Fourth of July in Italia

Waking up this morning, I realized that it wasn't even the fourth of July in California yet. Ha! Anyways, we traveled a little less than two hours to Viareggio, which is a beach town apparently designed in an art deco style (although I don't think we saw the art deco side of it. . .)  It was apparently the day to go to the beach, because omygoodness there was a MASSIVE exodus from the train of young people. It was crazy!!!! So the beaches here are very different than at home. For one, you have to pay for them -- but! you get an umbrella with two beach chairs. We got two umbrellas and two beach chairs and hung out for a few hours. I didn't really feel like swimming, so I just sat and read Dante for the most part. However, I did go and wade into the ocean a little at the end and it was WARM! You didn't even have to get used to it! And there were SO MANY PEOPLE! It was an interesting experience. Here's what the beach looks like:

You don't really look at the ocean. . . and I basically just stayed in the shade, but it was definitely much cooler than Florence, and it was nice to sit in a bathing suit. Oh! and we got our two most aggressive cat calls today.  The first was when we were walking to the beach, and it was a bunch of things in Italian that we didn't understand, but the intent was clear. Oi. Of course, if you ignore them, they basically stop.  The second was coming back from the beach (when we looked gross, mind you) and a market vendor saw us and said expressively "God bless you girls, you are so beautiful" while he lifted his arms to us. Ridiculous. 


There is apparently a cross-cultural July 4th celebration on the Arno, but it was incredibly too far to walk, so we decided to get burgers at the fish pub around the corner (very American)
They even had American Flags out!

The burgers were delicious, but rather amusing because it was the meat, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes -- an Italian take on burgers. (which is funny, because Americans definitely have a different take on Pizza)

I had a deliciously semi-American Diet Coke with my burger, and Kelsey and Chelsea got very patriotic red and blue drinks

Oh! And here is the piazza that we're right next to. The silver cubish thing is a stage where musicians play every night. I can hear them now. . . 

Now it's time to read some Purgatorio and go to sleep.  Another week of class starts tomorrow! and we have a midterm on thursday. . .wow.  I'm definitely going to take it easy tomorrow, because I've been super exhausting myself with everything.  I think my monday adventures will be class, laundry and shopping =) goodnight!