my apologies.

I'm sorry for the less-than-stellar and enthusiasm-free posts this week. I have been loaded with schoolwork, and as a result, totally tired and not feeling like myself. I think I just need a stress-free weekend (and maybe a Skype date with some family/friends? I feel like I haven't talked to anyone in ages. Maybe I'm a little homesick.)

Anyway, my life this week has felt fairly routine anyway, so despite the lack of real postage, you haven't missed much. Today we went on a "Making Gelato" tour through a Discovering Florence program that is run by the international school, Lorenzo de'Medici, that I attend here. I was expecting...more from this tour, I guess, but the little bit that we did see was entertaining.

A group of about 11 or so went to a gelateria near the Santa Maria Novella church where they produce their own gelato. The man who was supposed to give the tour was apparently not there and hadn't called to cancel, so the man's father, who speaks no English, gave the tour instead with one of the LdM advisors translating for us.

He showed us how to make a sorbetto gelato, which is fruit based and lacks the cream and milk that make the other flavors (like chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, etc.) creamier. Into the sorbetto went just water, sugar (um...a LOT of sugar), and frozen fruit. He blended it with a giant mixer, giving us all a taste of the sugary fruit syrup, then threw it into a gelato-making machine, where it took about 10 minutes to thicken and become delicious.

The old man was adorable, and I was surpised that I understood the majority of what he said even before the advisor translated for us. That is not to say that I necessarily understood every word that he told us, but I got the gist of what he was saying, which was an interesting feeling.

It was creamy and delicious coming out of the machine.

And we all got a free cone at the end! Mmmm, strawberry!

Anyway, Sam and I are off to pub crawl with a group of API kids and one of her friends from back home. I'm not feeling super social tonight, so I think I'm going to take it easy on the drinks...wish me luck!

I miss you all.