Ciao From Firenze!

Ciao everyone!!! I am very happy to report that I am writing to you from my new apartment in Florence! Today is day 5 of what has probably been the most exhausting, but most exciting five days of my life.  I decided to make this blog so that I can keep all of you up to date on my adventures abroad this semester (title credit to my uncle sandy!)....normally I will try to post at least once a week, but since we have been so busy these first couple of days I will attempt to give you a quick overview of what I have done so far.

My trip started off on a slightly unsettling note when I was seated in a middle seat on the plane in between a Hassidic Jew and a large man with a shark tooth necklace that oddly resembled a scarier version of Billy Ray Cyrus.  Thankfully, my friend (and roomie in Florence!) Staci was able to switch seats with Billy Ray and move next to me.  

When we got off the plane, we got straight into a taxi to take us to our new apartment.  When we got out of the cab with all of our luggage and looked around us, Staci just looked at me and said, “Jordan.”  All I could do was smile and shake my head.  There was nothing else to say…is this really happening?  We LIVE HERE?!?! Our landlord, a friendly and welcoming Italian woman named Gianna, greeted us when we arrived. Unfortunately, she informed us that the building had no elevator and that our apartment was on the top floor.  After lugging all of our over-sized bags up four flights of stairs  (at this point we were sweating and panting and there were a few moments where we both thought we might pass out...good thing we have passes to the gym here), we had finally made it.  Gianna showed us how to open the doors (it is a very complicated process that involves a set of giant keys that look like they are from medieval times as well as ten different locks that we still have absolutely no idea how to use….at least we’ll be safe, right Mom?).  Our apartment is beautiful!! It is MUCH bigger than we expected (although our bedroom consists of two twin sized beds that are pushed together AKA the honeymoon suite), and the best part is the view of the Santa Croce church right outside our window.

Our incredible view!

Since we have had so much crammed into the past four days, I am just going to highlight a few of the many things we have done.  Some of my favorites included the walking tour of Florence led by a small and hilarious gray-haired Italian man named Marcello whose favorite phrase is “Tutti Frutti”.  This city is absolutely beautiful.  I have never seen anything like it.  As I am walking around (which by the way thank god for Google maps on the iPhone otherwise Staci and I would still be wandering around the city looking for the Duomo), I have an almost irresistible urge to walk into every store, restaurant, café, and gelateria that I see.  It is all just so cute! Although it still hasn’t hit me that I am actually here (Staci and I keep looking at each other at random points of every day and saying “wait…we’re in Italy.”), I think I could get used to this life for a while…

Inside the Duomo

The Duomo

Jewelry on The Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio

Okay, now let’s get to the good stuff that you actually all want to hear about: the FOOD.  Later that day we got to visit the one place that I have truly been waiting to visit since the day I decided to come to Florence…. The Food Market! I think this place may actually be my heaven.  There are two major fresh food markets in Florence, but the one we went to was the San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale.  There seemed to be an endless supply of cheeses, breads, pastries, nuts, dried fruits, and fresh fish.  Of course, we had to walk around the entire market multiple times to make sure we tasted every free sample possible.  After scoping out everything, Staci, Alexa, Julia, Nicole (different Julia and Nicole…not jewelz and nickel…awk) and I decided on a delicious looking Panini stand.  I got a prosciutto and fresh mozzarella Panini that was ridiculously good. 

I’ll take a small break from talking about food to show you a funny picture of Staci dragging her missing suitcase that was finally delivered from Rome all the way from the Duomo back to our apartment…and then of course up the four flights of stairs again.  You go Stace! We also took a quick trip to Ikea (or as they call it here EE-KEH-AA) to get some stuff for our apartment.

Later that night, Staci, Meredith, Jenny, Hilary, and I had our first real Italian dinner.  We decided to check out a restaurant I had heard about called Il Teatro.  We opted for the “family style special” which included a 3 course meal (appetizers, 3 pasta dishes, and a dessert sampler) plus unlimited wine for only 20 euro each! This was, by far, the best meal I have ever eaten.  There really are no words to do this one justice – I have to let the pictures speak for themselves! I don’t know what I liked best; the fried pasta with fresh burrata, the pesto gnoicchi, the five different desserts, or just the fact that I was out to dinner with my friends in Italy.  Let’s just say it was the perfect first meal. 

As if we hadn’t eaten enough food already, we also went on a late night adventure after our first night out! We had heard about these “Secret Bakeries” in Florence.  These are bakeries that supply baked goods and pastries to all of the restaurants and cafes in Florence, but they open secretly from 2:30-4:30 a.m. and sell a few of their treats if you can find their hidden locations.  The second we heard about this there was no question…we were finding the secret bakery.  My Google maps app saved the day again and we ended our night with delicious chocolate croissants! Apparently there are 4 other secret bakeries hidden in the city as well…challenge accepted Firenze.

You know me, I could go on and on for hours about all of the food I have eaten and seen here already – but I better stop now before you fall asleep (if anyone is even still reading this novel)!  But I will leave you with some pictures of my first gelato at Grom during our day trip to Siena (100% the best gelato I have ever tasted) as well as our first home-cooked meal in Florence from last night when Staci and I decided to cook!

I am going to end each post with an “Italian word of the day” that I learn while I am here.  This week’s word is detersivo which means detergent.  Staci and I had to look this one up when we went to buy laundry detergent but all of the products were only in Italian and no one in the store spoke English! I don’t know which will be harder – finding the detergent or trying to do our laundry in the tiny machine that has no dryer!

I’ll be back soon to tell you about our trip to Pisa and our wine tasting at the Verrazono Wine Castle! And I promise my posts will never be this long again...

Arrivederci!
Jordan