My front yard!!
The Arno and Ponte Vecchio at night
The Arno during the day
View of the Duomo from Piazza Michelangelo
Villa La Pietra (NYU campus)
NYU in Florence campus (walk down to La Pietra)
I'm not sure how to go updating you on my crazy week, but I'll break it down by day (sorry it's sooo long!):
Tuesday: I was extremely nervous about traveling by myself from Newark to Roome and Rome to Florence-- especially considering I have never traveled by myself. Amazingly (God totally works in mysterious ways)- my seatmate from New York to Rome was going to Nyu in Florence as well- and she is one of my classes. We paired up and managed to get to our connection in Rome with no problem. Arriving in Florence and I had about 3 hours worth of check-in stuff to do at the NYU campus in Florence. After I finally got to go to my apartment in Mercato Centrale- a prime location less than 5 minutes from the Duomo (and next to an amazing market with fresh produce, pasta, bread, meat, fish, and much more!), my roommates and I went out to dinner at a trattoria across the street from our place. We attempted to speak in Italian with our waitress- and she was an interesting lady to say the least. We've eaten a couple of times already, but we have yet to have genuine Tuscan food.
Wednesday: I took my first trip to the mercato since I had no food to eat in my apartment besides cliff bars from the plane. At the mercato- if you're going to get produce- you never touch the fruit or vegetables you want-- I almost did that, but the vendor stopped before I did. I was able to practice my Italian and got some really cheap and good fruit for the mornings-- 5 pieces of fruit cost me less than 1 euro (way cheaper than the dining hall fruit at BC!!) We also had our first day of orientation- In the morning we had a session about personal safety- specifically related to pickpocketing and keeping yourself safe in public. Florence is not a violent city- but there are a lot of gypsies and pickpockets that you have to watch out for- especially if you take public transportation or are in more of the touristy areas or even internet cafes. Best tip for when you travel to European cities is to be aware of your surroundings!! We also took a tour of the city which was extremely helpful and while I certainly am starting to find my way around- the city is not a grid system at all so going by street names is very difficult. Basically you find your way around my landmarks and piazzas. Our pa (what we call an RA at BC- and she's also my roommate!) took us to dinner at a falafel/ kabob place along with the guys who live next door. It was pretty decent although not my favorite kind of food. My roommates and I then attempted to find Grom (a great gelateria- that's also very cheap. Only 1 euro= $2.50). We didn't find it, but no worries I had some amazing gelato di caffe in Piazza di San Giovanni!
Thursday: Orientation Day 2- Long talks about academics and available classes at NYU. We then went to the NYU campus on the north side of the city (so far the fastest I've taken to walk there is about 40 minutes) where we had a crash Italian course- basic things like Mi chiamo Maria, Sono americana... how to order at a restaurant. It was definitely helpful for people with no knowledge of Italian- but I already kind of know the basics to get myself by. I am taking Intensive elementary Italian where hopefully I will learn Italian grammar which I am severely lacking in! We also learned how to use the buses in Florence which was not nearly as bad as I thought. The only downside to using the bus is that it is not reliable in terms of what time it will arrive at a stop or even if it will stop (yes some drivers will go right by and this happened Thursday evening when I went over to my dad's cousin's apartment. They came to my apartment and showed me how to take the bus to where they live outside of the historical center of Florence. Having them here is AMAZING- especially because they are extremely hospitable and are my home away from home! They took me grocery shopping which was great since the grocery stores in il centro are very small. We had tons of food as a late dinner (very European!)- including my great aunt's (my nonna's sister) homemade wine, dried figs, and sopressata- as well as other things for cold antipasto, pasta, and torta alla Fiorentina (a traditional cake for Carnivale).
Friday: We had random orientation sessions to attend including more on personal safety in Florence and also a community service opportunity (both as a course for credit and for non-credit). I'm really hoping to get involved in this- They have various places to volunteer including civic offices for those who are stronger with their Italian and they also offer opportunities to teach English in schools (from elementary to secondary age students). I'll keep you updated as I get involved in that!
Saturday: We had to wake up ridiculously early to get to the campus for more visa stuff. We had to pick up our immigration papers (permesso di soggiorno), but fortunately we were done early enough that some friends and I went back to the center of Florence to run errands: pick up some textbooks, and get more groceries for our apartments. We also went to lunch at another restaurant next door to my apartment. I wish I had taken a picture of the inside of the restaurant because it was really cool and kind of retro with the decorations. I had a very good fritatta con prosciutto. Our pa/ my roommate took our suitemates to Piazza Michelangelo which is across the Arno and overlooks the city-- It was quite the walk- especially since we had to go uphill but the view was amazing!! Later in the evening we went to an English pub for sangria where I actually ran into a high school friend (so apparently Florence is small haha)- and it was great to see a familiar face!
Sunday: First morning that we got to sleep in. I was hoping to go to mass but morning escaped me and I'm hoping to maybe find a mass during the week to go to. The Church in Piazza San Lorenzo (about 2 minutes away from where I live) has several masses, and the there is even an English mass celebrated in the Duomo which I will definitely have to go to at some point this semester. NYU rented out the red double decker buses for us and we had a quick 1 hour tour of the city. We stopped by Piazza Michelangelo during the tour- but I was able to get much better photos since it was too dark the day before. When we arrived back in the center of Florence, I took the bus (first time taking Italian public transportation by myself... and I was successful!) to my aunt and uncle's apartment. My cousin who goes to military academy was able to come home for the day which was great- Again I ate some amazing food and it was awesome to spend time with my family. Like I said before-- my home away from home :)
Monday (today!): First day of classes. I've only had Italian (which meets every day- Monday through Thursday) and the Etruscans- a class I'm taking for my fine arts core at BC. The class is a mix of anthropology, art history, and classics) and he let us out 2 hours early but we have class again on Friday (it's a make up day for Easter Monday in April) and we have like 4 field trips this semester around Italy (including one overnight trip, which will be awesome). He seems like a pretty nice guy- although kind of intimidating because he REALLY knows his stuff (he's also an archaeologist). Later this evening I'm going to a pilates class on campus which will be great and relaxing-- and they also offer Yoga on Tuesday evenings.
In case I don't update for a few days (or longer like this past week)- Maria's upcoming plans include: Day trip with NYU to Lucca on Saturday. Lucca is also in the region of Tuscany- further north (I think) of Florence.
Love and miss everyone!
Ciao for now,
mtc
Sorry it's taken awhile for an update! This week has been super busy with orientation, and getting acclimated to this amazing city that I will be living in for the next 3 months or so.
I'm not sure how to go updating you on my crazy week, but I'll break it down by day (sorry it's sooo long!):
Tuesday: I was extremely nervous about traveling by myself from Newark to Roome and Rome to Florence-- especially considering I have never traveled by myself. Amazingly (God totally works in mysterious ways)- my seatmate from New York to Rome was going to Nyu in Florence as well- and she is one of my classes. We paired up and managed to get to our connection in Rome with no problem. Arriving in Florence and I had about 3 hours worth of check-in stuff to do at the NYU campus in Florence. After I finally got to go to my apartment in Mercato Centrale- a prime location less than 5 minutes from the Duomo (and next to an amazing market with fresh produce, pasta, bread, meat, fish, and much more!), my roommates and I went out to dinner at a trattoria across the street from our place. We attempted to speak in Italian with our waitress- and she was an interesting lady to say the least. We've eaten a couple of times already, but we have yet to have genuine Tuscan food.
Wednesday: I took my first trip to the mercato since I had no food to eat in my apartment besides cliff bars from the plane. At the mercato- if you're going to get produce- you never touch the fruit or vegetables you want-- I almost did that, but the vendor stopped before I did. I was able to practice my Italian and got some really cheap and good fruit for the mornings-- 5 pieces of fruit cost me less than 1 euro (way cheaper than the dining hall fruit at BC!!) We also had our first day of orientation- In the morning we had a session about personal safety- specifically related to pickpocketing and keeping yourself safe in public. Florence is not a violent city- but there are a lot of gypsies and pickpockets that you have to watch out for- especially if you take public transportation or are in more of the touristy areas or even internet cafes. Best tip for when you travel to European cities is to be aware of your surroundings!! We also took a tour of the city which was extremely helpful and while I certainly am starting to find my way around- the city is not a grid system at all so going by street names is very difficult. Basically you find your way around my landmarks and piazzas. Our pa (what we call an RA at BC- and she's also my roommate!) took us to dinner at a falafel/ kabob place along with the guys who live next door. It was pretty decent although not my favorite kind of food. My roommates and I then attempted to find Grom (a great gelateria- that's also very cheap. Only 1 euro= $2.50). We didn't find it, but no worries I had some amazing gelato di caffe in Piazza di San Giovanni!
Thursday: Orientation Day 2- Long talks about academics and available classes at NYU. We then went to the NYU campus on the north side of the city (so far the fastest I've taken to walk there is about 40 minutes) where we had a crash Italian course- basic things like Mi chiamo Maria, Sono americana... how to order at a restaurant. It was definitely helpful for people with no knowledge of Italian- but I already kind of know the basics to get myself by. I am taking Intensive elementary Italian where hopefully I will learn Italian grammar which I am severely lacking in! We also learned how to use the buses in Florence which was not nearly as bad as I thought. The only downside to using the bus is that it is not reliable in terms of what time it will arrive at a stop or even if it will stop (yes some drivers will go right by and this happened Thursday evening when I went over to my dad's cousin's apartment. They came to my apartment and showed me how to take the bus to where they live outside of the historical center of Florence. Having them here is AMAZING- especially because they are extremely hospitable and are my home away from home! They took me grocery shopping which was great since the grocery stores in il centro are very small. We had tons of food as a late dinner (very European!)- including my great aunt's (my nonna's sister) homemade wine, dried figs, and sopressata- as well as other things for cold antipasto, pasta, and torta alla Fiorentina (a traditional cake for Carnivale).
Friday: We had random orientation sessions to attend including more on personal safety in Florence and also a community service opportunity (both as a course for credit and for non-credit). I'm really hoping to get involved in this- They have various places to volunteer including civic offices for those who are stronger with their Italian and they also offer opportunities to teach English in schools (from elementary to secondary age students). I'll keep you updated as I get involved in that!
Saturday: We had to wake up ridiculously early to get to the campus for more visa stuff. We had to pick up our immigration papers (permesso di soggiorno), but fortunately we were done early enough that some friends and I went back to the center of Florence to run errands: pick up some textbooks, and get more groceries for our apartments. We also went to lunch at another restaurant next door to my apartment. I wish I had taken a picture of the inside of the restaurant because it was really cool and kind of retro with the decorations. I had a very good fritatta con prosciutto. Our pa/ my roommate took our suitemates to Piazza Michelangelo which is across the Arno and overlooks the city-- It was quite the walk- especially since we had to go uphill but the view was amazing!! Later in the evening we went to an English pub for sangria where I actually ran into a high school friend (so apparently Florence is small haha)- and it was great to see a familiar face!
Sunday: First morning that we got to sleep in. I was hoping to go to mass but morning escaped me and I'm hoping to maybe find a mass during the week to go to. The Church in Piazza San Lorenzo (about 2 minutes away from where I live) has several masses, and the there is even an English mass celebrated in the Duomo which I will definitely have to go to at some point this semester. NYU rented out the red double decker buses for us and we had a quick 1 hour tour of the city. We stopped by Piazza Michelangelo during the tour- but I was able to get much better photos since it was too dark the day before. When we arrived back in the center of Florence, I took the bus (first time taking Italian public transportation by myself... and I was successful!) to my aunt and uncle's apartment. My cousin who goes to military academy was able to come home for the day which was great- Again I ate some amazing food and it was awesome to spend time with my family. Like I said before-- my home away from home :)
Monday (today!): First day of classes. I've only had Italian (which meets every day- Monday through Thursday) and the Etruscans- a class I'm taking for my fine arts core at BC. The class is a mix of anthropology, art history, and classics) and he let us out 2 hours early but we have class again on Friday (it's a make up day for Easter Monday in April) and we have like 4 field trips this semester around Italy (including one overnight trip, which will be awesome). He seems like a pretty nice guy- although kind of intimidating because he REALLY knows his stuff (he's also an archaeologist). Later this evening I'm going to a pilates class on campus which will be great and relaxing-- and they also offer Yoga on Tuesday evenings.
In case I don't update for a few days (or longer like this past week)- Maria's upcoming plans include: Day trip with NYU to Lucca on Saturday. Lucca is also in the region of Tuscany- further north (I think) of Florence.
Love and miss everyone!
Ciao for now,
mtc
That sounds so fun Maria! Eat a lot of gelato for me! Also, moment I was least surprised reading your blog: "I'm going to a pilates class on campus..." Hope their instructor is as good as Alison. haha. It is so good to read up on how you are doing. BC misses you!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful pictures, Maria!!! love you!
ReplyDelete