This morning, we were served a nice breakfast at our hotel – some cakes, croissants, cappuccinos and orange juice – before walking back towards the bus and heading to the train station. During the train ride to Florence, I received the new itinerary for the field school, which showed a free weekend that did not align with the information we were initially given. This caused some significant stress, as I had already booked accommodation for me and some of the other girls and purchased our Cinque Terre Cards. I decided to enjoy my day and put it out of my mind for now. On the train, we met a family from Texas who are spending three months in Italy. We chatted with them until we arrived at the S.M. Novella Station in Florence. The Florence train station is much less stressful than Roma Termini. Here, we met up with Nathan and Jackson, who had already kindly arranged bag storage for us. It was raining cats and dogs in Florence, which was a much-needed break from the 35-degree weather. We started our explorations at the Cathedral of Santa Maria, a gothic style cathedral completed in 1436. This is still the most impressive cathedral I have seen in my life and it was a joy to have the opportunity to see it again.

We checked out the Baptistery of St. John & the Golden Gate and then carried on towards Ponte Vecchio, making a stop at Dante’s House on the way. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio, which is in the gold district, and walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a view of the city. On the way down, we stopped to check out some ducks and koi fish.

A song about a girl who says she will throw herself off the Ponte Vecchio if her father doesn’t let her marry the love of her life. I used to sing this in choir as a kid, so the first time I went to Florence I was very excited to see the bridge.

I caught another pigeon in Florence.

After wandering around the city some more, we sat down for happy hour Aperol before grabbing our luggage and walking to the bus stop, where we met the rest of the group. We waited around for a while for Kyler to arrive. I told everyone to clap for him when we got on the bus. After about an hour, we arrived at Castello Sonnino in Montespertoli and got settled in our accommodations. Kaitlin and I will be staying in the winemaker’s apartment with Siobhan, Kalina Jr. & Kaleena Sr. Our place is very nice and more spacious than I expected. We also have a nice balcony with a fantastic view.

The Enoteca
Enjoying some bread, cheese, and fruit

After getting settled we all went to the Enoteca for dinner and wine and started getting to know the group. Once we had eaten, we went for a walk into town, got some more Aperol and met Matteo the bartender, and hung out in one of the town squares. Some of the group played soccer with some local kids. We got a quick tour of the farmhouse, where the boys are staying, and headed off to bed.