Ahhh... Firenze

Well, if Italy is like a second home to me, Florence is the kitchen and the den in this home. Three or four years ago I spent part of a summer here in Florence taking a cooking class and a photography class. Yes, I don't know how I managed to make it through the difficult time! :) The photography class was a lot of fun and gave me an opportunity to get some beautiful black and white prints and this incredible city. But the cooking class is something I will never forget. I don't cook that much now, but at that point in my live, I didn't cook at all.

The first day of my class it was already harder than I thought it would be - just cracking an egg and mixing it with flour to make pasta. Simple enough, but my teacher was talking fast and everyone else seemed to know exactly what was going on while I struggled, lacking in my "kitchen abilities." However, the class soon became one of the best experiences I have had in my life. The class taught us about different festivals and holidays throughout Italy and the food that they traditionally cooked with the holiday. I didn't enjoy all of the food, but as a picky eater, I can honestly admit that I did try it all. If you have ever been to my house for a meal, I'm sure I fixed you the pasta sauce that I learned to make while I was here, as it is the best sauce ever. I have made it so many times, I know it by heart and it always brings back warm memories.

What I learned most in that class was not to follow recipes, or at least, not to depend on them. I learned that if something doesn't taste right, adjust. I learned that sometimes the best tastes come from experimenting. I learned that cooking was fun and that experimenting was even more fun. Our hotel is not far from the school where I studied. Maybe I can go back and tell Marcella what a difference she has made in my life!

Well, thats enough about that... I guess before I gush no about Florence, I should finish my tales of Venice. We enjoyed a delicious dinner on the grand canal of Italy, not far from San Marco's square and enjoyed just sitting and visiting in the Italian style of dinner. Then we wondered back through the square and enjoyed more gelato (I'm pretty certain it is a requirement here to eat it twice a day)! We watched children and families walking through the square, chasing pigeons as the sun went down and the lights came on in the square. It was really beautiful.

We went back to our hotel and watched the second half of the other semi-final game. Spain scored three goals against Russia in that second half and advanced onto the finals. So, Germany and Spain will meet on Sunday night in the Euro Cup finals. We will for sure find a fun place here in Florence to watch the game.

The heat had worn us all out again, but we were not quite ready to give up on the evening, so we decided to go sit in the shadow of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal and have a drink and some dessert. It was a beautiful end to our time together in Venice.

Sadly, Angie left us this morning, headed to Prague with her family for a mission trip. Emily and I set off on our own to Florence, and yet again another train ride. We have a Eurorail Pass which gets us onto all of the trains, but then again I'm not positive what it does because...

We had had reservations for all of our other trains, but since most of them were long distance, we decided we should make reservations (which are cheaper with the Eurorail than just buying a ticket). This train from Venice to Florence left almost every hour, so we decided we would just hop on one. Apparently, that is not how it is done. We got on this great, very nice, air-conditioned train and comfortable seats. The train began filling up and most people who got on seemed to be looking for actual seat numbers rather than just anywhere like we had sat. We thought... oh well... we'll see what happens! Luckily, we took off and no one needed our seats! Until the next stop that is, when the train filled up completely. We sat in space in between the trains for a while until they cam to collect our tickets. We showed them our Eurorail Pass, but the kind lady told us we had to make a reservation, but that it was a full train, but we still had to pay. So we paid about 15 euros for no seat... oh well. We ended up in the snack car though (no seats, but little table to lean on) and made friends with a couple of Canadian travelers who we played Uno with to pass the time. We ended up having a great time!

Our hotel is similar to the last one, it is small, and just a door on the ground floor leads up two flights of stairs to the entry level and the rooms. It is more of a hostel, but Emily and I have a small bedroom and private bath. We somehow got lucky and have the only room with "conditioned air." We also have a tiny, but still exsistent, terrace. It is just big enough for two chairs, very tiny, but still a glimpse into the outside world, the inner workings of Florence and her small interior gardens. I love it! It reminds me of my apartment when I stayed here!

Emily and I have already eaten at a familiar restaurant and at the 72 Flavors Gelato place, another favorite of mine! Yes, there are 72 Flavors, even though it is actually called Festival Gelato. I got Zuppa Inglese (similar to tiramisu, but with rasberry instead of coffee) and Cream Caramel, otherwise known as a small slice of heaven! We walked by the Duomo, to the Uffizi, onto the Ponte Vecchio bridge and through the street markets. Man, it really feels like home! I love being back!