To market, to market

I finally got my lazy butt out of bed to run along the Arno River. Holy cow, it was beautiful.

The sun was just rising, highlighting a chapel across the river which was reflected in the water. With the streets free of tourists, Italian shop keepers were busily readying for their day, sweeping, primping, giving the American weird looks as he plodded by.

No photos while running. One morning will be dedicated to rising early just for photos.

We went to the San Lorenzo market, which was pretty fun. Leather goods everywhere, Italian scarves and ties, all manner of souvenirs. And, everyone was expected to haggle.

I photographed a merchant surrounded by his wares, which were purses of all shapes and sizes. He was a proud man, but was very gracious in accomodating me. He even gave me his card to send him a photo. And, should I ever need any leather goods . . .

I actually had to stay busy today, photographing the apartments where the students live for some publicity for the study abroad program. Hey, if the company's sending me, better do my best to earn my keep, right?

Tonight, we are going to an outlying city to hear the UCA choir peform. Something about hearing their voices in a church that dates back hundreds of years is guaranteed to bring goose bumps. They sounds great.