It's already risky going to the mercato (market) on an empty stomach. All the colorful fruits, leafy vegetables, rosy red meats, perky cheeses, and pristine stacks of fresh pasta look even more delicious when I walk by the banconi (counters). I end up lugging more items home on the days when my stomach is growling. Today, there was an additional risk that I didn't count on: I checked out Brian and Claudia's website, Mestolando.

Today, I went to visit a couple more apartments with my agente (real estate agent) #2. We had set up today's appointment last Thursday when we arrived late to an apartment and the proprietario (owner) had supposedly already left. My agente called the proprietario to reschedule the appointment and so here we were again: same place a few days later.

I had an incredibly social Monday. I was supposed to be working on a project this afternoon, but instead I had a drink with a friend of mine, went to a wine bar with my writing instructor near Ponte Vecchio, and had dinner with two of Dave's friends from school in San Niccolò.

Normally on Sundays, I stay home. I avoid the crowded streets in centro (downtown) so that I can work on my computer, read, and just get ready for the upcoming week. But, today I went out for lunch with my friend Tina who is living in Perugia. We met in Piazza Santo Spirito and had lunch out on the restaurant's terrazza (terrace).

Yesterday I managed to take a photo as I crossed the Ponte alla Carraia from Oltrarno toward centro. It was only about 11 in the morning, but I found the Arno to be so peaceful that I stood there for a few minutes. I watched one guy rowing his boat down the Arno and I thought how wonderful it must be to have the city pulsating around you while you are completely at peace on the water.

I took a taxi to Piazza del Carmine to visit another apartment this morning at 11AM. I arrived a little early and waited for my agente (real estate agent) #2. She whizzed by me on her motorino (scooter) and waved to me as I stood on the corner. After she parked her motorino, she told me that her collega (colleague) made the appointment for 10AM and we wouldn't be able to see the apartment.

After returning from the US, I've been putting off going to the questura (police station) to renew our permessi di soggiorno (permits to stay). I don't like procrastinating, but I had a hard time feeling enthusiastic about going to the questura. The anxiety of what could go wrong is high, and being in a stuffy room with hundreds of people is also not a bonus.

Today I went to the copisteria (photocopy shop) down the street from my apartment. I know the guy there quite well because I have been buying my notebooks and other office goods there for the last two years. He did all my copies for me even though I told him that I could do them myself. In the end, I was happy I let him do my photocopies as he did a better job than I could have.

Today I finally didn't have any appointments to visit apartments. I got so run down last week from walking all over town at different times of the day and with temperatures that were up and then way down that I caught a raffredore (cold) and stayed home all day yesterday. I wanted to have another giorno di riposo (day off), but instead I went out to meet a friend for lunch and then had one of my writing classes this evening.

I went through Piazza Santa Croce on the way back from visiting another apartment near Santo Spirito. When I looked around at the stands at the mercato (market), I realized that it might not be the annual German one that I thought it was. This mercato seems to extend alongside the Santa Croce church and has many different items for sale besides the few German typical ones.

In only one day, the weather went from fairly warm and sunny to cold, cloudy, and even rainy. I had finally taken a day off of apartment searching and walked through Piazza Santa Croce. It was great to walk around without having to be somewhere at a specific time.

After visiting yet another apartment this morning, I met up with my friend Sara for lunch. She was sitting in Piazza Santissima Annunziata with her friend Luisa, and we decided to go to my favorite Chinese restaurant on via Guelfa, which wasn't too far away. While we were standing at the stoplight on via Cavour just about to cross the street, I noticed that the red lanterns weren't hanging outside of the building. I thought that maybe they took them down temporarily, but when we walked up to the door, we realized that it was gone.

This morning when I began my day I had no idea that I would find myself on the back of a motorino (scooter) to visit an apartment near Santo Spirito. It's been a long time since I was on the back of a motorino, and I almost forgot about how thrilling and scary it can be.

It seems like Sunday is the day when I hear my neighbors the most. Our windows are open because the weather is still nice, but at 9AM I heard the elderly man downstairs whistling at the pigeons and another girl, probably one of the new tenants downstairs, singing along with the radio.

This afternoon I took a walk over Ponte alle Grazie bridge to see Simone at his restaurant. I have only seen two of my friends since coming back to Florence. I have exchanged messagini (SMS messages) with almost all of my friends as it's the easiest way to contact each one. Only one or two friends of mine called me on the telephone, i.e. my friend Rossana called me on my first day back just to say, "Ben tornata!" (Welcome back!)