I started off the week by going to the Boboli Gardens. I wanted to go to this place but the hours are so weird. The gardens open at 10 and close at 3 and that is right in the middle of my classes, but I had time off from class recently so I knew it would be the perfect time to go!

The Boboli Gardens were beautiful, and there are so many hidden pathways that you can get lost in and have a private walk all by yourself if you wanted to. We went when it was a little misty out so I was practically the only one there. I sat down and sketched some things, and it was very peaceful. Also, the garden had this big statue of Neptune with his trident and a seashell that reminded me of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.

Then the following days I went to Siena and Cinque Terre. Siena was nice, and I tried the world’s best ice cream. Siena is known for their gelato, and they have a shop that was the world champion of gelato and it was pretty cool. Siena is very scenic, and I saw rolling hills and churches. The cool thing about Siena is that they divided their districts into factions of animal groups. There are 17 groups deciding where you live: Some groups have river lots, which reminded me of a Romeo & Juliet scenario.

The following day, I went to Cinque Terre. The day started off rough as it was pouring down rain and a raincoat was not enough to protect me. My friend and I had to buy a €7 umbrella to keep both of us dry. However, around noon, it cleared up and the sky looked like it was never gray. So the rest of the day I enjoyed the towns and saw the iconic colored houses by the water.

My favorite town was Cornigila where I had to walk up 400 stairs to get the best view of the ocean. It was relaxing because most people didn’t want to do the hike, so my friends and I were the only ones really witnessing the view. It was crazy awesome! In Cinque Terre, I took a train from each one of the towns; however, there was a hiking trail to reach each one. Because it was raining in the beginning, I decided to skip the hike but if I go back, I will for sure check the trails out.

To end the week, I went to a soccer game. I’m not a big sports person, and I never usually go to games since I don’t really understand what is going on. I still didn’t understand what was happening when seeing the soccer game in action, but it grabbed my attention for a couple minutes and it ended up being really fun. It was Florence vs. Empoli, and it was funny seeing the rivalry and seeing Florence win. I even bought some merch to support Florence. All in all, it was a fun week!

Next week I go to the Dolomites to go snowboarding so make sure to check back for more on my adventures!