It is going to take some time to adjust to the three day school week and a four day weekend. I mean I am not complaining whatsoever but I keep getting my days mixed up! Wednesday night a bunch of people from my program all went out together to celebrate the completion of our first week of class! We started off at a bar called Shots Cafe where the American dollar is accepted and equivalent to 1 euro. After mingling with some friends we headed to a club called twenty-one. It was packed wall to wall with American college students. It was so beyond HOT in there that there was condensation running down the walls. Considering we burned off lots of calories dancing the night away we rewarded ourselves by using our sense of smell to find the secret bakery that I have heard so much about. I indulged in a fresh hot out of the oven and still warm croissant filled with a rich chocolate filling. Needless to say my stomach fell in love!
Thursday morning it was so nice not to be awoken by the sound of an alarm clock going off. After sleeping in and catching up on some sleep we walked down our street to a little restaurant called The Diner. It is your typical American diner, with a wide menu selection and american sized portions. The atmosphere inside the diner made for a fun experience! We even received a 10% discount for being students! Since I've been a diner girl for so long it made me feel right at home! After filling our bellies my roommates and I started to do some of the massive amounts of reading that was assigned for our various classes. We decided to treat ourselves to a night out on the town for dinner at Florence University of the Arts restaurant Ganzo. Every Thursday night they have a set menu in which the students from the cooking school Apicius prepare and cook. Every Thursday there is a different theme behind the six course meal and is explained to you when the food is being served. Last nights theme was the Renaissance era. We tried dishes that would have been served during those times. Upon arrival we were shown what the set menu was going to be. After having read the menu I was a little nervous as to what was going to be served. I promised myself I would not allow the opportunity to pass me by and to just go with it for the full experience. The food choices on the menu were not things that I would have ordered for myself. Along with the dinner they served both red and white wine and unlimited water. We tried to use the things we had learned in wine class earlier in the week to analyze the wine as we tasted it.
The first dish was sole with orange, lemon and parsley. I am not usually a big fan of fish, but the fruit that was served with it created an explosion of flavor.
The second dish was the one that scared me the most. The second dish being served was pigeon made with spices. I tried to not think about what I was actually eating and gave it a shot. Surprisingly it was delicious. It was a very tender meat very much like duck would taste. I do not know if I would order it again, but I am proud of myself for trying it.
The third dish being served was an onion and shallot tart. This was probably my favorite out of the first three dishes. It reminded me very much of a quiche.
The main course being served was duck served in a citrus sauce.
Next they served a passion fruit ice cream. The ice cream was very tart and reminded me of a mango sorbet. It was a refreshing way to cleanse the pallet after trying so many different dishes.
Last they served a marquise with chili and chocolate. I would have never guessed to mix sweet and spicy, but it made for an interesting combination. The first bite you took was sweet and the after taste left your mouth on fire. Luckily they served vanilla ice cream to help with the spiciness!
It truly was a fun and interesting experience to have. I was adventurous in trying new things and had a few good laughs along the way. I would definitely go back on another Thursday night to indulge in another unique dinning experience!
Today Mary and I went on a little adventure. We ventured over to the famous Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio translates to old bridge. It is the only original bridge that remains in Florence. The bridge is located overlooking the Arno River and is filled with lots and lots of jewelry shops. Also located on the bridge is a iron fence on which people have attached locks with their loved ones name on it and then have thrown away the key. This reminded me of the lock of love fence that I saw when I was in Rome. We further ventured to the other side of the city and found ourselves at the Palazzo Pitti and received free entrance due to our student museum card. We hiked up the steep stairs to get an amazing view that overlooked all of Florence. The surrounding gardens and fountains made it seem so serene. Depending upon which way you looked you either saw the Duomo and the rest of the city or the hills of the Tuscan region. We then proceeded to head to the student center to print out our homework that is due on Monday morning. After returning back to our apartment we proceeded to continue to be studious.
Tonight a bunch of us walked up to the Piazza di Michaelangelo just in time to watch the sunset. Amongst us we shared a bottle of wine, laughter, and sang along to the music that was being played. We overlooked the beautiful city which we now call home! Once it became dusk we headed home. We all then proceeded to pack our bags in order to get ready for our trip tomorrow to Cinque Terre, which I could not be more excited about!
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