My Weekend with Pifi and Elena

I spent the weekend at the Grossi estate up the in hills a little past Porta Romana. I was in charge, in COMPLETE charge, on Friday night while i nonni went to a party. I helped them eat, (well Goelle cooked) and I FINALLY successfully changed Maria. OK ok ok...she was screaming a bit....but once I was done....she was happy as a clam. I put them to bed without a peep and I cuddled up with my ibook and enjoyed the wireless internet. Yeah I am a dork. I watched a few of my favorite shows that are on an english website. It is fabulous!

That night I talked to my good friend Joanne from the UK. She was very helpful and encouraging. She keeps telling me how determined I am and that I can do anything.

She said, "Katie I think you can do anything and if you want to go to school, you should pursue it." She is a great friend.

On Saturday night, I was free. So Pifi dropped me off by Porta Romana to make the hike to the centro. I really wanted to walk anyways. I walked hmmm with each step, thinking to myself, here I am again, on my own, in my favorite citta. If I want to do a Graduate Program here, I think I should. If I find a program I am happy with I should just do it. It is what I want to do. And coincidence enough, I met a girl here from NYU and is actually doing her Masters in Italian Studies. And a big motivator to absorb the energy around her is that she is fluent in Italian....lucky girl.

Back to this past weekend...I ended up going to Prato meeting my friend Leon and his bf to see his bf play in his 80s band. It was really great to get out of the citta. Then Sunday was very relaxing, I watched the girls until about 12ish and headed down to V house to finish laundry and take a nap. It was great to have an afternoon of laziness. Sunday morning, Elena told me that is was terrible yesterday after I left.

"They didn't want to change?" I asked.
"No, It took me a half an hour to calm Carolina down, because she didn't know where you went." She said. "You have made quite an impression on them."

WOW!
I couldn't believe it. Even the kids from my summer camp I worked at, never got that upset. Crazy how much of an impression I have made on these girls.

I ended up coming back to the Grossi's at about 7ish to watch the girls for a couple hours while i Nonni went to see an exhibit on the San Lorenzo Chiesa. Apparently Michelangelo drew up these drawings on how he was going to redo the Facade of San Lorenzo but unfortunately he died before he could start it. So last night they projected this picture of what the Facade will look like if someone would create it now. Pifi said there is many debates on how they willpay for it, who will create it, and how it will effect the Florentines. It will be up to the Mayor of Florence to make the final decision. And because this is Florence, Pifi says, everyone must put their two sense in to say it is good or bad for the citta. I have yet to see this Facade, I hope to see a picture of it or something.