Classes & Travel

I've been in Florence over a week now. School starts tomorrow and I am really excited. I can't wait to have projects and start learning again. I haven't been in school since the summer! I will be taking six classes: Collection, History of Italian Renaissance Art, Fashion Illustration and Color Techniques, Intro to Pattern Design, Clothing Samples (sewing), and Italian Language. Hopefully I won't have classes on Fridays, because then I can travel! This company called Florence for Fun came to visit the school and they are a group of a bunch of young people who take students on trips all around Europe. They gave us a huge list of trips we could go on, and I want to go on every single one! It's a problem. Here's the list:

Interlaken

Prague

Budapest & Vienna

Vienna & Salzburg

Nice & the French Riviera

Munich

Amalfi Coast, Capri & Pompeii

Dalmation Coast, Croatia

Corfu Island

They are all 3-day trips, which is why I refuse to have class on Friday! Each trip costs between 200-250 euro. How am I supposed to pay for that?? It's cruel, really. haha.

They also take day trips within Italy to Chianti, Venice, Milan, Tuscany, Verona, and Cinque Terre. These trips cost from 45-75 euro. Everything is so expensive here. It's making me nervous!! I'll post in a few days once I've started classes. Wish me luck!

Benvenuti a Firenze!

I have been in Florence for 3 days now. It's almost midnight here, which means it's about dinner time in Ohio! Today was my first day of orientation with some of my classmates and we walked around a lot and saw many beautiful things. It may seem perfect here, but it's actually really cold! I definitely should have brought warmer clothes. There is an Italian law that only permits heaters to be on 8 hours a day, so our apartment is quite frigid. Oh well, it's all part of the adventure =) Here are some pictures I took today:

 It's been great weather so far. Very sunny! But cold.... haha

 There is a separate building that the Accademia Italiana has across the Arno River for studio classes and stuff, and this is the view from the roof. That's the Duomo, which means Cathedral.

 Roommates! L-R: Aleksandra from Russia, Sarah from Massachusetts, Kaitlin from Connecticut, and me. 

 This is the Santa Croce. I don't really know anything about it yet, but when I do I'll let ya know =)

 Can I just say that my jaw drops every time I walk down the street because the men look so dang good. Seriously. They dress up in jackets, blazers, tuxes, peacoats and stuff to go out in. So impressive!!!! I guess it's not just the men who dress up and look great, but the difference between American menswear and Italian menswear is crazy. I'm SURE I will post more about that again =)

All of the buildings are lovely and have painted shutters. Very charming. 

So I flew from Detroit to Paris and then from Paris to Florence. On my first flight I sat next to a mom and her daughter (10) and son (4) from Lebanon. Her kids were precious! The daughter speaks Arabic, English, and French. Kinda embarrassing for us. And we listened to Shakira on her ipod. Pretty Awesome. And THEN, I was shocked to get on my plane from Paris and find two famous fashion photographers on board. I was so nervous and I was geeking out.....They're in Florence to view Pitti Uomo (all the menswear collections). BTW they were Scott Schuman (AKA the Sartorialist) and Tommy Ton. I wish I would have been able to talk to them more but at least I was brave enough to say hi! I am really good at finding famous photographers. When I was in New York this spring, I met Bill Cunningham, a street photographer for the New York Times. One of the best moments of my liiiife. I definitely need to learn how to take pictures of people on the street like he does so that I don't look like a creep. haha. Please leave me comments, ciao!