*LaSt WeEkEnD iN fLoReNcE*

So, I guess I have a lot to talk about starting from Friday until today. I just can't believe that this trip has gone by so fast!

Friday I went to the beach in Viareggio. It was about an hour and a half bus ride. We could't take a train that day because the workers were on strike on Friday, so no trains were coming in or leaving Florence. We got to the beach around 11 o'clock. The weather was horrible for a while. It was soo cloudy, cold, and rainy. We decided to walk around the town and find some food and hoped that the weather would come around. Fortunately, the sun came out and we all were able to get in the water and get some sun. The beach itself was beautiful...the sand was soo clean and white, but the water was not as clear as Cinque Terre. We had a really nice time. We left the beach around 5 and got back home around 7. We had to change buses in the middle of our trip back. Then, I met some girls for dinner at Golden View (Yes, I know we all love that place), and then I went to bed...it was a very long day!

Saturday I had a field trip to Pisa, Torre Dei Lago, and Lucca. I was so excited to see the leaning tower of Pisa...it looked soo cool! That was the highlight of my trip for sure! So we were in Pisa for about an hour and then we went to visit Puccini's house (he was a famous Opera writer). That was kind of cool. Then we went to Lucca...to be honest I have not one clue why they took us there. It was a very French/Italian/American feel to it. It was a small place with very expensive, designer stores. We left around 6:30 and got home around 8. I went home really fast and went out to eat. After dinner, my friends and I walked around Florence because this weekend, it was a huge Holiday for Florence. It was the holiday of St. John the Baptist, so there were concerts everywhere, so many people on the street you couldn't walk, and tons of wine. We went back to the apartment at about 11:30 pm.

Sunday I had a little excursion to Fiesole, a little town about 15 minutes from Florence. It is a wealthy area where a lot of famous Italians live I guess. Anyways, Fiesole has the best view of the WHOLE city of Florence. So we took pictures of that, visited a little church, and then walked around the Roman ruins. That was really cool and I got some good pictures, too! Then we walked down a long, STEEP road to get to the restaurant we ate at for brunch. The food was okay; they didn't have anough for everyone...it was buffet-style. That was the only let-down. I arrived back in Florence around 3 and walked around the market before heading back to the apartment to take a nap. I woke up about 6:30 and met some friends for dinner. We then walked over to the bridge to watch the huge fireworks display at 10 o'clock for the holiday. The streets were full of people, and the fireworks display was awesome! I got some of it on video. Then, my friends and I went out for a little bit! We all feel stressed because there is still so much to do and so little time! In that mind-set, we went to a karaoke bar and sang a few songs...I might say it was an interesting night! We all got home around 1 am.

Today I had class as usual. We actually went to the church that I hiked to last wednesday at the top of Michaelangelo Piazza. That was quite a workout for the early morning, but that was my favorite church of all. Now I am in the computer lab, but tonight is the AIFS (my study abroad program) good-bye dinner. We meet at a hotel that overlooks the whole city at 8 tonight. We dress-up, have dinner, and then they are having a dance afterwards...it will be fun with 145 girls and 5 guys! Haha!!! I am sure we will all go out together after the farewell dinner, but I think it will be a lot of fun!

Well, that was a lot to read! The weather is getting sooo HOTTTTT! It is now miserable to be outside very long, and the apartment keeps getting hotter. Well I can't wait to see all you guys and hear your stories and to share mine! Love and miss you all!!! Ciao!