New Home in Firenze

I have officially and finally settled into my new home in Via Riscoli, Firenze. My apartment has an amazing view of the Duomo and of the street below. I have three other roommates: Jodie, Amanda, and Becca. Jodie and Becca are also from Cal Poly SLO while Amanda is from Ohio. We all get along pretty well and I am so happy with my living situation. My place has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big living room, and small kitchen. I love my apartment. It is the perfect place to live in Florence.

My school’s, CEA (Cultural Experience Abroad), global campus is in the Piazza de Republica. Walking to my campus from my apartment is a less than ten minute walk and I love it. I get to admire the beautiful Duomo at least twice a day! I am currently taking five classes at CEA: 1) Italian Culture, Food, & Wine 2) Beginning Italian 3) Great Masters: Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo 4) Sociology of Italy 5) History of the Medici Family. When I am not in class you can either find me sitting on the steps of the Duomo, perusing through the Mercado Centrale, or walking along the Arno. I am very spoiled here and taking advantage of all the landmarks as much as possible.

One of the highlights of Firenze is the Mercado Central. It is in the Piazza de San Lorenzo and has fresh food everyday day till 2. The market is enclosed in a huge building full of small vendors. You can find anything from meat, cheese, wine, fruit, veggies, home-made pasta, and fresh bread there. I love to explore through each section of the market and discover something new every time I go. I know I have only been there a few times, so far, but I will definitely make this a weekly routine.

On our first CEA excursion, we went to the little town of Lucca. My program took an hour train ride with a couple of our professors and went on a bike-guided tour of this Tuscan city. My roommate Jodie and I ended up riding on a “tandem” bike (a two seated bike) and had a blast. The trip was very successful and I had a great time bonding with my new roomie.

My friends, roommates, and I try to have gelato as much as possible! Our goals are to never repeat a flavor until we have tried them all and I have done just that my first week. I have never been a big fan of ice cream but gelato is in a whole different category of cold, soft, tasty desserts. Italian gelato melts in your mouth and is very delicious. I have enjoyed every bite of my all my gelatos but the flavors that I have liked the most are “crema”, “menta”, and “bacio”. I can’t wait to try even more and I am sure I will tease you all with more descriptions of them over the course of my stay.

This weekend Jodie and a group of my friends from CEA are planning a trip to Cinque Terre. We have already booked an apartment outside the town Montogrosso and are very excited for our upcoming adventure. We all hope to hike the five towns and go to the beach! I will upload photos of my first week in Firenze as soon as possible. Hugs to everyone.

P.S. I miss you mom! I had a great time with you in Italy and Europe. :) Thank you for everything.