Spannochia and Florence

The Duomo in Florence

Julia, me, Kylie, Laura, and Ellen in front of the Duomo...

Me on top of the Duomo in Florence (430 steps up. Whew!).

MOM I GOT A PICTURE OF DAVID'S PERFECTLY CHISELED REAR. JUST FOR YOU!

View from the Uffizi Galeery's window

Farmer's Market we stumbled upon

Ellen and Laura in Siena

The salting room

Desiree and Laura foraging for chestnuts!

Ellen and I at the Monastery

A Cinque Sinese pig!!!!!!!!!!! Delicious prosciutto :(

The old villa we stayed in

Carmen showing us the garden. She was so cute!!

Desiree warming up her olive oil at the tasting

Me at the Castle "only know to God"

Last week our class took a trip to Tuscany and spent 5 days on a farm. Instead of having class, we went on tours of the farm which taught me more than anything a classroom is capable of. Included in the tours, we got to taste cured meats, honey, wine and olive oil and then eat 4 course meals that were made with food fresh out of the garden. On our free time we were able to hike to a castle that was "only known to God" and ruins of a monastery that burned down hundreds of years ago. Me and my friends Desiree and Laura spent 2 hours foraging for chestnuts that we are going to shuck and make chestnut flour out of this week. The following weekend 8 of us went to Siena and Florence. Siena was a day trip so we mainly wandered around the city, had lunch and went into the Duomo, which is the most spectacular Renaissance cathedral I have seen yet. In Florence, we went to see Michaelangelo's "David" at the Accademia, Botticelli's "Spring" at the Uffizi, we climbed the Duomo and went to all of the open air markets we could fit in. Busy busy busy but in the best way possible!