Today we arrived in FLORENCE, ITALY!!! it is so beautiful here and I think it’s a little tropical–even for it being March. Our hotel is SUPER cute! There’s always so much going on in it. Mainly because there are Italian boys on the floor below me and my roomies. They like to call us “Baby” and you can imagine the amount of entertainment and laughter that is gathered from just that one word. They just say it differently! It’s more like a “beh-bee” than our good ole southern “bayy-bee.” Or maybe that’s just me?
Anyhow, the first day in Florence consisted of beautiful architecture, leather, and GYPSIES.
YES. I SAID GYPSIES. They look exactly like you think, too. 😉 They cover up their nice things they’re wearing with coats, scarves, and long skirts. Then, they come at you randomly with a cup with nothing in it (as if they’ve gotten nothing all day). Stefania (tour guide!) said its a decoy. Like a distraction so that someone can come behind, cut your bag’s strap or bottom and take your belongings. I was like, heck no! My stuff was in front of me the whole day!
Ha! The beautiful architecture is something you can’t miss when traveling ANYWHERE in Italy (possibly entire Europe…). When we first walked into this giant square where they were doing construction, I and my classmates eyes gazed up at this beast of a cathedral dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It completely takes up the square and took a total of 140 years to build by order of the Medicci family, if I’m not mistaken (days, sights, and cathedrals run together. 😉 ).
Stefania also took us to the bridge overlooking Lake Arno, which would be lake “Arrrrrrrrno” in her lovely, Italian accent! Don’t try if you can’t roll your “r”‘s (..Daddy…) ;). On the bridge, there is a head statue of someone whom I forgot the name of (ERGH!) and there is a gate around it, but on the gate there are about 200+ locks with names on them. I’m not just talking about like, “Kendyll 2013.” It’s more like, “David & Merriam” and my favorite: “Together Forever.” 😀 Though, the actual act of locking the lock on the gate is illegal, so people do it at night when no one is around (supposedly “no one” but that’s hard to believe because there are a LOT LOT LOT of people in Florence!)
I wish I could post a picture of it on here from my phone. I SO would!! Alas, the WiFi chooses to be sketch with my laptop and shalt not hook me up. *sigh but when I can figure out how to so it from my phone, I will post a picture of the gypsies and the cathedral and the lock bridge. 🙂
Until next time, loves! xo
- The Duomo: Florence, Italy
The Lock Bridge: Florence, Italy 
Kendyll Weeks 