So two weeks ago I had the chance to go back to Florence and hang out with some friends of mine that I go to school with at State who are studying there. Although I only spent a few days there, and I love Germany, I didn’t want to come back but that is only because of the great weather. It was like 13 degrees centigrade there while when I left Germany it was 4 a huge difference let me tell you. My adventure started when I got to the airport at Stuttgart two hours early ( I had a safety margin built in because we had our SIB winter ball the night before) just be on the safe side, I now know what German for “your plane has been canceled mean” However, Air Italia was nice enough to already have me rebooked on a Lufthansa except there is one problem, I have to fly to München first, about a 45 min flight, get delayed there for an hour and then fly straight to Florence, another 45 minute flight. So pretty much I traveled for 4 hours all hung over to flight direct for 45mins. I know it was 45 mins. Direct because I had a direct flight back on Sunday (not hung over).
The first night there, since it was so late at night by the time I arrived; we went and grabbed an awesome supper. Here is the thing about eating the whole weekend, my friends meal plan through the university he is at includes local restaurants so I pretty much at for free all for the cost of a few bottles of wine. (I think in Germany, Beer would have been included) We walked around the city ended up in all places a bar owned by Argentineans’ that serves nothing but Pauliner German beer. I never realized how expensive Florence was the last time I was there but the same glass of beer in Germany would have cost 2.50 3.00€ and not the 5.50€ in Florence. The other thing I noticed this time around was how Americans were in Florence. It was pretty noticeable for me because I know just about all 20 Americans that are at my University here in Germany. Apparently, Florence is the number one study abroad destination for American students, something like 6000 a semester go there. The second night I was there we were like Asian tourists, the only thing missing was our flowered shirts and camera cases around our necks. Then again it was colder and I don’t think that that would have been prudent. Although the thought did cross my mind to throw on my sandals. One of the best things about this trip was how I managed to take pictures that I didn’t get two springs ago, well maybe they were of the same building but from different angles and by my account that makes them different photo’s (It just took me 2 minutes to figure out how to spell photo in English because I kept typing it as the German word) By the end of our grand sightseeing adventure, we were holed up in a bar coming up with our next great business plan. We laid out elaborate plans to go back and open up a Lounge. I mean why wouldn’t we? Some one needs to cater to those 6000 American Students. I woke up the next morning and begrudgingly walked the quite Florentine streets to the bus for the airport. The one thought that kept going through my mind was “gee, I wonder how cold it is in Germany” when I got home it was 4 degrees and raining. I began to wonder if it was too late to go back, but I grabbed a 2.10€ beer out of the fridge and never thought about it again
Next up Prague part two (it already happened, I’m just alittle slow posting)
Frohe Weihnachten