Torn Surprises

I slept in the next day, trying to recover from my journey across the Atlantic. I woke up feeling refreshed, but I still felt a bit sluggish at points during the day. After an egg and cheese omelet, Brittney, Allie, and I headed out of the apartment to begin the day. Our first stop was Florence for Fun, a sort of student travel agency that offers discounted trips across Europe. I signed up for the first excursion that would occur the following day: horseback riding and wine tasting in Chianti, an area in Tuscany. I had not been horseback riding in ages, making me anxious to get on a horse again. I could not believe that I would actually be able to go on an adventure just a mere few days after my arrival!

THE OUTDOOR INTERIOR
IN THE FLORENTINE TRAIN STATION

Brittney and Allie had been planning a trip to Cinque Terre, a group of five coastal towns, for the upcoming Saturday. With no official trips offered through Florence for Fun, we decided to venture out on our own. We headed across the city to the train station in order to purchase tickets. Chaotic and crowded, the Florentine train station was half inside and out. The areas with waiting passengers were covered by the structure, leaving the trains exposed to the Italian sun. It was a beautiful building, reminding me of how natural light can greatly impact an interior. 

We waited in line, nervous to speak with the teller. Would we be able to effectively communicate and buy our tickets? When we reached the window, we found that the representative did speak a small amount of English. Relieved, we informed him of our plans and he proceeded to look up trains. Unfortunately, he got up from his position repeatedly without any explanation. We were often left alone at the window, wondering if we would ever get our tickets. Finally, the teller seemed satisfied enough to remain speaking with us. After a strained twenty minutes, we were able to purchase tickets that allowed us to leave early in the morning and return to Florence before midnight. After the most important issues had been resolved, the three of us browsed the shops near the station together. Many of the items were rather expensive and those that were affordable were not unique to Italy. Several of the items we admired could be found in America, making a purchase here a waste of money at an escalated price. When we had neared the end of the row of shops, Brittney received a phone call. "It's Accademia!" she exclaimed. "Your suitcase came!"

Ecstatic, we made our way to the university. Unfortunately, when I finally saw my bag, I found it in a deteriorated condition. Many scrapes slashed the filthy front to complement the decently sized rip in the side. I was a little shocked, praying that nothing had fallen out in the process. Nevertheless, it was whole enough to transport, so we carried the bag down the spiral stairs to the outdoors.

Now remember that the walk from my apartment to Accademia is about twenty minutes on cobblestone streets. I would be forced to drag my suitcase along the entire path in order to retrieve my things. The bag was heavy, testing my strength as I guided the bag behind me on the narrow sidewalks. Despite the physical stress, I was able to make it to the apartment without stopping. My roommates were kind enough to help me carry the bag up the stairs.

After such an exhausting journey, I retired to the apartment for the night. We had to rise fairly early the next day to meet our guide for Chianti, and I hoped to start my first adventure with a full night's sleep.