Firenze (Florence, Italy) Day 1
(Copied from my journal–stay tuned, pictures coming soon!)
Is it wrong that one of my first thoughts when I saw the statue of David was that he looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch model with that cocked hip and uncaring stare off into the distance stage left. It’s like every male model since then has been imitating his pose. He could sell underware for Calvin Klein or swimming trunks or jeans for Hugo Boss. He just needs some stubble and for his boxers to peek out over his faded, designer-scuffed jeans. Actually, come to think of it, he’s be a clean-shaven model, one of the preppy ones.
Deep thoughts, I know.
He’s incredible, really. Carved in white marble, somewhere around 12 feet tall, muscles rippling, veins popping, nonchalant sideways stare. (Is it worth 2 hours in line and €10?…I’m going to say yes since that’s what I spent!)
So, yesterday I woke up around noon in Pisa. Lucca and Emanuele made me pasta for lunch (yum!), then I caught the train to Florence. Upon arrival in Florence I hustled to the hostel because the Germany/Argentina game was going on and I wanted to watch at least a little of the game. As I arrived at the hostel I helped a slightly lost, very tall guy named Aaron from England. After check-in we headed out to watch the game, picking up an American named Caren…yes, we were Caren, Aaron and Taryn…seriously.
We watched the games (Germany and Spain WON!! They will be playing each other in the semi-finals of the World Cup! Side-note about the World Cup: it is so much fun watching it here! And two of the three teams I’ve been following since the beginning are in the semi-finals which means that one of them WILL be in the finals!! AAAHHH!! I have actually expended quite a few hours and lots of energy on this World Cup. It’s fun, though, because it’s a conversation starter with so many people in Europe, plus some of my jock friends back home. 
)
Anywhoosers, in between games we wandered around and I saw the Duomo and Ponte de Vecchio for the first time. The Duomo is breathtaking from the outside–I will try to see the inside tomorrow (when I have covered shoulders and longer pants).
When I got back to the hostel two of the guys that were staying in my room were from Kansas! We got to talking and I discovered one of them was actually from Topeka! No. Way. When I looked closer I noticed he was wearing a Shawnee Heights T-shirt! Crazy!! Nick and Kevin…some very Midwestern names, huh?
It was a kind of surreal day, what with the being in Italy, the pasta and pizza and gelato all in one day, the Taryn, Caren and Aaron trio, and then meeting the Kansas boys. What a trip this is turning out to be!
