First Week of Classes!

It's time to put the "study" back in study abroad! I can't believe that I have been here for over a week already! I feel like I have settled in enough that it feels like I have been here for months already. Its actually nice to have a set routine again and to get back into the swing of things. Classes here are monday - wednesday and are usually 2.5 hours long. Classes seem like they are going to be interesting and my professors all seem really passionate about the topic they are teaching. I found it different that all my professors have us call them by their first names here instead of by their last names. The work load seems like it is going to be a lot of reading to keep up with, but nothing I won't be able to handle!

Monday: Today was the first day of class. I barely slept the night before because of the anxiety, nerves, and thoughts that were running through my head. Monday when my alarm went off I sprung out of bed, looked out the window and was disappointed by the clouds and pouring rain that awaited me. Michele and I bundled up in our rain gear, grabbed our umbrellas and headed to our first class of our italian semester. My first class was Italian 8-8:45. Italian may be more of a challenge than I expected, but what a better way to practice then being in Italia! We went around the room in my italian class and said where we were all from. I was shocked to have been the only one from the east coast. Most people were from Nebresaka, Arkansas, and New Mexico. After Italian class, I had a 10 minute stroll to my next class World Religions. Most of the people in my religion class are fellow hawks. Sitting still in class for 2.5 hours with only a 10 minute break is going to take some getting used to it. Next, I had what is probably going to be my favorite class the Mediterranean Diet. My class is composed of 12 people and my professors name is Cecilia Ricci who is SO nice! Since it was an introduction class we did not get to prepare and cook anything, but we tasted some of the main staples of the Tuscan region. We two different kinds of flat bread, in which one included olives. I don't usually like olives, but they were delicious! Next we tried bread with three different kinds of honey. My professor asked for volunteers to help slice the bread and to prepare the honey so Trevor and I obviously were the first to volunteer! I would have never thought of putting honey on bread before, but surprisingly it was hmm hmmm good! The first honey we tasted was made out of Acacia Flowers. The honey was light, delicate, and clear in color. The second honey was made of Mille Flowers. This honey is what we would consider "normal" honey in the united states. It was thicker, sweeter, and had a more defined flavor then the honey made out of acacia flowers. The third honey we tried was made out of Orange Blossom Flowers. This honey was very thick and my least favorite out of the three. Then we sampled Peccorino cheese. Peccorino cheese is made out of sheeps milk, meaning it is always made out of whole milk not skim milk. We sampled two different kinds of Peccorino cheese. The first was a medium/hard cheese which takes 2-4 months after being produced. We then proceeded to try fresh Peccorino cheese, which is produced and sold within 0-2 months. We also sampled the three different honeys on the cheese as well. Last but not least, we sampled balsamic vinegar. Balsamic Vinegar originated in the Emilia Romagna  region. There are only two towns involved in the production of  Balsamic Vinegar: Modena and Reggio Emilia. In Italy, there are two different kinds of Balsamic Vinegar. The first being regular Balsamic Vinegar, which we are most familiar with in the United States. The second is the traditional Balsamic Vinegar also known as the glassa that I have previously mentioned in my blog. The traditional Balsamic Vinegar takes 5-100 years to form and is much thicker than regular Balsamic Vinegar. After a long first day of class, Cait and I went exploring the streets, got caught in the pouring rain, and took funny pictures in the photo booth!  

Tuesday: Second day of class! It was nice to wake up this morning to see the sun shinning! I had Italian again this morning as my first class. Tuesdays is my challenging day where I run from one side of the city to the other in a matter of 15 minutes! After my teacher dismissed us from class I sprinted out of class, down the block, around the Piazza di Duomo, up some more side streets, and made it to  my Tuscany and It's Wines class with 30 seconds to spare. So for all of you who were worried if I was going to make it to class on time I did! The origin of making wine in Tuscany is dated back to the Ectruscan Times. This class seems like it is going to be really interesting and something that I will use for future references. There is so much more to wine than just knowing if it is red or white. Each wine that you taste is so different depending upon what grapes are used, what region it comes from, and what you know from analyzing the label on the bottle. If you are tasting a red wine it is important to look closely at the color of the wine. If it has an orange tint to it, that means that it is an older red wine. If it has more of a plum colored tint, it has not aged for very long. Red wine can act as an astrigent leaving your mouth with a very dry sensation. White wine on the other hand has a higher acidity level, leaving your mouth with a refreshing sensation. That is why when eating spicy food you usually pair it with a white wine. There are certain steps that you must follow when wine tasting. You have to follow the four S's: see, sniff, sip, summarize. Each class we will try three different kinds of wine. Yesterday we tried two white ones and one red wine. The second white wine we tasted was my favorite. It was a sweet dessert wine similar to champagne, but not as fizzy. I will be looking forward to this class every week! For a little fun and exercise last night, Deanna, Cait, and I attend a free hip-hop class at the school gym. It was a good workout, full of fun, and lots of laughs. It reminded me of how much I miss danicng! We then proceeded to come home and made dinner all together! After another long day and skyping with my mom, I went to bed rather early last night!

Wednesday: I had Italian again this morning. After Italian I had a gap between then and my second class. In between classes I came home and did some homework. Once the rest of my roommates woke up we went to the Mercato di San Lorenzo. It is a giant air market that is open everyday from 7:30am-2:00pm. There are stands full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Inside they have a wide variety of meats, cheeses, pastries, and grains to choose from. The inside of the market reminded me very much of Redding Terminal in Philly! After the market I went to my last class of the week, Renaissance Art in Florence. What a better city to study Renaissance Art than in the city that it originated in. I can't believe that my first week of classes is already over. Now let the weekend begin!