Our last day in Florence was spent wandering around the city, trying to take in every last bit of it before we had to leave. We shopped, we walked, we ate gelato. Pretty similar to our other days, just with less structure. After seven days in Florence, I was finally able to find my way back to the hotel without the help of a GPS. The afternoon was spent getting one last use out of the roof top pool and getting to catch a glimpse of Ozzy Osbourne play the Firenze Rocks outdoor festival happening down the street. We could see fire shooting into the air from the stage and man I really wish I knew about this concert before I got there because that would’ve been an even cooler addition to the already amazing adventure we were on.
We all got dinner one last time and then went to Buoneria for drinks and to listen to music. (Shout out to Val, Bri, Sue, Cam, and Maddie for stumbling upon this place)
It was a really nice way to end an unforgettable trip. A presto, Italia.
# of dogs seen today: 35
I have to say, Regina Milan is a superhero. Our flight from Paris to Boston was canceled the morning of, and within minutes; Regina had me on a different flight which arrived in Boston sooner than my original flight! I never thought I would leave the United States, and within my short study abroad experience; I stepped foot in The Netherlands, Switzerland, and most notably; Italy. I did not know that the Swiss Alps and the clouds look identical to 40,000 feet high. I didn’t know that strangers could become life-long friends within days. My boyfriend passed away last December, and Italy was the one place he wanted to travel. UMass Lowell made it possible for me to bring him there, and I will never be able to repay that. Thank you so very much, and Ciao.
Now that, by day seven, I am basically a Florence native; I took on the market. As our last full day in the country, most of us took advantage of the day shopping. I purchased gifts for family and friends back home including an authentic leather purse for my mom and various cooking ingredients, souvenirs, etc. Our farewell dinner was not only bittersweet, and reminiscent of Da Vinci’s Last Supper, but also well deserved.
I think it is pretty amazing that my first cooking class was in Florence Italy. Or maybe not considering I am 21 and haven’t taken one as an adult yet. I do have to say the best pizza I tasted was made by me, or maybe that’s the designer in me speaking.
Florence is a city, and with that comes the people who live there that expect tourism and try to sell you things for too much. The market there was loud and had a lot of people, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. So going to a smaller village outside of the city showed us all a different, more realistic side of hilly Italy. I felt proud of ordering an iced coffee while speaking Italian in this small town north of Sienna that we visited. Afterward, we all had lunch together overlooking the atmospheric, rolling hills of the central Tuscany region. Seeing the landscape in person gave me a greater understanding of how Italian paintings are composed, and how photography can only do a portion of what the eye can do. A short nap of the shuttle brought us to our private wine tasting at the Gagliole Winery. Our guide was extremely patient and enthusiastic about her work which was refreshing. Upon leaving, she said I was a gentleman and gifted a bottle opener to me; something I’ll keep forever.
On this day, my newly made friends and I independently ventured to the city of Venice. Everyone was talking about how excited they were to go on a gondola ride, and I was confused as to what they were talking about because I forgot what Venice was famous for. Why did everyone want to ride a ski lift, and who was going skiing during the summer? I kept quiet until I got there and realized how beautifully wrong I was. Good thing the elevator doors didn’t open to me with skis wearing a parka because it was HOT there. We all shared a laugh later on when I revealed my confusion. The city was stunning and raised a lot of questions as to how day to day life works on the water. I purchased a new ring here, which I will always have as a token to that ski lift I never got to ride!
On Day Three, we visited the Boboli Gardens; something I was very much looking forward to. After exploring a little with my group, we sat down to do some botanical illustration. After taking an illustration class last semester, I felt right at home with my pens and watercolors.
