This is my first time blogging, so we'll see how it goes! I am studying abroad in Florence this summer. I arrived on Monday and will be here until the end of May. I've been getting settled into my apartment, which I share with three girls from Maryville University in St. Louis.

Below are some pictures of our apartment.







And here is the view from my bedroom windows.



Last night (Tuesday) we hiked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo. It was quite an uphill walk, but the view was definitely worth it. Here are some pictures of the view (and me), including a panorama.






And here is my first glance at the Duomo, which we will be climbing to the top of on Friday. That's 463 steps give or take a few.



Here is the most famous bridge in Florence: Ponte Vecchio.



And, of course, this post about Italy could never be complete without...Gelato! The first flavor I tried was chocolate hazelnut and it was fabulous. In this picture the flavor is passion fruit. It was absolutely amazing! But then, is it even possible to have bad gelato? I think not.