The Wacky Weekend Continues

Well that was part one of my wacky weekend but it gets even better. Saturday started out with me waking up early and going to the market to get my shopping done, but that wasn’t the wacky part. I continued with a great lunch that I actually made for myself with ingredients I bought at the market. How amazing! A tuna salad with fresh tomatoes, olives and bread. Couldn’t have been any more delicious! I spent the day walking around being another tour guide to my program assistant’s friend who came into town for the weekend. She gave him the mini sized preview of Florence and we walked to the Piazzale Michelangelo (spot on the hill overlooking the entire city) and to various other sites. I got to hear some more information about the city that I had not heard. After a long day in the sun I was ready to relax, but unfortunately I didn’t find much time for that when I got back to my apartment because I had to be ready for dinner and dancing within an hour’s time. We went to dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. Absolutely beautiful! The food was exquisite and worth the price. We sat and just talked about how beautiful the city is and how it doesn’t compare to any other city. Firenze stands alone. The delightful water flowing, music echoing off of the Ponte Vecchio, the wind blowing over our table- absolutely a great meal! I ate spaghetti with pine nuts, zucchini and fresh tomato sauce. Following dinner, we took some wine and sat out near the bridge to watch the sunset. The colors were breathtaking and vibrant in the sky with shades of blues, purples, yellows, greens, oranges and reds blending together to create a masterpiece above our heads. We sat out there until it was completely dark and met up with others to head to a dance club. It was a great way to spend the full weekend in Florence. Good food. Good people. Good views. Good memories.

The other wacky part of this weekend started early Sunday morning when a friend and I went to the station at 4am to catch a train that apparently no longer was listed to be leaving from the train station, so we had to head back home and spend another day in Florence. I was really upset at first, but really Sunday turned out to be a very productive day. I got 99% of my gift shopping done and went to the market to buy some more bread. I ate lunch and spent the day napping and writing. Another lazy Sunday it was but I wasn't complaining. Liz and I sat outside to people watch and to just talk about all that we have gone through together. It was a very emotional time for us and I couldn't help buy shed some tears. We made a promise to return at some point in the next year- it's up to me to get here first and than for her to have a reason to return, but I'll see what I can work out. :)

The night brought tons of suprises for us! I went for a run and it was one of the best runs I've had here yet. I worked my way to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset and get an insane quad workout. Phew! Back to the apartment only to find that there is a procession going on near one of the Piazza's. I run back to get my camera and we all run out to follow the procession. They were dressed in olden times clothing and there were drummers and amazing flag throwers. It was great entertainment for the night and we even managed to start some conversations with locals along the Duomo. Awesome! What a great end to a so-so day. It was meant for me to not get on the train I guess eh? I'd like to think that it was all already planned for me...good stuff. I can no longer get upset when things go wrong because something good will always come out of it.

Monday morning came and we headed out one last time to try to catch a train to Lake Como- I was entirely determined to go, but our train out was delayed and that meant that the other trains we were supposed to take would be thrown off, so we contemplated going at all for a good 30 minutes. We couldn't figure out what to do. It didn't help that I can be so indecisive at times...We ended up sitting on the train car and deciding we'd go to the first stop and see how the trains are running from there. Well we got to Bologna and decided to stay on to go to Milan and not try to go to Como. We definitely weren't going to waste the full 20 Euro we'd spent already, so only wasting 3.60 Euro sounded better. We decided we wouldn't have enough time to enjoy Lake Como and Milan would be fun to see and spend a few hours in.

We arrived and took on the city with full force- and when I say full force I mean entirely the forces of superhumans. We seriously walked the whole city and saw most of the popular sites and marveled at how clean and beautiful it was. The people were so put together and the stores were so high class and the whole feel was incredible. We couldn’t understand why people had said so many bad things about the city. I for one really enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind visiting more than once.

A lunch break was needed so we stopped at a local bar where we got one and a half paninis each and chowed down to the max. Our stomachs were growling for some food and we gave them as much energy as our pockets could handle. Quite sufficient I must say even though I could’ve probably eaten about two more ;)

OK. So living near the Duomo in Florence is pretty dang amazing because of how beautiful and immense it is, but the Duomo in Milan was incredibly huge with gothic architecture potruding out of every side and at every angle. I believe it was one of the very few historical sites that I actually stood and stared at with absolute awe and wonder. It was beautiful in a dark and eerie way- each of the statues sculpted on the Duomo seemed to tell a story. In the words of Mark Twain: "What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems ...a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!..."

<<---Other sites to be seen include the Castello Sforzesco.

It reminded me a lot of New York but more spread out and with more ancient history built in within the city streets. It was a way better alternative to the noisy and congested streets of New York. At one point we stopped walking and listened to how quiet the streets were even though there were thousands of people walking along the pavement- pretty quiet and pretty surprising.

Our trip lasted a mere four hours and it was just enough time for us to get a feel for what living in Milan must be like- serious yet carefree, stylish yet casual and modern yet historical. Enticing eh? Well we walked an hour to the train station and headed on home to Firenze once again to join our fellow friends at the Duomo. I ran to dinner and the whole train ride home we talked about what an adventure this had been from the moment we stepped out of our apartment door at 3:35am Monday morning, but how we had no regrets for a single thing we had done all day.