What were you grateful for this week?
Beautiful cityscapes and really tasty gnocchi.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?
Learning the ins and outs of traveling alone, especially when you get sick.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. 
My host family had a “wow” moment for me this week — they let me leave two days early to take advantage of Italy’s holiday weekend!

 

Tell us about your week! 
This weekend was a holiday in Italy, so I spent Thursday through Sunday exploring Tuscany. It was my third trip in three years to Florence, but the city never bores me. I spent Thursday afternoon traveling (in business class! I felt so fancy!), but spent the evening at a Catholic church on a hill overlooking Florence. Since Thursday was All Saints’ Day, they held mass while offering their usual Gregorian chants. It was really beautiful and mystical, and the acoustics made the singing sound absolutely gorgeous.

On Friday I travelled to Siena. Burnt Siena was my least favorite color out of the Crayola 64 Pack, but the city that gives it its name made me like it much more. The entire city was a gorgeous red brown. I ate pizza in the large square, saw a church that looked like It’s A Small World turned Catholic, and lit a candle at an altar honoring Saint Catherine of Siena, the patron saint of communication professions (which was perfect for someone who is currently working as a professional writer). M3 joined me when I returned to Florence in the evening.

The next day, the two of us went to Pisa! We climbed the leaning tower, ate a really long and delicious lunch on the square, and enjoyed following Rick Steve’s tour of the city. And when we arrived in Florence later that night, S and C were there to join us! We had a good time scoping out the best gelato and taking in a beautiful view of the Arno river. And after all of it, M3 and I had the best dinner at a restaurant I ate at every single night when I was in Florence three months ago. Still good.

Sunday was more relaxed, with a quick trip to the leather market to pick up some ties and a belt for my missionary brother, and an afternoon spent at the Pitti Palace, admiring the second-largest collection of Raphaels anywhere in the world. Although my train was delayed by almost an hour and I got home well after midnight, it was a weekend well spent.