Shoe Quest

My feet have bled every day since I've been here and no amount of yoga or sock layering is changing it. I know why the Italians take their shoes so seriously... quality and comfort are two definite necessities. I went for a run this morning across the Arno (during sunrise - beautiful!) and scoped out shoe places the whole way. There are so many options! Sorry, this is a really boring post but it's 11 pm and the ache in my feet has been at the forefront of my mind all day.

In other news: I visited the Mercato Centrale which is the main place to buy fresh (and cheap) produce, meat, wine, etc. There's a bunch of vendors outside the market selling clothing and shoes as well. I've been finding random American foods in different smaller markets throughout the city and by the end of my stay here I just may have a pantry that looks similar to the one at home. One great find was Crispy M&Ms (in the light blue bag) at the 99 cent store on our corner. I have been looking for those in the U.S. for years and haven't seen them so it was thrilling to say the least.

Tomorrow is Advanced Drawing and Modernist and Contemporary Art. Word on the street is the classes aren't as difficult as back home because they want us to be able to travel and do things in Italy besides homework, but I'm trying not to count on it until I've met all my professors. Thursday I start my Photography for Advertising class and hopefully an assignment will be something along the lines of "Create a postcard that captures the beauty of Tuscany" so I can have an excuse to get going on my travel pictures. They are coming soon - promise!