The second full day had us show up at campus crazy early to do more orientation things like safety in florence and other worthwhile seminars. Actually, it wasn't mandatory as I found out and alot of people didn't show up. The best part though had to be the free food. The free food consisted of random italian foods cooked up but the highlight of the free food was the water bottles galore they had sitting out. With the temperature around the upper 90s it was crucial to be fully stocked with water.
This is us celebrating the fantastic free fruit we got. It always tastes better free.
After going back to Borgo Pinti, everyone was pretty tired so most people passed out. All that was left was Earl and I. We decided to walk to Via Maffia, which was on the other side of the Arno River, and would take amazing planning and directional awareness. We severely lacked both, but took a roundabout road that led us way up west alongside the Arno. As we walked along the river mad far from our original planned intersection with the river, we were gifted with the amazing views that few have yet to see.
A rainbow over the Arno. It's almost Hallmark worthy.
After we made the incredible biblical trek to Via Maffia, which is where Komal is staying, we walked around the more residential area of Florence. With almost no tourists, we saw where real Florentines lived. One surprise that caught us all off guard was finding Piazza dei Pitti, a large fortress that looked like someone's previous residence. Many people were relaxing on its gravel slope and we decided to do the same.
Stumbling upon Piazza dei Pitti
Parks full of families enjoying the summer night with groups of people eating outside, Florentines really knew how to escape the tourist nightmare spots in the middle of Florence and get a bit of peace and quiet. The only problem was since it was so residential we couldn't find a place to eat. The realization that everyone cooked and with no ristorantes or trattorias (restaurants...the second one is more family style I believe), the caving of our stomachs forced us to move quickly and find somewhere to eat. We found one small Pizzeria open, but were all disappointed. Our ravenous bites of our first pizzas in Florence found a distinct American taste that left us all craving our next rendezvous with real brick-oven pizzas.
Where real Florentines live
After the adventure that took about 6 hours which saw us cover about 5 miles, we decided to take it easy at night and do what most Florentines do, which is enjoy the nightlife in ways that included more than just going to bars and clubs. Our first stop saw us purchase a few drinks and chill out by the river. There happened to be a huge mansion on the hill across from us that seemed to be having a huge party, and we all enjoyed the light show that the house was putting on.
Enjoying what Florence had to offer at night...great weather and atmosphere
After sitting on the Arno, our stomachs grumbled with the lack of food. It may seem like we all eat all the time, but this couldn't be further from the truth. As poor students, where the Euro laughs at our Dollar, we don't eat that much. In fact, its more like scraps of food that we can afford. We scour the city for cheap eats, and have only begun to cook. Furthermore, most places close by 8pm. Something known as "siesta" that allows the entire city to shut down in the most unpredictable ways is one of the biggest culture shocks that we have continued to try and get used to. Luckily, we found this Mexican place called Eby's that is open late into the night, that has cheap wine and great nachos. The combination screamed through the crisp night air, and we trekked towards it like our own personal Mecca. The nachos were amazing, drenched in cheese and had side dishes of salsa and guacamole.
Life changes. Friends don't.
Nacho Libre. We are fans. Big. Fans.
Our third day saw us sign up for trips on a tour bus around Florence and a day trip to Siena on Saturday. The heat continued to surge forward and we were at the mercy of the sinking levels in our water bottle.
Everybody was kung fu fighting. Earl is trying to beat up the heat. He lost.
The day itself didn't see any new adventures, which forced the night to be epic. And epic it was, as Vidisha invited us to Fiesole. It is a town 5 miles (8km in euro-speak) on a mountain side that overlooks Florence. When I say the views are breathless, its an understatement.
A bus ride away to a sunset over Florence.
Rocky Mountain High
Florence from a world away
Florence at sundown. Priceless
Picture perfect.
Roommates. Borgo Boys.
The dinner at a ristorante that Vidisha promised us was closed, much to our chagrin. We walked along the main piazza at the top and we found a nice pizzeria that served cheap food with nice house wine. We all enjoyed various pizzas and pasta. The house wine was strong, which seems to be a theme in Italy: the alcohol is much more potent. A few glasses and it hits you must quicker. However, there are those that defy such laws, like Vidisha. The smallest person in our group, she's a powerhouse tank when it comes to wine. It just disappears into her and no trace of effects can be found. Champ. Also, Salman has been fasting for Ramadan. This makes him not drink or eat during the day. Period. As in, we currently live in a desert oasis where the temperature during the day could allow an egg to cook on our foreheads, where our sweat flows like the Arno, and he can't eat or drink anything until sundown. The gold stars and blue ribbons go to you sir.
Epic fail. Restaurant is closed. Go to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
1.5 Liters of wine, half of which Vidisha went through without a hitch or an effect.
After dinner, we all went back to our respective dorms for what would be an intense day. The Permesso di Siggiorno, or the permit to stay, was upon us and we all would have to show up at campus crazy early to get our permits.
We all had to wake up crazy early, and the line at campus was insanely long. We all had to grab numbers like we were waiting in a deli line for our selections. Natalie, Kate, and I gossiped and talked for about 2 hours before our set of numbers were called. But, like a doctor's office, we went from a larger waiting room to a smaller waiting room. This time, the proximity to our Permessos, or the permits that grant us the right to stay in Florence, was so close that it became almost unbearable to wait any longer.
Kate died a little bit. Although when she got her number called she jumped up and down like she won the lottery.
After we all got our Permessos, which we have to carry at all times because if we get stopped by the Police and we don't have it, we can get deported, like, back to America deported, we decided to walk back to our dorms instead of taking the bus. The walk itself took over an hour, with none of us really knowing the way. It turns out that the route was really simple, with two roads making up the entire trip. When we got lost in the middle, Kate asked an old Italian woman for directions, who was kind enough to show us the way, using her hands to speak as if she were mixing some concoction in mid air.
Somewhere in Florence. Google Maps would've come in handy.
A break was needed and we stumbled into a family owned eatery on Via Degli Alfani. It was crazy cheap, and by the looks of it, the best deal so far. Penne with diced buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and parsley. Oh, can't forget the heavenly olive oil. All for around 2.5 euros, it tasted absolutely delicious and further cemented my love for all things tomato, basil, and mozzarella style foods.
You are now hungry. Break for 20 minutes is allowed.
After we found our way to Piazza Mercato Centrale, home not only to an NYU dorm but to a large outdoor market, we decided to peruse the stalls to find some fresh food for what would become an epic dinner party. Fruits, vegetables, and meats surrounded us at every corner and we tried to communicate as best we could to the shopkeepers, who also measured everything in kilograms instead of pounds. Oh American students, how lost we were. Surprisingly, Vidisha, Rutali, and Komal made friends with two Indian stallkeepers who ended up giving us free Parsley and hot peppers. The networking paid off and we will definitely revisit them for more free stuff. They also gave us each a free pear which was the juiciest pear in recent memory. We also found some interesting styles of pasta.
You have such a dirty mind.
Fresh Fruit Galore!
Stern Networking yielding positive gains. Yeah I said it.
I couldn't convince the vegetarians this was a vegetarian pig. It is made out of wicker. That's straw, a plant right?
After our shopping, we would reconvene in a few hours because there were several free gelato tours. We all couldn't resist and so we split up, going in small groups with friends checking out gems in our neighborhoods while ending up with free gelato on behalf of NYU. Actually, our tuition probably already covered it, and would be an absolute waste if we didn't do it. Also, what was more important was it would be my first time giving in to temptation and I would have my first taste. My first cup consisted of half of chocolate chip cookie dough and half of coffee flavored gelato with real coffee beans inside it. It was extremely creamy, much more than ice cream without the harsh sweet taste. Gelato is much smoother, and a tad richer, but also melts faster which forces you to be really good at savoring it in a short time. People everywhere eat gelato, and if they aren't eating it they are talking about it. Gelateris, or places that sell gelato, dot every intersection, line every street, and it definitely gets tough when temptation literally screams at you every second.
A Jewish Synagogue with a statue of Dante Alighieri
First Gelato. Can't ever go back to ice cream.
We also found this wine store that was run by a couple from Chicago. We didn't know this, and so we struggled to try and communicate in Italian. When we were asking each other how to say certain things, the shopkeeper was nice enough to revert to perfect English to end the struggle. She gave us an impromptu lecture on what wines were good for what meals, at what times of the day, at what times during the year. We have certainly found a new classroom, and will always be on time for lecture.
Class is in Session
After eating gelato and picking up the wine for dinner, we all met up at Vidisha's and Rutali's (who happen to live with Kate, Sabrina, and Natalie which makes life so much more fun and easy) where the cooking would begin. We made stuffed bell peppers with some kind of Indian recipe that I can't even begin to remember the recipe of. A few highlights: I was told a random side dish sauce was actually the focal point of the meal and had to stir the sauce constantly to prevent it from curdling. Had i failed, the entire meal failed. This was actually a lie by Rutali and I literally stirred for 30 minutes, sweating profusely. Mean. Also, the meal came out especailly amazing. Vidisha, Rutali, and Komal all did amazing jobs leading the kitchen. Sous Chefs E-dizzle for Rizzle and I helped support the other work, with E-Dizzle for Rizzle finding a great new way to pour the wine. The Dinner was a success, with 15 people showing up and all reveling in the conversation of the day's adventures. However, Sid was a tad too gung ho and passed out on the sofa. We tried to draw on him, but he ended up waking up. Fail. What wasn't a fail was the dinner. Great food. Great Friends. Great times. Definitely will do this more often. After dinner, we ended at Eby's for another chill night.
Stirring the epic sauce.
Controlled Chaos
Dinner is Served
More wine?
The Party
Pass out early at your own risk
Another ending at Eby's.
The last day of the first week saw some of the most intense adventures yet. After going to bed at 3:30 am, Vidisha and I decided to try and climb to the top of the Duomo the next day at 9am. We both woke up, but when we met at the Duomo, it turns out that it is closed on Sundays. Epic Fail. However, with a few hours to kill before our Red Bus Tour, we decided to go to the Galleria del Accademia, home of the world famous David. Since NYU was awesome enough to give us a museum pass, we were able to bypass all of the philistine tourists and go right in. Once we showed them our museum pass and a form of ID, we got a free ticket and started to saunter through the museum. I must say, with Vidisha confirming, that I am the best free tour guide anywhere. Its like, 1% of amazing knowledge of cutlre and 99% of inappropriate jokes in the presence of toddlers and senior citizens. The second largest shock so far, with the first being seeing the Duomo for the first time, was turning into the main corridor and finding the David standing in front of us in all of its grandeur.
Of course no pictures were allowed.
After the museum, we decided to go back to our dorms to freshen up before going out to the bus tour. But quick side quest: the sidewalks in Florence are tiny. Like, dangerously tiny. Proof:
That's a normal sidewalk. No really.
So life has a funny way of making something out of nothing. Our bus tour was at 1pm, but Kate, Natalie, Vidisha, Salman, Monish, Earl, Komal, and Rutali all missed it. We all missed the same bus tour. So we met up at 2pm for the next bus tour with Dan and Blessie and it drove around Florence pointing out all of the fantastic views. But what made the trip the most worthwhile was when it stopped at Palazzo Michelangelo, where I swear all of the pictures for Florence travel brochures are taken. Warning: you will love the following pictures:
Duomo from a Tour Bus
Everyone is excited to get off the bus!
Speechless
Ponte Vecchio
After the phenomenal bus tour, we all decided, incredibly spontaneously, to go to Pisa. Since we were already next to the train station, we all decided we had nothing better to do and that a road trip to Pisa would be a great and fitting ending to a phenomenal first week. We all bought tickets and got on a train, filling an entire car with just us. The train ride cost 11 euros for round trip tickets and would only take about an hour. However, none of figured out how to validate our ticket for the ride up and so we all still have a ticket that is good for two months for a trip to Pisa. I sat next to Salman, Kate, and Natalie and we enjoyed the view while playing Chinese Poker until we got there.
Train Tickets to Pisa Centrale from Firenze
Junior Bronze!
Tuscany in some of its unparalleled brilliance.
Once we got off the train, we found a map of Pisa. While we were intially lost, we found out that we were at the very south of the town, while the town was at the complete opposite end. LIke, legitimately opposite end. After the initial confusion, we decided to make our way through what seemed to be an empty town, with barely anyone on the streets. It was really insanely quiet, but we did a good job of cutting through the silence with our excited conversations of seeing the Leaning Tower! Once we made the half hour trek to the other side, the tower suddenly appeared with hundreds of tourists taking pictures, awkwardly angling themselves to try and either push or hold back the leaning tower. We also ran excitedly into the mix and started taking pictures the same way. We all tried to find the perfect picture, directing each other to either go a little left or a little right, to flatten a hand or to bend a knee. The pictures are priceless, and the first 3x5 postcard was purchased! The day trip was an amazing success, with all of us getting great pictures with the tower. We didn't have enough time to go to the top of the tower, but it's ok. It leaves a bit of mystery for a future trip back.
Like I said, Zero sense of direction, Full sense of Adventure
Following the road signs
Had to. You understand.
Pisa? Check.
So one full week down, and 4 hours of posting later, my tales of my first week are done and I'm toasted. It has been an epic post, and I hope those back home are getting a small glimpse of my time here. Classes have started and it's time to get down to business, but the dream of traversing Europe is still a hunger, a desire that can't be tamed. This coming weekend should see us at the beach on Friday, Siena on Saturday, and Chinque Terra on Sunday. Another glorious weekend with glorious friends that should yield more glorious memories. See you in a week with plenty of 3x5s. I promise.
James Morrison - You Make It Real
"When my head is strong, but my heart is weak
I'm full of arrogance, and uncertainty
But I can find the words, you teach my heart to speak
You make it real for me"
I'm full of arrogance, and uncertainty
But I can find the words, you teach my heart to speak
You make it real for me"
aw this post makes me miss studying abroad! florence is so awesome, i wish i had spent more time visiting there.
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