Day 19

Today we woke up to experience Italy's Independence Day. We were not sure what to expect since this day is an all weekend event for us in America. Because of the language barrier, we weren't quite able to figure out if there was a parade, but we did see some sort of ceremony this morning. There was a band, people in their uniforms (a variety of uniforms), and I think their were awards given out. It took place at a main square, but there were not many bystanders. I noticed many foreign bystanders wandering what was going on, but I don't recall seeing many Italians. Since I don't know what event exactly I witnessed, I don't know the level of importance, but I had expected to see a larger crowd. We ended up leaving about 15 minutes into the ceremony because we didn't really know what was going on, and it isn't our Independence Day. We were respectful about it, so I don't really see a problem with it. It was nice to see a formal ceremony in Italy though! 

Afterward, we headed to the market and then back to the apartment. I did some packing, cooking, laundry, and cleaning. I took this free time to advantage and accomplished a lot. I took a break and observed the world around me once more. I do a good bit of people watching. I noticed families yet again, but still not as many young children while we are in the busy square. I did see an older male and younger boy kayaking, kids riding bikes along with their family, and I noticed kids playing futball in a grassy area. I have also noticed a lot of bigger kids in strollers. I guess it is because of this cobble stone. It probably tires their little feet out like it did mine! Oh yeah, my foot feels so much better. I had a stress fracture in my calf area last summer so it tends to cause trouble every now and then. 

ANYWAYS, I also observed some kids in the back seat of a car today and they were just hanging out of the window and did not look to be buckled up. I'll have to see if I notice anything else like that. Besides that, I just observed everyone else! 

We cooked an awesome dinner tonight of chicken, green beans, and corn. Ah, finally some vegetables. We ended the night well. Ciao, Florence.