Florence Study Abroad Pt. 2

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Buonasera amici!! Wow..I cannot believe it has only been two days since we have arrived in Florence and I already have seen and done so much. Since we landed I feel like my time here in Florence has been a whilrwind. The city is so unbelievably beautiful and the people are all so diverse and colorful. You can just feel the rich history and culture as you walk down the streets, and there is something new to see every day! I definitely felt like I had stepped into a different world when I started walking the streets and exploring all the different shops and cafes. All the meals I have had so far have been incredible. From the four course welcome dinner, to the margarhite pizza, I have yet to be disappointed. Now, I can already feel myself starting to get used to the rhythm of the city, but I know there is still so much more for me to learn and experience.

I have come to learn just how different it is from the U.S. and how challenging it can be at first for a tourist like myself. I have already had to learn a few lessons the hard way. First, be weary of where you are walking because cars drive basically wherever they want and do not always slow down if they see you in the street. Also, be careful not to trip on the uneven cobblestone, especially if you are a clutz like me who has already tripped multiple times and fallen down the steps. Second, be careful where you go to eat because certain ristorantes will have a table and/or service charge...which can add up pretty quickly!! My roommates and I ate at Ristorante Il Toscano today while we were in Pisa and while it was very delicious we were a little taken aback by our check when we saw all the additional fees we were unaware of. Lesson learned we are now going to be a little more cautious of where we buy our lunches and maybe try to scope out the cheaper, but still tasty, options. Adding to this, we have learned, as many of my other classmates have learned too, gelato, while always delicious and wonderful, is not always the same price everywhere you go. The first time we went I ordered the small for 1,80 euro. Today, my roommates and I wanted it again, but could not remember where the first gelatario was so we decided the first one we found we would go there. While this method was easier than searching for our cheaper gelateria, since there are an abundance of these shops on nearly every street, we were surpised to find out that the smallest size cost 10 euro. Plus, our server did not tell us the price of anything until she had already handed us our order. It definitely hurt me a little bit to spend that much when I could have just taken a few extra minutes to search for the cheaper option. Nevertheless, I quickly got over it and enjoyed my vanilla and chocolate chip gelato and told myself I would just try to be more cautious of the costs of things from here on out. Lastly, I found it very challenging and stressful figuring out the train on our way and back to Pisa today. It was my first time riding a train and while I was very excited and enjoyed the train ride itself, I did not enjoy the confusion and anxiety that came with trying to find the right platform and waiting an hour for the train ride home. I am so used to driving in my car back home, and it was very strange to me to be dependent on another form of transportation, which sometimes you have to be patient and wait for, which is difficult for me when I am used to living a fast-paced lifestyle that has made me quite impatient at times.

What has surprised me the most I think so far has been not having too much trouble communicating with people. At ristorantes, cafes or shops, I have found that people working there can understand me for the most part, and speak some english back to me. I was not expecting this at all. It definitely took a little bit of stress and anxiety off of me knowing that some of the locals could understand me and were patient and welcoming towards tourists like myself. Also, I was a little surprised at how different the parades are here than what am I used to back home. Yesterday I was able to catch some of the Epiphany parade, where I believe they were showing different kings and queens, and noble men and women from different centuries. They had some talking in the beginning that I could not understand and then they just walked through the streets while some people in the parade played the drums. It was very interesting, but to be honest the excitement kind of wore off after the first 20 minutes of watching and I soon lost interest. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I could have understood the speech in the beginning and what exactly the parade was about.

I think I am most excited and intrigued to learn more about the history of the Italian people and their architecture. As well as find all the vintage thrift shops that I have learned so much about!!

Until next time!

CIAO



Total steps walked for 1/5,1/6, 1/7 - 40,154

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