SOME PICTURES FROM SCHOOL

School has been so much fun and I have really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world.  I do not have another American in either of my classes!  My teachers have been great and I will miss them when I return to the States.

My grammar class (with students from England, Brazil, Austria, France,
Canada, Serbia, Holland and Switzerland)

My classmate Daniella from Great Britain

My grammar teacher, Barbara (the quintessential Italian woman)

My conversation teacher, Duccio

Juliette and Sasha, two sweet sisters from Holland

The ladies (Gabriella on the left and Folla on the right) at Caffè Martelli, the place
where I get my macchiato every morning in between classes.  The coffee is not the greatest, but I really like the people
who work there (and we are on a first name basis)

Picture of Duccio and I after Melissa and I ran into him on the Ponte Santa Trinità

LAZY SUNDAY

Well, this was our first weekend alone since we got here and we have really been quite lazy.  I slept until 1 pm today and Melissa slept until 2:30 !!  We had "brunch" at 5 pm at our new favorite place.  It is only a few doors down from our apartment in a little corner on the square and we have never been to  it before today.  It is so great!!! The owner/chef is Antonio Porrati.  He only spoke Italian and when he spoke to Melissa she understood everything he said and was able to answer him in Italian!  Unbelievable!  We told him we were leaving in a week but that we would be back everyday until then! When we finished eating, he said "ci vediamo domani" (see you tomorrow).  And we probably will...and the next day....and the next.....

Our new favorite place (it is about the size of our kitchen at home)

Melissa in front of the school where she has learned so much Italian so quickly

Sharing a hot panino and a small side of fusilli with eggplant. Will definitely be taking
 Danny and Rachel here this week!!

DOMESTIC LIFE AT BORGO ALBIZI, 6 (AND A GLIMPSE OF SANTA CROCE)

THE BEAUTIFUL SANTA CROCE

DANTE ALIGHIERI

OUR CLOTHESLINE

THE VIEW FROM OUR BACK WINDOW

YOU ARE LOOKING DOWN FOUR FLIGHTS.  THE GLASS GREENHOUSE WINDOW HAS BEEN HIT WITH
CLOTHESPINS FROM MY LINE ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS

I AM SORRY, BUT I JUST CAN'T HELP POSTING PICTURES OF THIS MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
NEVER, EVER GET TIRED OF IT

EMBARRASSING MOMENT

Yesterday in our conversation class, we were talking about grandparents and I said, "Non vedo l'ora di essere una nonna" (I can't wait to be a grandma).  The teacher asked me how old my kids are and in my mind I said, "mio figlio maggiore ha ventisette anni ed è sposato da due anni" (my oldest son is 27 and has been married for two years).  Everyone looked wide-eyed and incredulous.  The teacher asked again "Quanti anni ha tuo figlio" and again I said (in my mind) "twenty-seven".  Finally, I asked "Cosa ho detto che non va?" (What did I say that is so wrong??)  And one of the girls said "Your son is 17 and has been married for two years??" I put my face in my hands and said "madonna" (which is roughly the equivalent of "oy vey").  Apparently, even though I have known how to count in Italian since I was little, I kept saying Danny is 17 and married for two years and was wondering why everyone was looking at me  like I was from the back woods of Kentucky!!

Quiet Day

Pretty uneventful day.  We were exhausted after school so we had lunch and then went home for the rest of the day.   Saw two strange things today:  a thunderstorm with pouring rain, while the sun was shining brightly over the Duomo AND an African/Italian man in the middle of our Piazza, playing Hava Nagila on the clarinet.  Gotta love this country!!

HANGING OUT WITH AMERICAN FRIENDS

The last few days have been quite busy for us.  On Tuesday, our friends from New York arrived and that evening we met a business associate and friend of Joel's, Jim Fisher and his wife, Jackie for a drink at Gilli in the Piazza della Repubblica.  It turns out that our friend, Cheryl and the Fishers have mutual friends who live in Cheryl's town, Armonk, NY.  Another crazy example of Jewish Geography:  Melissa's friend from the school here, Carly,  is from Sidney, Australia.  I told her that I only knew two people in Sidney, that they are cousins of my good friend, Susan Katz,  and that their names are Norton and Stevie and they live in an apartment with a beautiful view of the opera house (Danny met them and had shabbat dinner at their house when he was traveling in Australia with his friends).  Carly told me her grandparents live in a building with a great view of the Opera House and that they are close  friends with a couple named Norton and Susie.  I had Susan email her cousins the name of Carly's grandparents and they wrote back that not only were they friends, but they were actually having dinner with them when Norton got the email!  Small world.

First day in Florence for Josie and Cheryl

Melissa and Josie sharing a "Spritz" (pronounced "spreetz" by the Italians.  Prosecco, aperol (orange liquor and a splash of soda water)

Dinner at Spaghetteria Fratelli Briganti with Daniele (and the owner, Leonardo)

The street sign for our street

Another view of our Piazza

An Irishman we met (along with his new wife--they are on their honeymoon) who decided to go out of a store and model a shirt for us so we could get the "full effect"

Josie with Moo

And let's not forget that in a moment of weakness and sheer insanity,  I agreed to have my ear
cartilage pierced with Melissa so we would have a permanent reminder of our time in Florence together. OUCH

Petting the nose of the cinghiale (wild boar) for good luck

A gorgeous Florentine sky

IL PRANZO

Oggi ho fatto un panino con finocchiona, formaggio, pomodori secchi e rucola.  Molto buono!! Melissa è andata al pranzo con delle amiche.  Stasera preparo la cena a casa. (Today I made a sandwich with salami, cheese, sundried tomatoes and arugula.  Delicious!  This evening I will prepare dinner at home)

Domani pomeriggio arrivano le nostre amiche, Cheryl e Josie.  Stanno da noi per tre giorni. Non vediamo l'ora di rivederle. (Tomorrow afternoon our friends, Cherly and Josie arrive.  They will stay with us for three days. We can't wait to see them again.)