Waking Up in Florence!

Florence awakes to bells! I was awakened this morning at 7 a.m. sharp with the sound of bells resounding throughout the city. What a beautiful way to begin the day!

Even though my body should think it's 10 p.m., I got right up, ready to begin my first full day in Florence! I showered, which by the way reminds me of another nice discovery in my apartment: I have decent water pressure, and the water heats up quickly, two things I had been told can be very unpredictable in Florence. Then I dressed and headed down in search of breakfast. I found it in a small café by the Mercato Nuovo. Breakfast in Italy is an interesting thing to observe. First, you go to counter and pick out your pasta (which is "pastry" in Italian); then you go to a cashier to order your coffee and pay for it and your pastry. The cashier gives you a receipt, which you then take to the bar, where a barista (all men, dressed very dashingly in black double breasted suits with white shirts and ties) makes your coffee. They take coffee making very seriously here! After oberving for a while, I felt comfortable enough to do it myself, and it worked without a hitch. Italians also eat breakfast very quickly, most of them standing at the bar. The pastry disappears in seconds; the espresso, a few seconds later, and they're out the door. I sat at a small table and watched throngs of people come in, all doing the same thing. I could get used to this!

After breakfast I found a new charger for my phone. She said to charge it for about 8-10 hours, which will be perfect timing to call Chip later today, given the nine-hour time difference (which reminds me -- these postings will be time-stamped with PST; just add nine hours to see what time it was in Italy). Next, I headed over to the Piazza della Repubblica, where the school is located. Kirsty was there, and I met the staff, Ged, Fabrizio, and Norma. Everyone is so nice! Jed gave me a tour, and I had a chance to check out my classroom, which overlooks the piazza. Wow! This is going to be all right!

And here I sit in another café, which I discovered by the Piazza S. Ambrogio. I'm still a little weary from the trip, so it's relaxing sitting here, watching the world go by. The sandwiches served here are delicious, and right now they're playing Louie Armstrong. I'll be back for sure!