buono sole.

i had a weekend to soak up every bit of florence that i could. a weekend full of relaxation, laughter, friends, fun, and beautiful sunshine. the weather in florence is nearly perfect!!! the whole weekend was kissed with golden light, warm weather accompanied by a gentle breeze. i could not have asked for more blissful weather. thursday  after italian class, my weekend had officially begun with a lovely dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, il teatro. my good friends, sarah and julianna had family visiting. i was able to meet them and share a lovely dinner consisting of bruschetta, spaghetti pomodoro e basilico con un bichierra de vino bianco!! mmmmmm... molto buono. after dinner we decided to check out one of my favorite places in florence. we took volume by night and listened to live music. the atmosphere of the little cafe completely changed as the sun hid itself behind the horizon. packed on the inside and out we were able to snatch seats close to the small stage. the acoustic rock mix of the chords being played engulfed my mind. i was so grateful to be sitting in my favorite cafe in all of firenzie surrounded by wonderful friends consumed with the music that overflowed the air. the evening ended with a wonderful surprise!! we found the secret bakery!!! there are a few in florence and we finally located one of the many treasures of florence known by few. only open between the hours of 2 and 5 am it consists of a frosted glass door around the corner of an alley way-long story short it is off the beaten path. so unless you know where it is and what to look for it would be a rare occurrance to stumble upon such a magnificent finding.

 the weekend continued with a greatly appreciated slow pace and we took advantage of the day and i met sarah for a cappuccino at where else, but volume! there was a massive market taking up all of piazza san spirito with different booths selling everything from antique keys to crochet earings. it was complete with a dried fruit stand and several vintage vendors. we walked around for about two hours inspecting what each vendor had to offer. with the beautiful sunshine beaming down upon us we decided to do something we have never done in florence. in the arno river just before one of the bridges there is a cement area that is exposed when the river runs low. this slanted area creates a perfect place for one to sunbathe. i brought the current book i am reading, a million miles in a thousand years by donald miller and got lost in his magnificent words while appreciating the florence sun

sunday night we went to the milano vs florentina soccer game. it was quite a treat with seats in the 5th row we were in the action and got to see first hand the yellow cards, player ejections, and the intensity that comes along with soccer, which i recently learned is not callled soccer in itlay it is called, calcio. we went to dinner and the game with a group of friends from school. i was so pleased to be able to experience such a culturally important and respected event. the fans were some of the most dedicated and spirited fans i think i've ever seen at a sporting event. with their influence it was impossible not to be consumed by the happenings on the field. even though milano was ranked number one i stayed true to my roots and cheered on the florentina players. it was a game filled with excitement, anticipation and suspense as it was tied for most of the game. but in my dissapointment milano scored a second goal to win the game.