After spending several nights in two different hotels it became quite a shock to us when we arrived at the villa run by nuns. The experience would be a different one because took a vow of silence during the day, so since you guys know our group, silence is unheard of. An hour and a half after our arrival in Florence, we all sat down to dinner prepared by the nuns. During the dessert part of the dinner, we had gelato. We named our special gelato "nun cream." Our whole group thought it was hilarious, so four of us decided to put on a commercial about "nun cream." At the time, we were very scared of the nuns, so the commercial really uplifted the whole mood of the group. After having some bonding time, we all went to bed for some much needed sleep.

After our evening arrival in Florence, our first real day was greatly anticipated. We started off our day by meeting our guide, Manuella, at the Republic's Square. She took us on a walking tour of Florence. We saw the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its magnificent dome and the beautiful golden doors designed by Ghiberti representing scenes from the Life and Passion of Christ. We then continued our walk onwards to see the golden bridge. This bridge is one of the most unique architectural structures that dot Florence's landscape. During WWII, Hitler saved the bridge from attack because the walkway above the bridge was a gift from Florence to him when he visited the city. After the historical part of our tour, we tested out our eye for art when we went to the Piaza di Signoria to view the statues such as the fake David and many others. We then continued the walking tour to see the Galleria dell'Accademia where the real David and many of Michelangelo's other pieces are held. Then, our guide left us to continue our day with some lunch. After our appetite was satisfied, most of our group walked up the 463 steps to get to the top of the dome. This done is the second largest dome in the world, and from the top of it you can see the whole city of Florence. We then had free time to shop, ride the carousel, eat gelato, or haggle at the market. We finished off our day in Florence with bonding time that had problems confronted, friendships renewed, lines drawn, and friendships strengthened.

By Bronte, Sally, Hudson, and Joe