Firenze

Florence is full of charm and romance and we had a great trip, however, I am so happy that I chose to study in Rome! Florence is smaller, there is not as much hustle and bustle and I would say that about 50 percent of the people walking around are study abroad students or tourists, so you do not get the real Italian feel. It was a lot more expensive (a lot!) and once you saw everything it was a little monotonous. But it was fun to visit nonetheless!

We boarded the train and took off, sailing through the Tuscan countryside, which is really spectacular (even in the winter!).  The mountains were really pretty and the snow on top made it look like a fairytale. Most of the group slept or did homework. When we got to Florence we headed straight for the hostel. This was everyone’s first hostel experience so we were all anxious! We were really surprised when we got there; it was not bad at all. We got a room with seven beds and that’s what it was. A room with an armoire and seven beds crammed together. A boy slightly older than us owned it. There were three bathrooms, which was good because there were a lot of other visitors in the hostel as well. We met a Guatemalan, an Ecuadorian, and some other guy who spoke French. We also met a bunch of girls studying at John Cabot. It was pretty cool but they were hardcore partiers and we were there to see the sights.

We saw the Duomo, which was fabulous but kind of anti- climatic. The outside is just so awesome that the inside is rather dull in comparison. I could sit and examine the detail on the outside for hours and not get bored. Everyone climbed to the top but I had to hang back because of my knee injury, it was apparently an awesome view! We then saw Santa Croce, where Dante, Michelangelo and Machiavelli are buried. I am a huge fan of Machiavelli’s so I really appreciated seeing his tomb (although it was not as elaborate as Dante and Michelangelo’s).

We walked through the leather markets (Maile and Kelsey each got a bag) and tried to avoid the creepy Italian men. Maile was not as fortunate as I was (I think I give off a mean vibe) and this one guy would not leave her alone. In the end it was advantageous because she got a great price on her bag but he was a real creeper… At one point he (a 50 year old man) said he would lower the price even more if she kissed him! AH! (she obviously didn’t do it).

At nighttime we wandered the city and visited Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio. They were both awesome at night. I really wanted a cannoli so we stopped into a bakery and I started talking with the guy behind the register. He informed me that there was going to be a live jazz concert upstairs in the next ten min. and offered to take us up. We went upstairs and found a cozy booth. Three men took the stage and started jamming. One guy was on the drums, one was playing the clarinet and the third was playing both the piano and the bass (each hand was playing a different instrument). It was so much fun listening to them, especially the man playing the clarinet!

After our we got our musical fix we headed to the hostel and the boys went to sleep while Maile and I decided to go out with the other kids in the hostel (they were WILD). We went to Sparkle, a discoteca and had an interesting experience… But overall it was fun.

The next day we explored some more. It was rainy and cold so we couldn’t make it to Michelangelo’s piazza. We saw all of the gold vendors on the Ponte Vechio but I was more taken with the bridge itself. Its stunning and soooo old, yet still functioning. It was especially awesome at night. Near the bridge there is a chain link fence that is covered in locks. The myth is that two people that are in love buy a locket, lock it onto the chain, and then while holding hands throw the key into the river and they will be together forever. Awww. We also went into Dante’s church and saw Beatice’s tomb. She was the only woman that Dante ever felt affection for and next to her grave there are baskets full of letters from individuals asking for help with their love lives.

We also passed a fun bath and body works type store and there was this little guy that was filled with stickers that had obscene things on it. When we asked about him the young lady in the store explained that people come and write things about their ex- boyfriends, to vent. It was quite entertaining.

We went into a torture museum that was a waste of money. We learned abut the plague and hangings during medieval times.

We ate delicious waffles that vendors sell all of Florence. Yum! For dinner I had the most delicious tomato soup! Mmm it tasted so fresh and the chunks of tomato were lovely!

If you have the opportunity to go to Florence I would recommend it, especially if you like art. However, if you are decided over Florence or Rome pick Rome and if you are deciding between Venice and Florence, pick Venice.