Monday, January 28
Getting up at 5am for the past few days was never more difficult than it was today. Staying up till 1am didn’t help. The morning was a rush of getting ready, packing toiletries, and trying to shove last minutes items into my already-full suitcase. Soon enough, after warm goodbyes to Nick and Christian, Mom and I were heading to the airport. I kept trying to convince myself that I was about to board a plane to Italy, but my words couldn’t influence my brain. It just didn’t seem real. I feel like I’m going to be saying that a lot in the next few days.
Mom and I had a hard time saying goodbye at the security checkpoint, such a bittersweet moment. Now I’m on my own for the next three and half months in a foreign country… I could not be more excited!
Boarding went smoothly and the flight to Toronto was fairly short… at first. Upon arriving in Toronto, the pilot informed us that we’d have to circle overhead for about an hour so the runways could be cleared of snow and ice. We landed to quite the snowstorm; I couldn’t even see a few feet away. How could any planes take off in this kind of weather? Because landing was delayed, I almost felt like running to the connection gate. I got there as soon as they started boarding my zone. Nice! Want to know what’s not so nice? We were stuck on that plane for almost two hours because a man had slipped on the runway and was injured. We also were third in line to get sprayed down and de-iced so we could take off safely. Eventually we were airborne. Little did I know that only a day later and almost all flights to and from Toronto would be cancelled due to heavy storms. Even a student in our group had to fly in late because of the storms.
My plan on this seven hour flight to Frankfurt? Sleep the whole way. To my enjoyment, my whole row of seats was empty so I got to actually lay down and stretch out. I ended up missing dinner, but I fell asleep almost right away. Airplane food isn’t that good anyway right?
Tuesday, January 29
I only woke up once or twice throughout the night and got up for good an hour before landing. They passed out “continental breakfast” (which was just a slice of spiced bread) and soon we touched down in Germany! We were corralled into passport control lines and by the time I got through security again, I had three hours left in the airport. My plan was to shower and refresh before the next flight but I could not figure out where they were. The German airport people were kind of intimidating to approach, especially since I don’t know any German, so I decided that I didn’t really need a shower anyway.
The wait didn’t seem too long until we huddled onto a bus to the tarmac. It was freezing, but at least I can say I’ve stepped foot on German ground. The final flight to Florence was packed with study abroad students. The flight was short, only one and a half hours, and was beautiful. We passed over the snow-covered Swiss Alps and finally descended into Tuscany, rolling hills and geometric vineyards galore! My Italian music playlist was in full swing as we landed next to an Ikea.
I’m in Italy!! It still doesn’t feel real. Got my suitcase (minus one zipper) and met up with Anne (the lady meeting with us and helping us throughout the week) and one other girl from PBA. The girl got a cab to her homestay while Anne and I got a cab to LdM to get my apartment keys. The closer we got to Florence city center, the more I recognized the iconic narrow streets. Since my apartment wasn’t far and the weather was nice and sunny, we decided to walk. I live near Piazza San Lorenzo where we passed a really old basilica which looked so cool with the dome and exposed brick (though apparently some aren’t so fond of those aesthetics).
Let me tell you, those cobblestones are killer when dragging a fifty pound suitcase and twenty-five pound backpack. But they’re nothing when lugging a suitcase and backpack up four flights of stairs. At least I only have to do this twice… Anne and I spent a good few minutes trying to unlock the apartment door but we made it! The apartment is fairly big with a kitchen, living room area, and two bedrooms. Anne left and I unpacked and met my flatmates, Anna and Chiara. Anna is from Maryland and is my roommate, and Chiara is from Belgium and has her own room. They both are really nice! Anna and I walked around a bit at night trying to find a place to eat, walking wherever the streets took us. We turned a random corner and stumbled upon Il Duomo—Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore. WOW. We were stunned! Even at night, with the façade illuminated by street lights, it was absolutely beautiful… It feels so unreal wandering these streets...
We eventually found a place to eat: a touristy restaurant near the Duomo. I expected the dishes to have a smaller portion size, so I ordered two courses… When they arrived and were pretty full size, I knew I had made a mistake. I ate all my gnocchi and only some of the chicken and veggies, and I was very full afterward. To my uncultured taste, it was pretty good. I was exhausted from flying so I made it an early night in.
Wednesday, January 30
I actually slept better than I thought I would. First night? Success! I did however get up too early (8am) and ended up falling back asleep for another hour. I met up with the PBA crew and Anne at noon for a small little tour around the city. The Duomo is even more incredible up close and during the daytime! The amount of detail is insane, and I feel like it'd take me a lifetime to see all the little carvings. Truly mozzafiato ("breathtaking" in Italian).
We got lunch at a little panini/pizza place on Via dei Calzaiuoli, which seems sort of like main street. Our next stop was Piazza della Signoria with the looming Palazzo Vecchio and open-air sculpture museum. We made our way down to the Arno river and onto Ponte Vecchio, a bridge lined with gold jewelry stores and beautiful views. It hardly felt like we were on a bridge at all. Our final stop was Piazza della Repubblica, with a carousel, Apple store, and the imposing (yet surprisingly new) Renaissance-style arch.
We had our first orientation covering safety and health in Cinema Odeon, a multi-lingual cinema that looks like it would house operas instead. Afterward, some of the PBA students and I went to La Ménagère, an aesthetically pleasing café less than a block away from my apartment. With the more rustic interior and plenty of plants and flowers, settling down with a thick cioccolata calda was comforting on this rainy day.
Later on, I got a new Italian SIM card and met up with Anna and Chiara for a meet and greet event. We met three new people, Ana Sophia from Mexico, and Hannah and Autumn from Tennessee. We all met up for dinner at Mercato Centrale, a food court-type setting above a morning market. Don't let "food court" turn you off because all of the food is very delicious. I tried my first Italian margherita pizza--so good! The Fiorentina vs Roma football match was on and Florence won 7-1!
Thursday, January 31
Waking up earlier than 9 seemed like a crime, but my qualms were resolved when I looked out the window to find white fluff floating past. It was snowing!! The below-freezing temperatures could not get me down as the walk to orientation #2 was tinted with snow-smattered haze. By the time we made it to the correct building, the snow had turned to rainy slush and none of it stuck. I'm hoping for more, but the chances are looking slim. The orientation was mainly about school stuff and a bit too long. Afterward, the PBA crew and I went over to Mercato Centrale for a little lunch--pasta! Yum!
My roommates and I joined up on a tour around the LdM buildings which helped us find out where our classes were going to be, especially since LdM doesn't really have a cohesive campus and it's all kind of spread around. My farthest class is only a ten minute walk! And through the center of Florence? Who could say no to that!
Afterward, we three went shopping for the first time. It was kind of difficult to find exactly what we needed. Do they have granola? Why are the milk and eggs not refrigerated? What's laundry detergent in Italian? We'd been having similar difficulties with the appliances in our apartment. It's taken some practice to figure out the gas stove, the washing machine, and the microwave, things that should be simple enough, but were riddled with mysterious symbols and foreign words.
After some rest, I went to Da Garibardi for the PBA-sponsored dinner. It was only 7:30pm so we were the only ones there! Restaurants here generally open at 7:30, but they don't get busy until around 9pm. We started with a salumi and crostini platter which was very delicious. After was the main course: pear and pecorino (sheep's cheese) ravioli. I definitely questioned the use of pear in a pasta dish, but Anne, the lady with us, said it was very good, so I took the risk. It was so delicious! And the chocolate, caramel, and fruit panna cotta after was even more so! I trudged home in hopes of falling into a food coma.
Friday, February 1
Happy 21st birthday, Raine! We had our earliest day yet with an orientation (this one about activities and clubs) at 9am. I almost fell asleep during it. No worries though because I was up and ready for the historical tour of Florence. Our first stop was, of course, the Duomo and Baptistry. This time we got some cool info about each of the places we visited. We stopped at similar places to the last tour, but this time instead of turning back at Ponte Vecchio, we crossed the bridge into Oltrarno, a less touristy side of Florence. There we saw the Santo Spirito church and Pitti Palace. Definitely a more laid-back vibe than Florence's city center. I'll definitely be coming back here to explore some of the gardens and markets.
We made our way back up to Piazza della Repubblica where I vowed to get a gelato. Ice cream and cold weather don't mix so well, but it's never a bad time for gelato. I tried my best to order in Italian and emerged victorious with simple yet delicious stracciatella. Ok, it's kind of an issue how good this is. I tried to convince myself that I'd work it off on the four flights of stairs up to my apartment.
Later on, my new friends and I had a short little pizza tasting. The guide, a chef from LdM, took us around the market and explained about different types of Tuscan specialties and the food culture of the area. He led us back to the LdM kitchens where he explained the proper way to make Tuscan-style pizza and we got to try a few slices. Yum!
Saturday, February 2
Adjusting to the new time zone hasn't been as bad as I thought it would. I think I'm fully on Florentine time now. We got up a little later than normal and went to the actual market portion of Mercato Centrale which looked really cool with all the stalls overflowing with fruits and vegetables and meats and cheeses. I only bought strawberries, and they were really yummy. I'll definitely be coming back here to do some shopping.
Chiara, Anna, and I celebrated La Chandeleur (basically the French version of national pancake day) by making crêpes. Our batter was weird and chunky but they tasted pretty good, especially with a little extra Nutella and strawberries.
In the afternoon, I relaxed a bit and waited for the repairman to get here. I was washing dishes and I looked down and noticed I was standing in a puddle. Needless to say, our sink was leaking. Not long after, I was sitting in bed minding my own business when I looked over and saw a stream of water running down the wall next to my bed. Great, a leaky roof too. He fixed the sink but has to wait until it stops raining to fix the roof.
Afterward, Anna and I were feeling a bit restless so we decided to go for a walk. Where, you ask? Anywhere! For a while we just let the streets take us, following towers and music and people. I pulled out my phone and noticed we were near a landmark I wanted to see. Santa Croce church! It's nowhere near as large and grand as il Duomo (how could it be?), but still a very pretty sight. We had the piazza to ourselves in the drizzle...
Sunday, February 3
Happy birthday Mom and Nicole! Anna and I woke up pretty early this morning to get to the Uffizi Gallery before it opened. Every first Sunday of the month is free entrance to state-run museums so we knew it'd be crowded. We got there at 8am and had an hour before we could go in (virtual lines!!) so we wandered over to the Arno and discovered wonderful blue skies and a rushing river. After being in the rain so many days, the sun seemed a blessing. The golden glow saturated all the buildings in color and made for a beautiful sight.
The Uffizi was wonderful as soon as we got in. With detailed ceilings, paintings along the halls, and statues lining the walls, I didn't know how anyone could ever see everything in this museum. The art was beautiful and ornate and sometimes a bit gruesome (a couple decapitations here and there). We saw da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, and many many more. It was insane seeing works done by such influential people.
By the time we left, my feet were exhausted and my stomach was begging for food so we stopped off for prosciutto and cheese panini. We sat under the Column of Abundance, ate, people-watched, and soaked in the moment. With the warmth of the sun and the tunes of a street musician, we didn't think it could get much better than this.
To top the day off, I got ricotta and chocolate gelato and had an early night in before classes in the morning.
This seems like a long post to me, but as much as I'm writing this to keep those at home updated, I'm also writing it to look back on in the future. I probable won't be writing as much detail or about every single day here, but I definitely wanted to document this first week.
Below is the video I made after hashing together some clips from throughout the week. You can either read the blog or watch the videos, or both! The blog will have more context and explanation while the video will (obviously) be more visually focused.
Thanks for reading! Ciao!
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