6/30 Day1
(seal ring)
Oh my! We had a rough start to our weekend trip from Spain, missing our connecting flight to Florence due to flight delays and spending the night in Barcelona… lol
My landlord told me that there were some kind of transportation problems in the major cities in Italy and there were massive flight delays… So, we returned home from Spain and joined the class as it was. The landlord told me that there was some kind of transportation problem in each major city in Italy and there were massive flight delays…
So, I returned from Spain and started to attend classes as it were.

(Before gallery ring assembly)
The seal ring we have been working on since last week is almost finished and we are polishing it. Polished to a shine, the ring looks very modern and nice! We were happy to receive compliments on how quickly it was done ^^
On this day, our landlord had a birthday party at his house, and the family (two daughters, three grandchildren, and a dog) gathered for a pizza party with everyone. We got take-out from a good pizza place nearby and toasted with champagne. It was an interesting time, mostly in Italian, sometimes in English when they noticed my presence. I hope to speak Italian next time I come here!

(シールリング)
なんと！週末に旅行したスペインから、フライトの遅れで、フィレンツェ行きの乗り継ぎ便を逃し、バルセロナに一泊するという波乱のスタートとなりました・・・笑
イタリアの各主要都市で何らかの交通機関？関係のトラブルがあって、大規模な飛行機の遅れがあったんだと大家さんが言っていました…
そんなわけで、スペインから帰国して、そのまま授業に参加するというスタートです。

(ギャラリーリング組み立て前)
先週から取り組んでいたシールリングがほぼほぼ完成したので、磨きの作業を行います。ピッカピカに磨き、とてもモダンで素敵なリングができました！早くできましたねと褒めていただき嬉しい限り^^
この日は大家さんのお誕生パーティーがお家であり、家族（娘さん二人とお孫さん3人、ワンちゃん1匹）が集まって、皆でピザパーティをしました。近所のおいしいピザ屋さんからテイクアウトし、シャンパンで乾杯。ほぼイタリア語、時々私の存在に気づき、一部英語、という面白いひと時。次来るときにはイタリア語を話したいなぁ！

(seal ring)
(シールリング)

(Before gallery ring assembly)
(ギャラリーリング組み立て前)

7/1 Day2
(myself receiving instruction), (melting silver), (purchased tools)
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that there is another student besides me from this week! She is a Japanese woman.
The class is going on peacefully… The sealing ring is completed, now it’s time for the next ring. A beautiful volume ring with a window-like reveal. I love rings, and this is a great parade of lessons for me. Moreover, today I was taken to the tool shop for the first time. I knew it would be very difficult to buy the item I wanted without an interpreter to ask various questions because I don’t understand the language. Thanks. In Japan, it is a small stick called a kegaki compass, which is hard to use, but here it is really a compass. I bought that and two others for what I was asked to buy. The rest is a tagane used in engraving classes and a yani to fix the board. After that, we ran out of sterling silver, so we went to a bullion shop (a beautiful place with nice jewelry, though). We were shown some simple chains and were very pleased with them.
After class, we had lunch and then went to a gelato shop. There were so many tempting flavor choices that I couldn’t decide! They all look delicious, but since we are in Italy, I went with the Cannolo and the Black Chocolate & Truffle. I am sure I will go back many times during my stay, lol!

(指導を受ける自分), (銀の溶解), (購入した道具たち)
そうそう、言い忘れておりましたが、今週から私以外の生徒さんが！日本人の女性です。
和やかに授業が進みます…　シールリングが完成したので、今度は次のリング。窓のような明り取りが美しい、ボリュームリング。リングが大好きな私には嬉しいレッスンのオンパレード。しかも今日は初めて工具屋さんに連れて行ってもらいました。やはり言葉がわからないので、いろいろ質問するにも通訳さんがいないと、思っていた品を買うのはなかなか難しいだろうなと思いました。感謝。日本ではケガキコンパスという小さな棒で、使いづらいですが、こちらでは本当にコンパス。それを頼まれていた分と二つ買いました。あとは、彫りの授業で使うタガネと板を固定するヤニ。その後、純銀が足りなくなったので、地金屋さん（といっても素敵なジュエリーも置いてあるきれいな場所）へ。シンプルなチェーンも見せてもらい、大満足。
授業の後はランチののち、ジェラートやさんへ。魅力的な味のチョイスがたくさんあって決められない！どれもおいしそうですが、やはりイタリアなのでカンノーロとブラックチョコレート＆トリュフを。きっと滞在中に何度も行くだろうと思いました、笑

(myself receiving instruction)
(指導を受ける自分)

(melting silver)
(銀の溶解)

(purchased tools)
(購入した道具たち)

7/2 Day3
Today we continued with the gallery rings. The two thin rings are combined with an outer ring that is shaped like a bow. It is more comfortable on the finger and the silhouette of the gallery (like a window) is beautiful when viewed from the side, which I thought was a very Italian design! After assembling all the parts of the ring, the gallery part is made. After assembling all the parts of the ring, we started to make the gallery part. It was very hot that day, but we did a lot of hot work, such as brazing and melting the leftover silver… lol
After class, we had pasta at a nearby trattoria! I had bongolebianco for the first time since I came here. It was very tasty, and after sweating so much, the salty taste was almost addictive.
After that, we went to Ponte Vecchio! I used to just admire the view from there, but today I decided to have a look at the bracelet I had been curious about. At a nice store at the very front of the bridge, I was enchanted by a beautiful bangle with a satin finish, a traditional Florentine technique, and beautiful diamond work. I couldn’t help but make a purchase… The store owner was very polite and explained everything to me, and my love for jewelry exploded into a happy moment… When I went outside, I was surprised to see a storm and a huge wind. Tuscany is mountainous, so the weather can be a bit wild at times, right?　A view of the Arno River…

(Trattoria Armando), (Arno River)
For dinner, we went to Trattoria Armando, which my friend from Japan wanted to visit. It was a very cute restaurant with a lovely interior, and the waitress was Japanese. The recommended pasta with tomato and garlic was very delicious! It was so simple, yet so delicious…I can’t wait to try it again.

今日はギャラリーリングの続きを行いました。細い二つのリングと外側のこうまるのような形のリングを合体させて作ります。より指なじみがよく、またサイドから見るとギャラリー（窓みたいな）のシルエットが美しく、とてもイタリアらしいデザインだなと感じました！リングのパーツをすべて組み立てた後、ギャラリー部分を作ります。もくもくと切り出しとロー付けを行いすっかり自分の世界に…　途中先生や通訳さんたちをおしゃべりしながら、楽しく製作をしていきます。この日はとても暑かったですが、たくさんロー付けや、のこったシルバーのハ材を溶かしたりと、熱っぽい作業をたくさん…笑
授業のあとは、近くのトラットリアでパスタを食べました！こちらに来て初めてボンゴレビアンコを。とてもおいしく、汗をたくさんかいた後にしょっぱい味が癖になりそうでした。
その後ポンテベッキオへ！前はそ都から眺めるだけでしたが、今日は気になっていたブレスレットを見せてもらうことに。橋の一番手前の素敵なお店で、フィレンツェの伝統的な技法であるサテン仕上げの素敵なバングルに、美しいダイアモンドの細工が施されていてうっとり。思わずお買い上げしてしまいました… お店の方も丁寧にいろいろと説明してくださり、私もジュエリー好きがさく裂して幸せなひと時に・・・外に出ると嵐ですごい風でびっくりです。トスカーナは山なので、お天気もちょっとワイルドな時があるような?　アルノ川の風景を一枚・・・

(Trattoria Armando), (アルノ川)
夜ご飯は、日本から来たお友達が行ってみたいといっていたTrattoria Armandoへ。とてもかわいらしい内装のお店で、何と店員さんに日本人の方が・・・日本語であれこれ質問しちゃいました。おすすめのトマトとガーリックのパスタがとてもおいしかった！シンプルなのに、このおいしさはさすが・・・また食べたくなる味です。

(Trattoria Armando)

(Arno River)
(アルノ川)

7/3 Day4
(Gallery ring completed)
This day is to finish the gallery ring. The colon design is really cute, and I finished it thick enough to wear it as it is or to be able to clasp stones. The two thin rings inside were made to have a rise (i.e., there is space, which is very beautiful when viewed from the side and not so voluminous), and it is more light to wear. We finished it off with a polished finish.
Next was a solitaire ring, but we had not yet obtained the stone, so we moved on to making the ring to be Firenze carved. First, I had to make the rail part, and I had to make two disk-shaped rings. This was unexpectedly difficult… It took a lot of strength, but if we put too much force into it, the disks would get bent. The teacher did it in the end. lol
We had an art visit in the evening (it was still light), so we gathered in front of the school at 18:30 and went to Piazzale Michelangelo. There is a bus service from our house, but we decided that it would be better to walk to see the beautiful garden on the way, so we walked in the intense heat. I had always wanted to visit there, so I was glad to be able to go with my schoolmates. When we reached the top, it was just at sunset, and there were huge crowds of people. Everyone was trying to get a good shot from the spectacular view.

(Trippa restaurant, food)
After that, my classmate and I went to a Trippa (cow stomach) restaurant she had checked out. This place was very small, but quite delicious! The atmosphere of the restaurant is homey and very warm. I would like to go there again ^^.

(ギャラリーリング完成)
この日はギャラリーリングの仕上げです。コロンとしたデザインがほんとにかわいくて、そのままつけてもいいし、石留もできるように十分な厚さで仕上げました。中に細いリングを二本仕込んでいることで、立ち上がりができたことと（つまり空間があって、横から見たときにとても美しいし、そこまでボリューミーにならない）、つけ心地がより軽やかになります。磨き仕上げをして、仕上げました。
次は、ソリテールのリングだったのですが、まだ石を入手できていなかったので、Firenze彫を施すリングの作成に移ります。まずレール部分の作成をするのですが、円盤型のリングを二つ作ります。これが思いのほか難しい・・・かなり力がいるけど、入れすぎても円盤がひしゃげてしまい、難航。最後は先生がやってくださいました、笑
この日は夕方（といってもまだ明るい）からアートビジットがあったので、18：30に学校前に集合し、ミケランジェロ広場へ。家からバスもでているのですが、途中の美しい庭園も見るにはやっぱり歩いていくのがいい、とのことで、猛暑の中歩きます。。。一度行ってみたかったので、学校のみんなと行けてよかったです。上まで登ると、ちょうど夕暮れ時で、ものすごい人、人、人。みんな絶景からのシャッターチャンスを狙います。

(Trippa レストラン、料理)
そのあと、クラスメートと彼女がチェックしていたTrippa(牛の胃袋)料理のお店へ。ここがとてもこじんまりとしてましたが、かなりおいしい！お店のアットホームでとても暖かい雰囲気。もう一度行きたいお店です^^

(Gallery ring completed)
(ギャラリーリング完成)

(Trippa restaurant, food)
(Trippa レストラン、料理)

(Trippa restaurant, food)
(Trippa レストラン、料理)

7/4 Day5
This is Friday, but no classes. I spent the morning relaxing and working remotely. But I didn’t want to waste my day off, so I went back to Centro to stock up on rocks for the class. It’s hot. ….. The stone shop I learned about at school is just down the street from the famous sandwich store I went to before. It is a quiet place that tourists rarely visit. I was looking for stones for a school project. I said in English and in Italian using Google Translate. The older brother answered my question. He recommended a variety of stones to use in class, and I chose one based on color and hardness. I like blue, so I chose London pull topaz. It is round-cut with a diameter of 6mm and cost less than 7,000 Japanese yen. It is very cute ^^ After getting the stone, we had a leisurely lunch at the Republic Square where there is a merry-go-round. I asked them to make the Lemoncello spritz (Lemoncello mixed with soda, etc.) thinner than the pasta with clams that I’ve been into lately, but they almost mistook it for thick. I asked for a thinner version of the lemon cheroot spritz and was almost mistaken for a thicker version. lol
After that, I went back to Barroccino (a gelato shop) and had a gelato. I had a double cone of Apricot and Cashew and Dominican dark chocolate, both of which are not so common in Japan. It was delicious and I finished it in no time.

この日は金曜ですが、授業はなし。朝はのんびりして、リモートで仕事したりして過ごしました。でも、せっかくのお休みもったいないので、授業で使う石を仕入れにまたCentroへ。暑いです….. 学校で教えてもらった石やさんは、前に行ったサンドイッチの名店の前をまっすぐ行ったところ。観光客はまずいかないと思われる静かなたたずまい。学校の課題で石を探してまして。。。と英語とGoogle翻訳のつたないイタリア語で会話。お兄さんが対応してくれます。授業で使うなら、といろいろおすすめしてくれる中から、色と硬度などで選びました。ブルーがすきなので、ロンドンプルートパーズ。直径6mmのラウンドカット、日本円で7000円弱。とてもかわいいです^^ 無事に石をゲットして、そのあとメリーゴーランドのあるリパブリック広場でのんびりランチ。最近はまっているアサリのパスタにレモンチェッロスプリッツ（レモンチェッロをソーダ等でわったのも）を薄ーくしてくださいってお願いしたら、濃く？と間違えられそうに、笑笑笑
そのあとまたBarroccino（ジェラートやさん）でジェラートを。日本にはあまりなさそうなApricot and Cashew とドミニカのダークチョコレートのダブルをコーンで。おいしくてあっという間に完食。

7/5 Day6
(Shots 1 and 2 in front of the station), (The sea and myself), (Field trip lunch), (Field trip)
This day we went to Castiglioncello, a seaside town about 2 hours by train from Firenze. When we got off the train, we felt a refreshing breeze. Everyone was itching for some cool air. I was also eager to go into the sea and put on my swimsuit, but I forgot my underwear! It seems that our landlord has a vacation home in this town, so it is a summer resort for local people. After enjoying the coolness of the sea, I took a break at a bar and took a leisurely stroll in a quiet residential area that seemed to be a vacation home. The pine trees are cool and fresh smelling, and I feel very relaxed. Lunch is included in the school lunch, a very tasty salmon tartar and bread. The colorful pickled vegetables and salmon were delicious and seemed to soak into my body. I can still taste the sour food here. On the way to the restaurant, a metal carving teacher stopped by to say bye, lol. She is staying with her dog and son.
After soaking up the sun, I was so pleasantly tired that I took a shower at home and went straight to sleep. The landlord laughed at me and said, “You forgot to close the shutters last night, you slept like a baby…”

(駅前のショット1, 2), (海と自分), (遠足ランチ), (遠足)
この日はFirenzeから2時間ほど電車で行った海辺の町、Castiglioncelloへ。駅を降りるととてもさわやかな風が吹いてきて、それだけで癒し。。。みんな涼しさをもとめてうずうず。私も海に入る気満々で水着を着てきましたが、下を忘れてしまってました！！！うちの大家さんもこの町に別荘があるらしく、ローカルの方の避暑地なんですね。海で涼しさを堪能した後、バールで休憩したり、別荘地と思われる閑静な住宅地をのんびり散歩。松の木が涼しげで、さわやかな香りもしてとてもリラックスした気分です。お昼は学校のランチに含まれていて、とてもおいしいサーモンタルタルとパン。カラフルな野菜のピクルスとサーモンがおいしくて体にしみこむよう。こちらではやはり酸っぱいものがとてもおいしく感じられます。途中、彫金の先生がストップバイしてくれました、笑　お近くにおうちがあるのだそうです。ワンちゃんと息子さんとステイしているそうです。
たくさん太陽を浴びたら、とても心地よい疲れで、家でシャワーと浴びた後そのまま寝てしまいました。大家さんに、昨日は雨戸を閉め忘れていたわよ、あなた爆睡だったわね、と笑われてしまいました・・・

(Shots 1 in front of the station)
(駅前のショット1)

(Shots 2 in front of the station)
(駅前のショット2)

(The sea and myself)
(海と自分)

(Field trip lunch)
(遠足ランチ)

(Field trip)
(遠足)

7/6 Day7
(Boboli Gardens)
Wow, already 3 weeks here this week!　How fast!　I’m suddenly very excited to plan a trip to Italy, perhaps because I’m in a hurry that two months will fly by at this rate.
I really want to visit Southern Italy, whether Sicily or Naples. Should I go to Sicily or Naples?
But I’m going to Greece and I’m going to Ibiza, so I think I’ll go to Naples this time. I’m excited to make various plans and combine tours in order to get around efficiently by myself!　Oops, it’s almost noon, so I’m going to go out to visit museums today.
I heard from my classmates that museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, so I think I will go to Boboli Garden, which I have been wanting to visit for a long time.
Today, we had a thunderstorm on the way to the museum, so I bought a folding umbrella at Flying Tiger at the train station. It worked great right away, and we went to Pitti Palace (Boboli Gardens is in the same area) with a little shopping and shelter from the rain on the way. It was cooler all the way down, which made for a pleasant stroll through the Boboli Gardens. We got our free tickets from the ticket office and went right in. I was overwhelmed by the wonderful garden. The sun was shining on the way to the garden, but there were many shady trees and it was very cool! It was refreshing and nice. The sculptures matched the garden beautifully, and I enjoyed strolling around as if I were a resident of the garden. I enjoyed strolling around as if I were one of the residents of the garden. I highly recommend this spot if you miss nature.

(ボーボリ庭園)
なんと今週でこちらに来てすでに3週間！　早い！　この分だと二か月はあっという間に過ぎてしまうという焦りからか、突如イタリア国内の旅行の計画に躍起になります、笑
どうしても行ってみたい南イタリア。シチリア島にするか、ナポリにするか。。。
でも、ギリシアにもいくし、イビザ島にもいって島ばっかりなので、今回はナポリにしようかと思います。一人で効率よく回るために、ツアーを組み合わせ、いろいろプランして、ワクワク！　おっと、もうすぐお昼になるので、今日は美術館巡りに出かけようとおもいます。
毎月第一日曜日は美術館が無料になるとクラスメートに聞いたので、前から行きたかったボーボリ庭園に行ってみようと思います。
今日は途中で雷雨になり、駅のフライングタイガーで折り畳み傘を買いました。早速大活躍で、ちょっと途中ショッピングをしたり雨宿りをしながら、Pitti宮殿（ボーボリ庭園も同じエリアにあります）へ。一気に涼しくなって、これは楽しくボーボリ庭園を散歩できそうです。フリーチケットを券売り場でもらって、さっそく中へ。素晴らしい庭園に圧倒。途中日が照ってきましたが、木陰がたくさんあって、とても涼しい！さわやかでいい気分です。彫刻が見事に庭園にマッチしていて、自分も庭園の住人？になったかのように楽しく散策しました。自然が恋しくなったらかなりおすすめなスポットです。

(Boboli Gardens)
(ボーボリ庭園)

(Boboli Gardens)
(ボーボリ庭園)