Well my trip had to end somewhere. Instead just leaving Florence straight for the States, I chose to end my trip in the ruins of Rome.
I had been to Rome once before, but I was excited to see it with a new perspective five years later. This is a city that I do not feel a love for as I do for Florence, but there is a lot to do and see. I saw all the main sites including the Vatican City (with the Sistine Chapel and St. Paul's), the Froum, The Colosseum, the Spanish steps, etc.... I kept my talent as gelato guru and managed to find the most amazing gelato in town. It was homemade white chocolate nutella gelato in a cone and dipped in chocolate! Talking about good gelato, this was amazing! We enjoyed our lasts tastes of real Italian food over the three days we were there. I decided the best way to end the trip would be to sit by the Trevi Fountain on our last night in Italy. After a delicious last meal and gelato we wandered over the the fountain and took in the last moments of Italy. I emptied my wallet of coins and turned my back as I tossed them all in the Trevi Fountain. That has to be good luck right?! Either way it was the perfect way to get rid of allllll of the coins I had accumulated in my European travels.
Italian adventure ended here in Rome. It was a lot easier for me to leave Rome then Florence. We got up bright and early and made our way to the airport.
On my two flights back home I made new friends and shared stories of our separate adventures together. I found that at my age, friends are easy to come by and it always nice to share your stories with someone else. I realized there are a lot of good, nice people you come by in this world. Over this trip I learned an immense amount, faced all of my worst fears, and tried new things. These were all goals of mine, but I got way more out of all of this adventure then I ever could have expected. What an adventure I had!
Jamie
This is my last trip blog. A little late, but better then never. I wanted to thank you for those of you that read. Be looking out for a tips for Florence that I have compiled
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Places visited, Lessons Learned
Places I have been in Italy:
Fiesole
Pisa
Vada beach
Siena
Montaeperti
Monteriggioni, Badia a Isola, Colle di Val d'Elsa
Rome
Sites I saw in Florence:
The baptistery- Battistero di San Govanni
The Duomo-- inside as well as climbed to the top of the dome
Bargello- the oldest public building in Florence
Museum of San Marco
Church of San Miniato al Monte- best view of Florence! Overlooking the city
Casa de Dante- tackiest museum ever!
Uffizi Gallery- full of masterpieces all in chronological order of time periods...basically like walking through my art history book
Church of Santa Maria Novella- one if my favorite site visits, just beautiful
Church of Santa Croce
National Library-- Biblioteca Nazionale- very secretive and incredibly interesting for a library
Galleria dell'Accademia- my true love, "The David"
Piazza Michelangelo- best view of the city
Piazza Della Repubblica- best people watching place, saw Oasis walk through here
Palazzo Vecchio- full of statues, the original location of the David
Ponte Vecchio- jewelry bridge
....Many more piazzas and places off the map or just not commonly known
Crazy thing i ate- tripe--cow intestines and stomach. (yes I ate this)
Things I have learned:
I need to have time to myself
A map can get you anywhere, but if you wander enough you will find the best things
Always climb the hill to see the view
Take risks and don't look back
Stay up until 2 in the morning just to get the "secret pastry" you have been looking for.
So much more.....
Jamie
Fiesole
Pisa
Vada beach
Siena
Montaeperti
Monteriggioni, Badia a Isola, Colle di Val d'Elsa
Rome
Sites I saw in Florence:
The baptistery- Battistero di San Govanni
The Duomo-- inside as well as climbed to the top of the dome
Bargello- the oldest public building in Florence
Museum of San Marco
Church of San Miniato al Monte- best view of Florence! Overlooking the city
Casa de Dante- tackiest museum ever!
Uffizi Gallery- full of masterpieces all in chronological order of time periods...basically like walking through my art history book
Church of Santa Maria Novella- one if my favorite site visits, just beautiful
Church of Santa Croce
National Library-- Biblioteca Nazionale- very secretive and incredibly interesting for a library
Galleria dell'Accademia- my true love, "The David"
Piazza Michelangelo- best view of the city
Piazza Della Repubblica- best people watching place, saw Oasis walk through here
Palazzo Vecchio- full of statues, the original location of the David
Ponte Vecchio- jewelry bridge
....Many more piazzas and places off the map or just not commonly known
Crazy thing i ate- tripe--cow intestines and stomach. (yes I ate this)
Things I have learned:
I need to have time to myself
A map can get you anywhere, but if you wander enough you will find the best things
Always climb the hill to see the view
Take risks and don't look back
Stay up until 2 in the morning just to get the "secret pastry" you have been looking for.
So much more.....
Jamie
Thursday, June 16, 2011
My Life as a Florentine
The moment we moved into our apartments in Florence, our local program director told us that we are now Florentines. She said that you are no longer a tourist in a hotel, you are staying in an apartment and you must be respectful of the true Florentines.
After nearly four weeks of living and going to school in Florence I feel as though I got a good feel for the Italian way of life. I became very familiar with the cities, the best restaurants for what you are looking for, the best gelato, areas to see, and all that Florence has to offer. I even found the "secret bakery!" Although there were ups and downs of four weeks with 9 other students, I had the time of my life and took every bit of Florence in while I had the chance.
The food was to die for; I could live off real Italian food for the rest of my life. All of the ingredients are the freshest possible. The tomatoes are always ripe, you can never have too much cheese, the pizza is made in front of you and fresh out of the oven, and the herbs just pulled from the garden. You cannot find a horrible Italian restaurant in all of Florence, so anything is going to be a safe bet when it comes to food.
With my class we traveled through Dante's Inferno (The Divine Comedy). Dante was perfect to study in Florence because there is so much to do with him as well as the Inferno. The class was intriguing and definitely helped open my eyes to one of the most famous literature pieces ever written.
Living in Florence was the time of my life. I mean how many people can say that they walk by such a magnificent master piece like the Duomo every day to class. As the bronze boar predicted, I will most certainly return to Florence someday.
Jamie
After nearly four weeks of living and going to school in Florence I feel as though I got a good feel for the Italian way of life. I became very familiar with the cities, the best restaurants for what you are looking for, the best gelato, areas to see, and all that Florence has to offer. I even found the "secret bakery!" Although there were ups and downs of four weeks with 9 other students, I had the time of my life and took every bit of Florence in while I had the chance.
The food was to die for; I could live off real Italian food for the rest of my life. All of the ingredients are the freshest possible. The tomatoes are always ripe, you can never have too much cheese, the pizza is made in front of you and fresh out of the oven, and the herbs just pulled from the garden. You cannot find a horrible Italian restaurant in all of Florence, so anything is going to be a safe bet when it comes to food.
With my class we traveled through Dante's Inferno (The Divine Comedy). Dante was perfect to study in Florence because there is so much to do with him as well as the Inferno. The class was intriguing and definitely helped open my eyes to one of the most famous literature pieces ever written.
Living in Florence was the time of my life. I mean how many people can say that they walk by such a magnificent master piece like the Duomo every day to class. As the bronze boar predicted, I will most certainly return to Florence someday.
Jamie
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monteriggioni and nearby cities
( Monteriggioni, Badia a Isola, Colle di Val d'Elsa )
The other day was yet another day trip. We ventured out about an hour into the Tuscan Hillside to Monteriggioni and nearby areas.
We began in a itty bitty town called Badia a Isola. It is in the countryside. There is not much there but a few shops, a gas station, some housing, and a little church. We meet our tour guide there. She was a nice Italian lady that lives in a nearby town. She took us into the church. It was cool to see this very old, relatively simple church. The part I liked most was that to walk in we had to go through the side entry passing through this storage room full of antique wooden furniture. The whole place smelled like antique wood! We gazed at the views from the town and then took a quick bus ride over to the city of Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni is a medieval city built on a hill. Within Dante's Inferno, Dante refers to this city and that is the reason we went there. This city took a while to grow on me. I couldn't really understand our tour guide because she spoke a broken English so I just dazed gazing around the city taking photos as we went along. This whole city is surrounded by medieval Romanesque walls and only contains 30 families. We climbed grated metal scaffolding stairs that lead to a path surrounding the top of these tall rock walls. Climbing these frail stairs terrified me! Especially the height of this medieval walls and the little support we had under our feet. I sucked it up, faced my fears and stayed up there with the group. It was a breathtaking view of the Tuscan hillsides, but i was too anxious to really enjoy it. Once we were wrapping up I quickly bolted for the stairs. I have never been so happy to be on the ground. My knees trembled for the next half hour. I was glad I took the opportunity to face my fear of heights, but would not care to climb those stairs again.
Once down we walked around the walled city, which was a very short distance. Then we sat down for lunch. I tried this traditional Tuscan soup made with vegetables and filled with bread and beans, a very hefty soup. It was amazing! After lunch we got to wonder the town a little longer before making our way back to the bus. By this time I had gained a liking for this area, enjoying the antique shops and gelato within it.
We got back to our bus and our bus driver insisted on continuing this adventure, contributing one more town to the trip. He dropped us at the top of this town, Colle di Val d'Elsa, which slopes downward to the base of a hill. This town is known for their crystal and have a nice factory there. We strolled through this final town of the day and then got back to the bus to head back to Florence.
This day trip was yet another successful day in Italía! This area would be a great area to come back to and hike through some day.
Ciao
Jamie
The other day was yet another day trip. We ventured out about an hour into the Tuscan Hillside to Monteriggioni and nearby areas.
We began in a itty bitty town called Badia a Isola. It is in the countryside. There is not much there but a few shops, a gas station, some housing, and a little church. We meet our tour guide there. She was a nice Italian lady that lives in a nearby town. She took us into the church. It was cool to see this very old, relatively simple church. The part I liked most was that to walk in we had to go through the side entry passing through this storage room full of antique wooden furniture. The whole place smelled like antique wood! We gazed at the views from the town and then took a quick bus ride over to the city of Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni is a medieval city built on a hill. Within Dante's Inferno, Dante refers to this city and that is the reason we went there. This city took a while to grow on me. I couldn't really understand our tour guide because she spoke a broken English so I just dazed gazing around the city taking photos as we went along. This whole city is surrounded by medieval Romanesque walls and only contains 30 families. We climbed grated metal scaffolding stairs that lead to a path surrounding the top of these tall rock walls. Climbing these frail stairs terrified me! Especially the height of this medieval walls and the little support we had under our feet. I sucked it up, faced my fears and stayed up there with the group. It was a breathtaking view of the Tuscan hillsides, but i was too anxious to really enjoy it. Once we were wrapping up I quickly bolted for the stairs. I have never been so happy to be on the ground. My knees trembled for the next half hour. I was glad I took the opportunity to face my fear of heights, but would not care to climb those stairs again.
Once down we walked around the walled city, which was a very short distance. Then we sat down for lunch. I tried this traditional Tuscan soup made with vegetables and filled with bread and beans, a very hefty soup. It was amazing! After lunch we got to wonder the town a little longer before making our way back to the bus. By this time I had gained a liking for this area, enjoying the antique shops and gelato within it.
We got back to our bus and our bus driver insisted on continuing this adventure, contributing one more town to the trip. He dropped us at the top of this town, Colle di Val d'Elsa, which slopes downward to the base of a hill. This town is known for their crystal and have a nice factory there. We strolled through this final town of the day and then got back to the bus to head back to Florence.
This day trip was yet another successful day in Italía! This area would be a great area to come back to and hike through some day.
Ciao
Jamie
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Siena and Monteaperti Day Trip
Talk about take your breath away. The other day we took a day trip into the country side of Tuscany. We rode in a Nice bus and made our way to Siena. The views from the drive were amazing, post card worthy. It was like one of those scenes you see in movies but not real life.
Siena was a place I definitely have to go back to some day. It is a place filled with rivalries and everything revolves around the city bank. The town is split up into many neighborhoods, each of which have their own rivals. We got the opportunity to see the main attractions of Siena and hear about the traditions and beyond. Every year there is a fascinating horse race between the neighborhoods. This is a fierce and dirty battle, put on in the center of the city.
The cathedral was the most intriguing to me. It was a breath taking site filled with paintings, sculpture, marble "graffiti" (marble carved into and filled with lead dust), frescos and so much more. The library of the cathedral was my favorite part. I literally got an adrenaline rush and butterflies in my stomach from the beauty of this room. The walls and ceiling were covered with original frescos that have never been restored. They stood in deep color and glistening gold leaf. Wow! What a site!
We also got to see the skull and right thumb of Sant Caterine. She was a very important Sant to Siena, but they were not able to keep her whole body. Bits and pieces of her body are spread throughout different cities of Italy and neighboring places. She was itty bitty, the size of a 10 year old of our time. Her skull and thumb were tiny as you can imagine.
After our tour of the town we stopped and got a traditional Sienan lunch. I ordered Picci, which are thick homemade spaghetti noodles.....mmmmmm! In the city center my friend told me of "the best gelato he has ever eaten!" So we made a stop there for most certainly some of the best gelato ever!
Next we got back on the bus and took a little adventure to Monteaperti. At this site, Dante fought in one of the biggest battles of his time. There is a monument at the site recognizing this battle. Our bus driver thought we were crazy for coming here, he dropped us at the end of this long dirt road and had us get out to go explore and find the monument. We walked for about a mile in the Tuscan country side. What a beautiful site! You felt like you were walking through those amazing scene savers computers come with, but this was reality. It smelled crisp and clean way out here. After walking for about a mile and climbing a steep hill we found our way to the monument! We took in the site and got our photos and made our way back to the bus and back to Florence.
This was quite the day trip! I have near witnessed such magnificently beauty in my life.
Jamie
Siena was a place I definitely have to go back to some day. It is a place filled with rivalries and everything revolves around the city bank. The town is split up into many neighborhoods, each of which have their own rivals. We got the opportunity to see the main attractions of Siena and hear about the traditions and beyond. Every year there is a fascinating horse race between the neighborhoods. This is a fierce and dirty battle, put on in the center of the city.
The cathedral was the most intriguing to me. It was a breath taking site filled with paintings, sculpture, marble "graffiti" (marble carved into and filled with lead dust), frescos and so much more. The library of the cathedral was my favorite part. I literally got an adrenaline rush and butterflies in my stomach from the beauty of this room. The walls and ceiling were covered with original frescos that have never been restored. They stood in deep color and glistening gold leaf. Wow! What a site!
We also got to see the skull and right thumb of Sant Caterine. She was a very important Sant to Siena, but they were not able to keep her whole body. Bits and pieces of her body are spread throughout different cities of Italy and neighboring places. She was itty bitty, the size of a 10 year old of our time. Her skull and thumb were tiny as you can imagine.
After our tour of the town we stopped and got a traditional Sienan lunch. I ordered Picci, which are thick homemade spaghetti noodles.....mmmmmm! In the city center my friend told me of "the best gelato he has ever eaten!" So we made a stop there for most certainly some of the best gelato ever!
Next we got back on the bus and took a little adventure to Monteaperti. At this site, Dante fought in one of the biggest battles of his time. There is a monument at the site recognizing this battle. Our bus driver thought we were crazy for coming here, he dropped us at the end of this long dirt road and had us get out to go explore and find the monument. We walked for about a mile in the Tuscan country side. What a beautiful site! You felt like you were walking through those amazing scene savers computers come with, but this was reality. It smelled crisp and clean way out here. After walking for about a mile and climbing a steep hill we found our way to the monument! We took in the site and got our photos and made our way back to the bus and back to Florence.
This was quite the day trip! I have near witnessed such magnificently beauty in my life.
Jamie
Monday, June 6, 2011
Weekend Get Away-- Vada Coast
Vada coast
This weekend four of the kids in my program (Jenny, Zach, Mary, Aaron) and I decided to get away from the city for a bit and find a beach. Zach did his research and found some place on the coast of Tuscany, Vada Beach. This was a holiday weekend in Italy so it was quite the task to find a location with open hotels. We took what we could get and went for it.
I really had no idea what to expect from this place. It wasn't on the map, but there was some information online about it.
After a two hour train ride we arrived at the smallest train station we had ever seen. We walked out and all there really was were fields and a parking lot. A cab driver was there and happy to take us to our hotel. We arrived at a very quaint little town. It was very small, but beautiful town. There were no American tourist here, which was quite the change from everywhere else. This area was full of families with small children and many pregnant women. Our hotel was very safe and moments away from a beach. The beach was not quite the white sand beach I imagined. They were still nice beaches though with shallow, calm, clear water. None of the beach was crowded and the sun was perfect during the morning thru the later afternoon. We walked through the plaza, which was the center and city of this town, for dinners and ate some delectable pizza lunches at our hotel. Italian food is just so fresh and delicious. Each night we watched the sunset on the beach. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that. The first night on the beach we came across and older man who was astonished to see American students there. He raved about his love for America and become our friend. Aldo Roseilini was his name, very Italian. He was one of the few people there to speak English and appreciate American tourists.
Vada was a nice enjoyable weekend away from the city and on the beach. Now back to class and life in Florence for now.
Miss you all!
Jamie
This weekend four of the kids in my program (Jenny, Zach, Mary, Aaron) and I decided to get away from the city for a bit and find a beach. Zach did his research and found some place on the coast of Tuscany, Vada Beach. This was a holiday weekend in Italy so it was quite the task to find a location with open hotels. We took what we could get and went for it.
I really had no idea what to expect from this place. It wasn't on the map, but there was some information online about it.
After a two hour train ride we arrived at the smallest train station we had ever seen. We walked out and all there really was were fields and a parking lot. A cab driver was there and happy to take us to our hotel. We arrived at a very quaint little town. It was very small, but beautiful town. There were no American tourist here, which was quite the change from everywhere else. This area was full of families with small children and many pregnant women. Our hotel was very safe and moments away from a beach. The beach was not quite the white sand beach I imagined. They were still nice beaches though with shallow, calm, clear water. None of the beach was crowded and the sun was perfect during the morning thru the later afternoon. We walked through the plaza, which was the center and city of this town, for dinners and ate some delectable pizza lunches at our hotel. Italian food is just so fresh and delicious. Each night we watched the sunset on the beach. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that. The first night on the beach we came across and older man who was astonished to see American students there. He raved about his love for America and become our friend. Aldo Roseilini was his name, very Italian. He was one of the few people there to speak English and appreciate American tourists.
Vada was a nice enjoyable weekend away from the city and on the beach. Now back to class and life in Florence for now.
Miss you all!
Jamie
Friday, June 3, 2011
Pisa Day Visit
Today our class took a day trip out of Florence to Pisa.
Pisa was different than I pictured it to be. Of course there is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but not much more. It is a pretty small city. We had a tour through the landmarks of the city. This consisted of touring the Campo dei Miracoli including the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the grave yard and hearing the history of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was cool to see some very famous artists work here, like the work of Cimbue, Giovanni, and the architects of each building.
The Baptistery is known for the acoustics. One of the guards stood in the center and sang up towards the dome. It was a beautiful sound. It sounded like there was a whole choir up there. This is because the ceiling was originally a pointed dome, which later a spherical dome was added over.
The Cathedral was gorgeous. It took your breath away! Within it is The Urn of San Ranieri. He died in 1161, but they keep his body in a glass casket there. It was kind of eery. The ceilings were marvelous covered in carved wood and gold leaf.
The grave yard was interesting, covered in buried tombs and the walls painted with frescos. Majority of the frescos were ruined in a bombing during the World Wars, but it was awesome because you could see the original sketches behind them.
The Leaning Tower. It was much harder to take a picture than it looks. I got one holding it up, but it isn't nearly as cool as I thought. The tower is most certainly leaning. There is a whole story as to how it sunk in the soil on the west during the building process and how it has been added upon and stabilized over the last couple hundred of years. It is crazy to think it is a stable building. I am kind of glad we did not go to the top of that building.
Well that was just another day in paradise for me. Here comes yet another weekend in Florence. We will see the adventures I come up with next.
ciao!
J
Pisa was different than I pictured it to be. Of course there is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but not much more. It is a pretty small city. We had a tour through the landmarks of the city. This consisted of touring the Campo dei Miracoli including the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the grave yard and hearing the history of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was cool to see some very famous artists work here, like the work of Cimbue, Giovanni, and the architects of each building.
The Baptistery is known for the acoustics. One of the guards stood in the center and sang up towards the dome. It was a beautiful sound. It sounded like there was a whole choir up there. This is because the ceiling was originally a pointed dome, which later a spherical dome was added over.
The Cathedral was gorgeous. It took your breath away! Within it is The Urn of San Ranieri. He died in 1161, but they keep his body in a glass casket there. It was kind of eery. The ceilings were marvelous covered in carved wood and gold leaf.
The grave yard was interesting, covered in buried tombs and the walls painted with frescos. Majority of the frescos were ruined in a bombing during the World Wars, but it was awesome because you could see the original sketches behind them.
The Leaning Tower. It was much harder to take a picture than it looks. I got one holding it up, but it isn't nearly as cool as I thought. The tower is most certainly leaning. There is a whole story as to how it sunk in the soil on the west during the building process and how it has been added upon and stabilized over the last couple hundred of years. It is crazy to think it is a stable building. I am kind of glad we did not go to the top of that building.
Well that was just another day in paradise for me. Here comes yet another weekend in Florence. We will see the adventures I come up with next.
ciao!
J
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Adventures Galore
Wow! I cannot believe I have already been in Florence for nearly two weeks. It is amazing how quickly time goes.
Florence is definitely my favorite place on earth. I know I have not been everywhere, but I couldn't have designed my ideal place to be any better than this. Everything about Florence is astounding.
My apartment in right by The Duomo, which is the ideal place located basically in the center of the city. Everyday I pass the Duomo several times a day. This is a sight that just continues to take you breath away every time you see it. Today I took the morning to myself and climbed the 400something stairs through narrow stairways all the way to the top of the dome. This view is unbelievable, looking over the whole city and into the hills of Tuscany. All the people looked like ants below. I choose the perfect morning because it was breezy and clear without many people out early.
Throughout my time here I have gone on many excursions and adventures. I am taking a class thru CU with eight other kids. We spend a lot of time together....a lot! But we always have a good time. We have eaten some of the most delectable, freshest food you will every eat. One day three others and I decided to walk and just keep walking. We walked about 2 hours or so outside of the city and found many features you would never find in the city- parks, a carnival, a pyramid tomb, a public swimming pool, a quaint local town, a local Italian flea market, the best gelato I have ever had here, local soccer games, and so much more. We walked for about 5 hours straight that day and truly experienced Italian culture. Other than this excision, we have learned to suck it up and always climb the largest hill or street in sight. This always leads to the best view in the city. We have done this several times and have never regretted the climb.
Keep checking and I will be sure to post more stories, adventures and places I have been. This is just a glimpse. Check out Facebook for photos galore.
Off to Pisa for the day tomorrow!
Ciao!
Jamie
Florence is definitely my favorite place on earth. I know I have not been everywhere, but I couldn't have designed my ideal place to be any better than this. Everything about Florence is astounding.
My apartment in right by The Duomo, which is the ideal place located basically in the center of the city. Everyday I pass the Duomo several times a day. This is a sight that just continues to take you breath away every time you see it. Today I took the morning to myself and climbed the 400something stairs through narrow stairways all the way to the top of the dome. This view is unbelievable, looking over the whole city and into the hills of Tuscany. All the people looked like ants below. I choose the perfect morning because it was breezy and clear without many people out early.
Throughout my time here I have gone on many excursions and adventures. I am taking a class thru CU with eight other kids. We spend a lot of time together....a lot! But we always have a good time. We have eaten some of the most delectable, freshest food you will every eat. One day three others and I decided to walk and just keep walking. We walked about 2 hours or so outside of the city and found many features you would never find in the city- parks, a carnival, a pyramid tomb, a public swimming pool, a quaint local town, a local Italian flea market, the best gelato I have ever had here, local soccer games, and so much more. We walked for about 5 hours straight that day and truly experienced Italian culture. Other than this excision, we have learned to suck it up and always climb the largest hill or street in sight. This always leads to the best view in the city. We have done this several times and have never regretted the climb.
Keep checking and I will be sure to post more stories, adventures and places I have been. This is just a glimpse. Check out Facebook for photos galore.
Off to Pisa for the day tomorrow!
Ciao!
Jamie
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Just the Beginning of Florence
Florence blog
I cannot believe I have been in Florence for over a week now. This is the most amazing place on earth. There is soooo much to see and do. I have been able to experience many adventures here...
To begin my trip I arrived a day early so I could be in Florence on time for my program. The moment I stepped off the plane into the heat of the Florence air I knew this was going to be the best decision I have ever made.
I stayed in a hostel for a night by myself. I had the greatest time! I met several great kids from all over The States and Canada. One of the girl's had been in Florence for a semester so she showed me the ropes, the best pizza place and best gelato places. Also a few Italian words to get me around. These were all incredibly helpful. We got to watch the sunset while staring over the river and bridges eating gelato. A very successful start to my trip. I was sad to leave the hostel after just one night. I said goodbye to my new friends and set out to begin my study abroad program.
I quickly learned that public transportation in Florence is not necessary and unreliable, if you want to get anywhere, walking Is your best bet.
This was just the beginning of my trip. I have many more Stories and places I have gone. Keep posted for more!
I cannot believe I have been in Florence for over a week now. This is the most amazing place on earth. There is soooo much to see and do. I have been able to experience many adventures here...
To begin my trip I arrived a day early so I could be in Florence on time for my program. The moment I stepped off the plane into the heat of the Florence air I knew this was going to be the best decision I have ever made.
I stayed in a hostel for a night by myself. I had the greatest time! I met several great kids from all over The States and Canada. One of the girl's had been in Florence for a semester so she showed me the ropes, the best pizza place and best gelato places. Also a few Italian words to get me around. These were all incredibly helpful. We got to watch the sunset while staring over the river and bridges eating gelato. A very successful start to my trip. I was sad to leave the hostel after just one night. I said goodbye to my new friends and set out to begin my study abroad program.
I quickly learned that public transportation in Florence is not necessary and unreliable, if you want to get anywhere, walking Is your best bet.
This was just the beginning of my trip. I have many more Stories and places I have gone. Keep posted for more!
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