Ambrosiano Montecatini Terme

... on internet and then back to the bar for more wine and tapas.<br><br>Sun 15 <br>Did some chores... yes we have some, we are not totaly void of resposibility. Went to the supermarket to stock up on food and went to an Aire d'service to empty Theo (our Thescott cassette toilet). Enough of that and we were back in the walls checking out the Antiques Market and eating Gelati... YUM!!<br>

... s historical center. We began our one hour walk at the Duomo and finished at Ponte Vecchio. There were numerous sites in between providing details of Florence's political and social history. While the City itself was not as impressive as others we've visited on this trip, the sheer inspiration it provided for the rest of Europe to awaken from the Middle Ages made it well-worth a visit. Kate grabbed a delicious gelatto for the walk ...

... busy streets. [And side note, Rome traffic wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. NYC is much crazier, minus tiny, unmarked, cobblestone alleys.] GPS saved the day and we easily made it out of the city after we realized the device was in simulation mode and showing us the course we would eventually take, and not the course we were currently on. It was hysterical!! However, this "fake route" took us to an unbelievable overlook of Florence ...

Just realized those not on facebook haven't seen pictures from Pisa and Florence. No long recap of Anthony and I's weekend in Tuscany, for obvious reasons. Also note that "Anthony and Alison's Great Adventure" was like taking a knife.<br><br>Love you guys! :)<br>

Rented an apartment in a villa which was at the top of a mountain (like most villas in Tuscany), however, our journey to the top was not on a paved road which made for some challenging driving. The villa was really nice with its own pool and great view over the countryside. The owners also provided fabulous meals in their other ...

... but I was getting a little tired of walking around a city that doesn't speak my language all by myself, so decided to take a nap. An hour later Mary, my roommate, was knocking on the door. The group was here! She let me know that we'd be leaving for dinner in a couple of hours, so I got my chat on with Josh for a little while (nerd first, tourist second), cleaned up, and headed downstairs to meet the other 35 people with which I ...

... from my favorite gastronomie, Pizzaccheria. While waiting for Jerry I saw that the Pens are up 3-0 over PHI in the series. On the way back from class we stopped at the grocery store we got a bunch of fresh produce for dinner and saw a bunch of fresh seafood that looked good they had; shark, a bunch of fish, squid, and octopus. Ti and I plan on trying most of the fish. The food is very inexpensive we bought a lot and it was only 29 euros. For ...

Our school Christmas party was held in a villa in Tuscany. (Do I really need to say more?) It was unreal. The villa was in Fiesole, so out in the garden there was a lovely view of the lights of Florence. Our tables were dressed in red, we were welcomed into a room with a Christmas tree and a roaring fireplace, and we had a five course meal complete with mingling, appetizers, and aperitifs before dinner. We had a silent auction and raffle to raise money for Casa ...

... s when they got too demanding for their favorite artist. Speaking of trap doors, did you know that Brunelleschi put kitchens in strategic places in the duomo as they were building it so the workers wouldn't have to go all the way back down? I think that's entertaining. After the church we went to Central Mercato, a huge open air-Saturday Market-esque place where I may have bought things for a few of you! The food market ...

... and checked into our hotel which was miles from the city. Tonight those who chose to, which I think was most, headed out to the Tuscan dinner at La Certosa. It was fasnstic. We were greeted with Campari and wine and there were 5 courses; Antipasto, salad, pasta, beef and potatoes and desert. It was so yummy. There was alot of entertainment too with an opera singer and also some of the waiters getting ...