Buona Pasqua

Easter weekend was pretty much awesome. To sum it up:
The roomies and I hung out a good deal, and went out together to try and find this bar called Sky Lounge, but when we got there they said they were closed. On the way back we ran into these Dutch girls and their guys who wanted to know where a good place to go out was, and we all ended up talking for awhile. They told us how many languages they spoke (3) and then asked us how many we did, and we were just like uh...yeahh...one? and they seemed so surprised. Why is it that americans dont start learning languages when were really young and ABLE to actually absorb it? I'm so teaching my little toddler italian or something.

We found Esselunga, which is this huge supermarket, much like the ones back in the states, except with crazy italians literally RUNNING around trying to get their veggies and spaghetti. It was like rush hour. But i havent been that excited to be in a supermarket ever, and i guess its because thats the first real one ive been in like that in oh, forever. its also so much cheaper then the little ones around where i live, which was a nice change.

They fixed our kitchen situation by giving us one free meal of pasta or salad a day, which is fine by me. Sadly, the food isnt all that great...but whatever.

We also discovered this great little park back behind our hostel that has this pond with a huge rock/fountain in the center. its so nice! We spent our day in there, having a little picnic and feeding the ducks and making daisy chains. I've become an avid picnicer since being here i think.

The Easter festivities were fun. We got up really early and got to the Duomo by 7:45 so that we could stake out the best spots possible and get a good view. Which meant standing around for about 3 hours plus the time it took for the festival, but it was so worth it. Massive amounts of people arrived by 8:30, so we had prime spots directly in front of everything. All these people dressed up in Renaissance looking costumes and marched into the square holding flags and playing drums. From what I could understand from the father telling the little 7 year old girl next to me, each flag represented either an important family in Firenze, or like the patron saint, and the nobles, and the agriculture and so on. There were these awesome flag throwers, and a cart full of flowers and hard boiled eggs that the priest came out and blessed and then they gave away the stuff. I got a really pretty flower, but its dying now :( Caryn got an Egg. THEN the cart came out pulled by these 4 huge white oxen with these crazy flower/palm hats on. The cart is huge, and they rigged every inch of it with fireworks and loud popper things, and flashers. More of the festival went on while they set it all up, but once it did, this metal dove ROCKETS out of the Duomo and hits the cart, lighting off the fireworks, and they go off starting from the bottom working their way up. It was quite the show. After we came back to the hostel and had an easter egg hunt! I won :P Then we went to Alex's for a big family easter dinner which was lovely and tasted delicious. makes me excited for when we have our own places.

Other then that, it was Emily's birthday so we did some fun activities for that, and hung around together all day yesterday. The weather has been amaaazziingg, and i hope it sticks.

If we ever get around to planning it, I should be going to Rome with alex next weekend. And then we have a month??
eeep.