Sometimes only beauty can be trusted.

“Because the world is so corrupted, misspoken, unstable, exaggerated, and unfair, one should trust only what one can experience with one’s own senses, and this makes the senses stronger in Italy than anywhere in Europe. This is why, Barzini says, Italians will tolerate hideously incompetent generals, presidents, tyrants, professors, bureaucrats, journalists and captains of industry, but will never tolerate incompetent opera singers, conductors, ballerinas, courtesans, actors, film directors, cooks, tailors. In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic excellence is incorruptible. Pleasure cannot be bargained down. And sometimes the meal is the only currency that is real.” - Eat, Pray, Love

Had academic orientation today (I'm the only Gallatin kid...I miss you Gallatinos!), then went for a walk through Florence with the new group of kids and got some free gelato across the Arno. Also had a brief conversation in Italian when I was getting a water bottle - the ladies working there asked me where I got my shoes (the sandals you got me, Mom) and kept saying they were pretty (bellissima! bellissima!) so that was yet another opportunity for me to pretend like I speak Italian legitimately (soon enough!). Pictures:

(La Pietra)

("pineapples mean welcome!")

(our window in Villa Natalia)

(San Marco)

(gypsies by the old orphanage)

(see that? Pucci! as in the designer!)

(window in Natalia)

That's all for today. Tomorrow I'm going to the dance studio downtown (finally!), then the first day of classes of this second program. A domani.

Ciao Amori!

Laura