Buon giorno!

Oh....the jetlag. Now, I had really planned on doing everything possible to avoid wicked jetlag. But, funny little thing about summertime overnight flights from Seattle to Frankfurt: the sun never sets. Who knew! And, as if the constant sunshine and cramped economy seating want enough to prevent decent sleep, the two teenage girls behind me who talked for SIX of the ten hours were (four straight hours at the beginning and two art the end). Still, all in all, not a bad journey. And the plane to Florence was kind enough to give me a beautiful first glimpse of Italy.

After it all, I have safely made it to the land of wine and pasta! And, accordingly, my first meal in Florence was pasta, bread, and wine! (And salad...but that doesn't count...) Now, I've only been in Florence less than 24 hours, but here is what I can tell you so far:

1. Lanes on the roads here are really just suggestions. Loose suggestions.
2. Mosquitoes don't hesitate for a second.
3. Just about everything looks exactly the way you think an Italian city that has been around since just after Rome should look.

Glancing around the city, you can feel the modern hustle and bustle merging with the quaint, quiet, and often bloody history. Clothes dangle from clothes lines, sheets blow in the breeze, cars whiz by, and everything just feels...you know...Italian. It's also the only the only place I've ever been where this statement has been said without sarcasm: "There's a young Prince behind you."

Yes. No joke. My Italian boss, Shaun, lives in the old grain house on the Corsini property. The Corsini family trace their nobility back to the Medici family. The back of Shaun's house faces the main garden of the Corsini Palace. So, while standing in her kitchen last evening, not one, but two young Corsini princes passed by in the gardens below. I'm walking with royalty, y'all! Plus, PLUS...our Shakespeare camp will take place in the gardens on the palace grounds. Here's a glimpse of those gardens through the kitchen window:

As if that weren't epic enough for my first evening in Florence, one of our dinner guests last night was the US Consul General in Florence, Sarah C. Morrison. I sipped wine with a US dignitary on royal property. I'm cool.

Needless to say, my first hours in Florence have been eventful! Now I'll be exploring the city and immersing myself in Italian culture. But before I leave you...meet some of my newest friends!

(PS Sorry for sideways pictures...the program on my kindle doesn't have a rotate option. Just tilt your head...)