My time in Italy has been filled with amazing experiences but also terrible luck.   Even my roommates are starting to joke about how often bad/funny things happen to me.  I already mentioned before how my wallet was stolen from the outdoor market.  Well, as soon I received my new credit card in the mail, my apartment key actually broke!  I then had to go to the school and request for a new key.  After my new key came in, my sandal strap broke while I was walking back to my apartment.  I was forced to walk about half a mile barefoot…yuck!  During the weekend, I was stuck in a monsoon in Siena.  I bought an umbrella and the umbrella had a huge hole in the center!  After the rain stopped, a bird pooped on my shoulder.  Apparently, if a bird poops on you, it signifies good luck to come….I don’t think so.  Yesterday, I went to a shoe store to hunt for good quality sandals.  When I tried the sandals on at my apartment, they broke too!  I went today to return the sandals and a bird pooped on me yet AGAIN!  Fed up with everything, I went back to my room and sat on my bed…and you guessed it; the bed broke.

Despite all these aggravating occurrences, I am having such a great time here!  I have dappled at some Italian cuisine in my own kitchen (bruschetta anyone?) and savored the amazing pastries around every corner.  The past weekend was my first weekend getaway from Florence.  I took a trip with my school to 4 beautiful Tuscan cities.  On Friday, I visited Siena and San Gimignano and on Saturday, I visited Pisa and Lucca.  

My first impression of Siena was that it is not as lively as Florence.  I did think the architecture of Siena’s Duomo was absolutely amazing!  I would have to jump to the conclusion that the interior of the cathedral is more outstanding than Florence’s.   

I also had the best lasagna of my life there.  It was completely different from American lasagna (which I am not a fan of).  

But apart from that, the town did catch my interest much.  Maybe I am biased because of the horrible weather we encountered that afternoon in Siena.  Clouds flew in and we got bombarded with rain and even hail!  No one was prepared for this type of weather and we ended up running more than a mile to our bus!  I had to sometimes wade through almost a foot of muddy rainwater and did not help that my umbrella had a huge hole in the center!  Muddy jeans and frizzy hair is not my idea of fun.  However, our mood certainly lightened up when we reached San Gimignano.

San Gimignano is charming little town surrounded by beautiful vineyards and green, rolling hills.  It is apparently one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Tuscany.  The town is so peaceful and is a drastic difference from the blaring sirens and vespa’s in Florence.  

We were basically allowed to explore the city on our own.  There are two main streets that are lined with cute little shops filled with only hand made things- from jewelry to hand bags.  There are also many wine shops filled with the best white wine in Italy- Vernaccia.  The wine was so cheap here because it is actually grown in the vineyards surrounding San Gimignano.  I couldn’t resist so I bought a bottle of wine for my parents.  From Siena to San Gimignano, my mood did a 180.  I ended Friday feeling exhausted but really satisfied.  

The next day I had to wake up early again but I was pumped to see the famous leaning tower of Pisa.  I had already planned out all the different poses I was going to do with the Pisa- holding the tower up with one finger, leaning on it, pushing it over… When we arrived in Pisa we were bombarded with people trying to sell us everything from fake Gucci watches to Rayband sunglasses.  Everything was so cheap and tempting but I did not want to be charged with the 10000 euro fine for buying fake designer items.  Pisa is an extremely touristy place so obviously sellers will flock to this location.  My first impression of the Pisa was, “wow! That tower is about to fall over!” 

 I learned from my tour guide that the tower had been built about 3 stories when the ground under it caved in on one side, causing the tower to lean.  The rest of the tower was slightly built more towards the center to compensate for the tilt.  If you look closely you can actually see the slight curvature of the tower.  After taking about a million pictures, my roommates decided to climb the tower while I went souvenir shopping.  They said that climbing the tower was very difficult because gravity was essentially pushing them one way as they tried to climb.  Once they reached the top, they experienced a bit of vertigo.  Afterwards, we all headed back to the bus that would take us to Lucca- my favorite part of the whole weekend!

Lucca is very similar to Florence in architecture and size, but is so much more peaceful.  There are not as many tourists and vehicles.  I did not have much time to explore the city because we were taken to a bike rental shop.  I could not believe I was going to bike ride through in Tuscany!  That was something I was dying to do and am so happy I got the chance to.  My classmates and I grabbed a bike and took off through the outskirts of Lucca.  We rode past amazing landscapes of mountains, rivers, and beautiful architecture.  

The city of Lucca was encased in a wall that was built during the Roman Empire to protect the city.  We basically rode along that Roman wall.  Bike riding was such a nice break from walking and I don’t think I have biked in about 5 years!  The much needed breeze mixed in with the beautiful sights of Lucca is something I will always remember.  After biking riding, we hopped on the bus back that would take us back home to Florence. 

On Monday, I was desperately in need of a new small purse since I didn’t trust my other bag that had been pickpocketed from.  I decided to go on my own to the giant San Lorenzo Market.  This is one of Florence’s biggest outdoor markets that have a wide selection of purses, wallets, sunglasses, scarves and more.  It is also a perfect place to practice the art of bargaining.  I knew the basics of bargaining from watching my parents bargain in India.  I entered the market a little nervous but knew that I had to act tough yet polite if I wanted my way.  The first couple of tries were a complete disaster.  The shopkeepers could tell I was an amateur and would not lower the price more than 2 euros for me.  However, I kept my head up and kept trying.  At about the 10^th try I finally bargained successfully!  I kept smiling and tried to make the shopkeeper empathize with my sad financial situation as a student.  He bought it and dropped the price down about 20 euros!  I walked away from the market with a new fashionable leather bag!  Success =)

It’s so strange how in two weeks I already consider this city mine.  I am already able to get around the city without a map because the whole layout of the city is ingrained in my mind.  I loved the peaceful Tuscan cities of San Gimignano and Lucca.  However, Florence’s fast paced city atmosphere is more my style. There is never a dull moment in Florence.   I cannot wait to explore more of Florence!  My roommates and I have already booked tickets to visit two huge museums in Florence- the Uffizi and the Academia del Galleria.  We are also planning to visit the famous Boboli Gardens and Piazza del Michelangelo where the statue of David is located. 

Time to actually start reading for class!  Ciao!