Wine Tasting and Florence's German Christmas Market

Ahhh Florence. Even if you do have a fake German Christmas Market, it was still a good attempt.
I've been three times already, although I've only bought one thing (delicious apple strudel!). I'd love to live at the market. I'd sleep in the carousel/make-shift bar with some comfy slippers I stole from a neighboring kiosk, eat apple strudel for breakfast, try on jewelry for a few hours, sausage for lunch, call my friends and shop for ornaments together, chill on the steps of Santa Croce, eat some bbq looking pork for dinner, drink some hot wine, and repeat. This could be magical.
They have candied apples, a stand dedicated to Ireland, chunky jewelry, and even a stand with different flavored cheeses (wasabi, pesto, tomato and olive...).
Like I said...I could live there. I don't even think I'd get bored. Just cold.
When Alece and I went tonight, we couldn't stay long because we were so cold. My fingers were like ice cubes inside my leather gloves. We huddled together on the walk there.
Heading down Via de Neri, we heard two loud "bang! bang!"'s. She and I flipped, and I almost dropped to the ground. We still don't know what it was, but we changed direction...and five minutes later we heard it again! We grabbed each other tight and freaked out until we got to the festival. Once we got to the cheese station our mind changed to different things.
I loved just strolling with Alece and goofing off. We talked about the old times, we talked about THIS Wednesday's trip to Brussels! I can't wait! I've got to start researching.
I'm back home now, and going to Lucca in the morning for a day trip! All my ISA friends are going to Pisa for the day, but I've already been several times, so I decided to go somewhere I wanted to go. Plus, I always get a ton of studying done on train rides.
I'll take plenty of pictures.
As for Thursday, I had class and then roamed around Florence and the German Festival with Alva, Alexi, Justin and Jess. We took pictures again. I had to eat a sandwich, drink a teensy glass of Brunello, then feed the pigeons in Piazza Signoria. I hate pigeons, but I did it for the love of art.
Then we were off to the German fair, and Jess, Alva and I split a big chocolate pretzel and took pictures. We had way too much fun.
Later in the day was the wine tasting, and other than in France in high school, this was the first time I was taught how to really taste a wine. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
First, you examine and describe the color and the clearness, or limpidity, of the wine. We had to say out loud what we smelled (what fruit, if there was oak, honey, chocolate...the certain spice). It was crazy what you can detect, and a lot of it traces back to the region where it was grown. For example, the grapes in one wine we tasted was grown near the sea, so you could smell the ocean from the terroir in the wine.
We tasted the sweetness on the tip of the tongue, the tanons of the red wine in the middle, sour on the sides of the tongue, and bitterness towards the back. Then, you counted how many seconds the tinge "persisted" in your mouth.
This is how alcohol is meant to be used, and only in doses that are meant to be enjoyed and appreciated. You see the personality of the person who made the wine and you can detect what the land is like from the taste.
After the tasting, we went and made eggnog (having to roam the streets in the rain trying to find ingredients late at night...EVERYTHING closes early!) and watched "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." Such a perfect Christmasy evening.
Well, I'm off to study a bit before hitting the sack and getting ready for Lucca! Ciao ciao!