. David lives. And holy cow he is huge!!! I didn't expect him to be like 10 times the size of a normal person, but I guess if your about to go battle a giant you have to be rather beastly… so good for him!

We also saw some cool old instruments, the violins and cellos especially stood out to me because my mother and brother have taken up playing these instruments!

I also got in some solid leather market shopping which I am super pumped about and today (Wednesday the 25^th) we went to an old man’s workshop in town to see his hand made harpsichords. They were sure pretty neat!

Church update: Mass count is still at one… Sunday seems to be our big traveling day, and Saturday evenings we are either all checking in somewhere or I literally have no clue who to ask for mass. On the bright side this Sunday in Venice I will be reunited with one of my best friends, Miss. TAYLOR BROOKS!!! And we are determined to find one last (or second…) mass before we head back to the states!

Ciao for now!

Katrina Zekulin