Moldy Washing Machines, Gas Stoves and Mosquito Bites

Italy is different, there is no other way to say it.  Everything is closed on Sunday, church bells ring all the time, the gelato is amazing and the men are creeps.  With that said we have had some issues in our apartment.  Our place is great, big rooms, couches, a fresco on the ceiling. However, I am having a hard time adjusting to life without the creature comforts from home. I did a load of laundry today...or I tried.  There are no dryers here, which is not so bad...an adjustment I had anticipated.  I was the lucky person who needed to do laundry first, so I tried out our washer.  Things seemed fine; I followed all of the directions, 65 minutes came and went with no problems.  But when I went to hang up my wash outside, I realized it was covered in mold from the washing machine.  I should have known to do an empty load just to test it out.  It was my own fault.  But now all of my clothes smell worse than they did before washing, and have greenish-brown flecks all over them. Looks like I will be finding/ befriending the nearest Laundromat. As for the other appliances here, like I said, everything is different.  I am looking at it as a new adventure! The one and only thing I do not like about the beautiful city of Florence are the bugs. I literally have 10 mosquito bites...and the pharmacies are not open on the weekend, which means they will itch until Monday morning. I am glad I get to experience and immerse myself in a culture I really was not expecting.  Apart from the small frustrations of living in a new country, I could not be happier in Florence. I am glad I have the opportunity to live here for 4 whole months. I am hoping that this semester will be enough time to learn everything I need to know about the Italian culture and *fingers crossed* their beautiful language. Ciao!