Mi sto innamorando

Today was the first day I've had to just sit around and not do anything... and it was wonderful.

My roommate and I had planned on making Saturday our shopping day, since we've only been able to window shop in between running around with professors and Richard (our study abroad coordinator here in Italy). I swear there's a different leather school or leather factory on every block. But it makes for good, and pretty inexpensive, shoes!

I was most excited about shopping around the market. We went to Marcato Nuovo, right next to Piazza della Repubblica.

Lots of masks and figurines!

Such a beautiful building! 

The lucky bore! You have to rub his nose
or drop a coin out of his mouth.

After some shopping and bopping, we looked for a place nearby to eat. Almost all of the restaurants have outdoor seating, so we found one in the Piazza della Repubblica and it was so romantic and lovely. I could truly feel myself falling in love with Florence. Our waiter for the evening was also falling in love, as he told us, he was falling in love with us... haha. Italian men are so stereotypical you can't help but to laugh!

There were people playing music in the piazza, as well as a carousel, and some of the most beautiful buildings I've seen in Florence.

Piazza della Repubblica

Tara and I at dinner

It got chilly, so we walked back stopping for gelato for me and "caffe Americano" for Tara; this has become a nightly tradition. Once we got back to our apartment we were still in the mood to explore so we put on warmer clothes and walked around for a bit. We came across an Opera being held in a piazza not too far from us. It was all in Italian, but I think it was Notre Dam de Paris. I can hear it right now from my bedroom window.

I did get a bike for my time in Florence, and I was warned by everyone that bike theft is very common. So I invested in one of the best locks they had and made sure I could see it from my window (it's against the law to bring bikes inside), but low and behold, I went to ride to class and someone had stolen my seat. So replacing the stolen parts are on my to-do list, but for now, it's still looking cute and not completely stolen on the corner of my street :)

My cute white bike! plus my new yellow
pants that make me look oh-so European :)

As for tonight, we're waiting to hear back from our friends that we met from school and the plan is to meet them out somewhere at a pub or disco! And honestly, we have yet to have an uneventful night so far.. Italians (mostly the men) are quite entertaining!

Ciao!