Reflections

Antibes, France

My semester in Florence is not over yet, but these next 10 days are packed full and I am not sure if I will later have the time to write.  My roommates and I have made our final dinner reservations and our final shopping lists. We’re working to fit in those mandatory visits to the Uffizi and the Accademia before we head home to the United States next week. I cannot believe it. This has officially been the shortest four months of my life.

It’s hard to believe that I was ever apprehensive about coming to Florence. Before I left home I was concerned that my homesickness while abroad would be too much to handle. I wondered how I would leave my family, my dogs, my house and my cozy bed to go live in a foreign country. I almost backed out and I am so incredibly happy that I chose not to take the easy way out.

Eze, France

My semester in Florence has been full of positives and negatives. There have been times when I’ve imagined myself living in Italy for the rest of my life, and there have been times when I’ve closed my eyes and wished I was back in New Jersey, standing on my balcony with the salty sea air blowing in my face. It was not always easy, but I can confidently say that my decision to study abroad has been the best that I have ever made.

Prague, Czech Republic

I toured countless museums and churches, ate pounds of spaghetti, spoke in Italian, shopped through the leather markets and every other store in Florence, completed four academic classes, learned the bus system, found the best cappuccino in the world and made three lasting friendships. I traveled to Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France, Croatia and England, all in four months, and 100 days later I can confidently say that I have done all that I had hoped.

St. Moritz, Switzerland

Leaving next Friday is going to be difficult. I’m going to miss my routine here, which formed much more quickly than I had expected. I’m going to miss living with my roommates, as we had the greatest apartment and setup in the city. I’m also going to miss my breathtaking campus, and the close-knit community that formed within it. What scares me the most is that I do not know when I will be back to Florence, but I do know that I will take a piece of this city with me when I go back to New Jersey. It’s impossible not to, as this place truly feels like a second home now.

I have changed since having arrived in January. I’ve become independent and much stronger. I am more tolerant, and I try to look for similarities before I search for differences. I’ve become more appreciative. I realize now how lucky I am to have my friends and family and a beautiful house to call home. Most importantly, these past four months have deepened my appreciation and my love for the United States, a place full of patriotism and endless possibilities.

Last week I was wondering how I was going to leave Italy behind, but now that my departure is so close home is all that I can think about. Thank you to everyone who made this semester possible, and thank you to all who came over to visit. Most importantly, thank you Mom and Dad for giving me Florence and the experience of a lifetime.

Capri, Italy

Ciao a tutti and ciao Firenze, this has most definitely been a dream come true. 

Taormina, Sicily

Krka National Park, Croatia

Florence, Italy

London, England

Nice, France

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Cinque Terre, Italy

Monaco

Brac, Croatia

Week Five in Florence

After a perfect weekend in Tuscany with my parents and my roommates, we drove back to Florence to spend two nights exploring the city that has become my home. As a New York City girl I have been missing my Sunday brunch, and I was so happy to discover that the J.K. Place Firenze offers a brunch that rivals that of The Smith (yup, I said it!). I happily downed a strawberry bellini and one of my absolute favorite dishes, grilled octopus. It was a little slice of New York heaven in Florence and having my parents there to enjoy it with me really made it feel like home. 

Sunday Brunch at the J.K. Place Firenze

Grilled octopus

I took my parents to the leather market where they purchased almost everything in sight and then to my favorite panini place in Florence, Verdi. Afterwards, we walked the streets along the river and admired the beauty of the city... and shopped some more!

A view of the Ponte Vecchio

I finally climbed to the top of the Duomo (463 steps), and although the view was beautiful I don't see myself doing it again anytime soon. Imagine a lot of people and tiny spaces to travel through, not exactly ideal conditions for the claustrophobic type!

A view from the top of the Duomo

After a great five days with my parents it was time for them to go back to New Jersey. Luckily they'll be coming back to Europe in another three weeks for my spring break. We'll be traveling to Zurich, St. Moritz, Milan and Prague, so stay tuned for updates from our 10 day trip! 

This past weekend my roommates and I stayed in Florence and did some of the things that we've been meaning to do since we arrived. One of them was traveling to Piazzale Michelangelo, a piazza that overlooks all of Florence. Here we drank red wine and watched the sunset. It's a beautiful place to come with a picnic and I anticipate that we'll be back again soon once the weather starts getting warmer.

Me watching the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

A view from the piazza

A view from the piazza

On Saturday night after going out to dinner my roommates and I decided to stay awake and take a trip to one of Florence's secret bakeries. These bakeries typically open around 2AM to serve hungry young adults who are on their way home from the bars. The suppliers who provide many of the city's pasticcerie with their pastries set aside some of what they make and sell them in the middle of the night. This is done in various locations throughout the city. 

First, we traveled to a bakery that we thought existed near our apartment. We found a location that seemed suspicious and saw an Italian guy standing outside smoking a cigarette. I asked him if he worked for the secret bakery and he looked at me with a blank stare. I guess the secret bakeries are primarily a tourist thing! Needless to say we walked to the next location on our list and smelled our way to the door. We asked for the best thing on the menu and got in return a raisin tart for only 1EUR.  I would never have ordered this item off of a menu but it was absolutely delicious, especially at 2 o'clock in the morning!

The door to the secret bakery

Me and my raisin tart

This Friday I am headed to London to visit my best friend Ryan. We have a lot of Asian fusion dinners planned, I need a break from the Italian food (and so do my thighs)! I've never been to London before,  so I'm really excited to be going there. Ryan also tells me that the city is a lot like New York. They have Whole Foods, Starbucks and everyone speaks English so it will be a nice little fix of home! Stay tuned for updates from my trip. Ciao for now!

Tuscany in the Wintertime

Last weekend was the first time that I had ever been to Tuscany and I must admit that I was apprehensive about going in the wintertime. While the countryside is beautiful any time of year, I had heard from many people that the weather in February would be cold and snowy. Also, because it's Tuscany's off season, many of the stores and restaurants in the area are closed during the winter months. Unfortunately, everyone was right about the weather. We left the rain in Florence and drove an hour into the countryside of Colle di Val d'Elsa, where the rain turned into snow as soon as we reached the mountains. Now I understand why the concierge was so adamant on us renting an automatic car with four wheel drive, which we failed to do!

While in Tuscany we stayed at Castello di Casole, a Timbers Resort that is set upon 4,200 acres in the Tuscan countryside. On the hotel property are mountains, valleys, olive groves and vineyards. Farmhouses and villas for rent are scattered throughout the land, while the main hotel is housed in a restored castle. The property was breathtaking and my only complaint was the winding dirt roads that led from the main road to the hotel. They were at times very steep and worn, although this also added to the sense of seclusion and privacy. 

Unfortunately the hotel was closed during our stay because it was low season. Instead, we stayed in Paradiso, a four bedroom farmhouse equipped with heated floors, an infinity-edge pool and an outdoor patio. My favorite part about the house was the old stone and tile on the inside walls that served as a reminder of the villa's long history. While I am partial to the houses at Castello di Casole, I am sure that a hotel room in the main building would be just as luxurious. The benefit of being in the hotel is being within close proximity to the pool and the hotel restaurants. 

Paradiso, one of many farmhouses at Castello di Casole

The pool at Paradiso

Castello di Casole features a relaxing spa that is housed in what was once the estate's wine cellar. The hotel also has a fitness center, although many of the roads through the property are ideal for walking, running and hiking. Guests could not ask for a better location. The town of Colle di Val d'Elsa is historic and beautiful, and Castello di Casole is less than an hour from popular towns such as Volterra, San Gemignano and Siena. I highly recommend this boutique property and I already cannot wait to return.

A view of the countryside from Paradiso

Note: Although the wintertime is Tuscany's low season we loved being in the area in February. The house was incredibly cozy and watching the snow fall from the living room was like a scene out of a movie. Many of the restaurants were closed but we still made it to some great places, including Osteria del Borgo in Mensano and Officina della Cucina Popolare in Colle di Val d'Elsa. 

My parents and I enjoying dinner in at Paradiso

A private chef dinner at Paradiso

Artichoke risotto made by our fantastic chef, Susanna

Squid ink tortellini with truffle and ricotta at Osteria del Borgo

A baked onion stuffed with bread and parmesan cheese from Officina della Cucina Popolare 

When we were not busy lounging in our adorable house we drove to Siena to visit the Duomo. We also arranged a wine tasting at a local family run vineyard, Setriolo. I worked with Sophie Chamberlain of Untainted Tuscany to arrange our experiences and she was terrific. From truffle hunting to private chef dinners and gelato making classes, Sophie is able to arrange it all. 

What I learned during my first trip to Tuscany is that, any time of year, this area is an incredible place to visit. Each season brings new experiences and adventures, making return trips a must. Whether you're planning a family vacation or an anniversary trip, Tuscany should always be in the back of your mind. Molto bello! 

Pisa

Below are a couple of photos from my recent trip to Pisa. Seeing the Leaning Tower in person is much different than viewing it in pictures. It may be touristy, but it's an incredible sight to take in and my roommates and I were very happy that we arranged a day trip to the area. There is a direct train that runs between Florence and Pisa. We took that, which was only a 45 minute ride, and walked right to the tower from the train station. Two hours is plenty of time to see the sights. After taking the classic Leaning Tower photo (below) we checked into buying tickets to climb to the top. However, we were shocked to learn that it was 18EUR, more than our round trip train ticket that day. A photo was good enough for us, so we boarded our train back to the city that we have come to love so much!

Getting Comfortable

La dolce vita! 

Buongiorno from beautiful Florence! I've finally settled in and I'm beginning to feel as though I'm part of this incredible place. I'm also getting harassed less at the leather market so I must be looking more like an Italian each day! I didn't think that I could love a city as much as I loved New York but I have to say that Firenze is a very close second. After walking along the Arno River with the sun shining this weekend I truly began to appreciate what will be my home for the next three months.

My roommates and I are beginning to discover all of our favorite restaurants and coffee shops. We're becoming regulars at last, which is a great feeling. Mia (my roommate) and I don't even have to say our order anymore. The barista knows that it's "Due cappuccini" for us, something that we look forward to every morning.

Chocolate disks filled with nuts

Chocolate "tools", so cool!

We spent this weekend walking around Florence, visiting the local markets and shopping at some fabulous vintage stores that were recommended to me by my good friends. I made one of my final (hopefully!) purchases of the trip, a vintage Chanel tote bag, which I absolutely adore. To make the day even better, following my purchase we stumbled upon a chocolate festival that's taking place in one of the Piazzas not far from our apartment. We ate and photographed our way through the event, it was my idea of the perfect day!

Sunset at the NYU campus

The view from one of my classroom windows

I guess I should put in at least one paragraph about school since that's what I'm here for after all! I still can not get over my amazing campus, I have to pinch myself every time that I walk to class. We've finally figured out the bus system here and have found it to be pretty reliable, despite what other students have told us. Our apartment is only two blocks from the bus stop and it's about a 20 minute ride to our campus, which is right outside of the city. This week for my Italian class we went on a field trip to see an exhibition of a local artist who specializes in scagliola. Scagliola is a technique that's used to make art that resembles marble. The artist's name was Bianco Bianchi and his work was beautiful, you can visit his website here. There was one piece at the exhibition that had seashells and sea creatures that I wanted to buy for the shore house but I think it was a little bit out of my price range. Alessandro, Bianco's son, told us that their family's artwork was used as inspiration for some of Gianni Versaci's menswear ties.  

One of the best views of The Duomo

After the field trip we stopped by a local public library that used to be an old cloister. This is the view of The Duomo from the top floor of the building, one of the prettiest views that I have seen thus far.

Dried fruit at the Mercato Centrale 

Dried raspberries, blackberries and blueberries at the Mercato Centrale

One of my favorite discoveries thus far has been the Mercato Centrale, which is a big farmer's market that's held in a warehouse in Florence. The market is open every day of the week except Sunday and it closes at 2:00PM so you have to be sure to go early! It's absolute heaven. Imagine any kind of meat, homemade pasta or vegetable you could imagine, all in one place. My favorite vendor is the guy in the back who sells dried fruit. He has everything from dried mangoes to dried dates and bananas. I'm slowly becoming a regular here as well. 

Piazza San Marco lit up for Venice Carnevale

My roommates and I spent last weekend in Venice for Carnevale. We took a bus to the city, which was about a 3 hour drive, and arrived from Florence at 1:00PM. We then took a water taxi to the islands of Murano and Burano (Burano is one of my favorites! The island is famous for its colorful and picturesque houses). Finally, we headed back to the main part of Venice to experience Carnevale, which I must say is not all that it's cracked up to be. Venice was, as expected, insanely crowded and touristy. It was difficult to walk anywhere and to make matters worse it was snowing. We made a quick stop at Piazza San Marco where the main celebrations are held and then made our way to a restaurant to get warm. I was so glad to have visited Venice before because this trip would have tainted the city otherwise. It was a great experience to see Carnevale but next time I go back to Venice it will be in May when the weather is warm and the streets are less crowded! To learn more about this beautiful city visit my previous blog post, A Customized Italy. 

On another note, my roommates and I have planned all of our weekend trips and once the weather gets warm we're off to the French Riviera, Croatia and the Almafi Coast! We're also going to visit Cinque Terre in April to go hiking for the day. In March I'll be visiting London for the first time to stay with my best friend, Ryan. I can't wait! And this weekend my parents will be visiting me in Italy. We're going to spend three days in Tuscany seeing the countryside, eating and drinking wine! My roommates will be coming along as well. We're then going to head back to Florence for two days so that I can show my Mom and Dad all that I've discovered since living in the city! 

Stay tuned for updates from my time spent in Tuscany! I'll also be posting soon about today's trip to Pisa (it was great!).

Thank you all for following. Ciao for now!

Firenze, Italia!

The Duomo 

Ciao a tutti! I've arrived in Florence, Italy where I'll be spending the next three months. Last summer was my first time in the country and I quickly fell in love with it, although this trip marks my first time in the city of Florence. My New York University dorm is incredible. It's located two blocks from The Duomo in one direction and two blocks from The David in the other direction. The room is spacious and we have three beautiful windows with old shutters against one wall where we overlook a quiet street and beautiful Florentine apartment buildings. I'm living with three of my friends and we're all very happy with how our situation turned out! It's great to be so centrally located.

The NYU campus is stunning as well. It's hard to believe that NYU has all of these resources, and I'm definitely very lucky to be able to experience this place. Our campus is about a 15 minute bus ride outside of the city. It's complete with olive groves and old Italian villas where we have our classes. It's straight out of a dream, I swear. It's definitely going to be hard to return to Washington Square in September!

The New York University campus

One of the villas where my classes are held

I have to say that Florence is much bigger than I had expected. Then again, that could be because I have no idea where I'm going half the time. All of the streets look exactly the same, and the names of the streets change so rapidly. I have a feeling that I'm going to appreciate New York City and its grid system much more when I get home.

It feels as though time has stopped here. It's very dreamlike, there are tiny alleys everywhere that lead you to stores and restaurants that you never would have known existed. I love that there is so much to explore.

Chitarra pasta with tomatoes, basil and garlic... Amazing!

Carb heaven

I spent my first week settling in, trying to learn my way around the city. I still have a long way to go, but I am finally beginning to feel more comfortable here. Today we shopped around the San Lorenzo Leather Market and I bought a leather jacket and a fur and leather vest, both of which I absolutely love! I have a feeling I'm going to come home with a lot of (expensive) souvenirs, good thing I have an extra duffle bag with me!

I have five long city guides that were given to me by good friends, and I'm doing my best to cross things off. There are so many amazing restaurants to try and vintage stores to visit, I hope that I'm able to fit it all in. The semester already seems to be going by so quickly. When you factor in weekend traveling four months doesn't seem like such a long time.

I have only had two of my classes so far, but both of them seem great. I'm a little bit intimidated by my Italian class. There are only four of us in it, and our teacher does not speak any English. One thing that I love is that we have a lot of site visits. This means that instead of sitting in a classroom during the day we are out experiencing life in the city and seeing all that Florence has to offer. That's something that I've always loved about NYU, they truly make the entire city feel like your classroom.

After living in Florence for less than a week, here's what I've learned so far:

1. The Ribollita, or Tuscan Bread Soup, is phenomenal. It's a mixture of vegetables, potatoes and bread and is more of a stew than a soup. It's the ultimate comfort food and is in season at the moment so I've been taking advantage of it as much as possible.

Ribollita

2. Florence is very humid and we have not yet bought a blowdryer, so I've been wearing my hair in a bun everyday. Be sure to bring your Moroccan Oil when you come to visit... Sorry Mom!

3. There are a lot of pick pockets here and they're especially present in the small convenient stores. One guy will come up and act stupidly in an effort to distract you. Meanwhile, his partner is behind you hoping that he'll have the opportunity to reach into your bag. I've been very careful so far and am lucky enough to have noticed this early on but I still find myself walking around clutching my bag to my chest like a true American.

4. There are a lot of mosquitoes here, which I assume is because of the river. We haven't noticed them too much but our friends have told us that they're around, unfortunately. Hopefully they stay away from our room!

5. Anyone who visits Florence, or Italy for that matter, has to become accustomed to having garlic breath. Luckily my roommates and I all go out to dinner together, so we never notice it on each other. I don't mind so much it as long as it helps to keep the pick pockets and the gypsies away!

Hope all is well in the United States! This week will be my first full week of class and my roommates and I are hoping to finally have our schedules so that we can get some weekend trips planned. It looks like we're heading to Venice for Carnevale next weekend, so stay tuned for updates and photos from that trip! Ciao and thanks for reading! Goodnight from Firenze.

The Arno River by night