La Bella Vita!

La Bella Vita; The Beautiful Life… what more can you say about living in Italy?

Its been one week since I've been on my own in Florence and I must say I am loving every minute of it! My apartment is located in Piazza Santo Spirito, which is a great spot just around the corner from Ponte Vecchio. Of course, living on the opposite side of the bridge means a little longer of a walk to class and nightclubs but it is absolutely worth it because we have a very nice and spacious apartment for six girls. We have three bedrooms, one single, one double and one triple room.

 My double room with a little balcony.

 Our view from the triple bedroom into the Piazza.

 

Santo Spirito is surrounded by small restaurants and bars and is a huge hotspot for local young adults. I may not see the Duomo right outside my window but who doesn't love crossing Ponte Vecchio everyday while getting to class?

Living in Florence, truly gives you the Renaissance feel of life. Yes, it's true I am living in "The cradle of the Renaissance" but not only in respect to art and history. We only get 8 hours of heat divided in 2 hour intervals during the day. Our washing machine sounds like its going to explode at any second and it shakes the entire kitchen floor as if we're experiencing an earthquake… oh and speaking of earthquakes our landlord asked us not to slam the doors because the entire building just about collapses very time. We can't use too many electronic appliances at once because we'll have a blackout in the apartment and we can't shower for too long because the hot water will run out in a second and we can't wash clothes in the same day because we don't have enough room to hang dry all our clothes… but who's complaining right? Im in Italy!!!

The city is a giant playground right on our doorstep. We can walk to any end of Florence within 25 minutes *and oh HOW I've been walking… hopefully get some toned legs :) every direction you turn there are buildings and architecture each more beautiful than the other. The locals are all very friendly and even though we all know they don't love being invaded by Americans 24/7, they are always willing to help. Since my main reason for choosing to study in Italy was because I want to speak fluent Italian, I don't loose one opportunity to try and talk or gesture my way into a conversation with a Florentine. 

The winter here feels like Spring compared to NJ, since we don't get snow, but like Spring it also rains 90% of the time. It can be a bit humid and windy but the sun is shinning everyday so a little bit of rain won't stop us!

Going out at night is a young person's paradise! There are streets lined with bar after bar (and I don't mean Italian "bars") and nightclubs and restaurants that stay open until the sun comes out. Every day you can find somewhere to go. Many places (especially during the week) don't charge a cover to go into, but then again drinks don't come cheap either.
*I'll also make a post later with names of bars and clubs we've visited and my take on each one
There are tons of American bars, filled with study abroad students but the clubs are more popular with the locals so if you happen to come to Florence, you have to check them out! Did I forget to mention that many locals and the older folks hate us young Americans...pub crawls are pretty popular here with the foreign students and after we meet in a Piazza with about a group of a minimum of 100 people we walk the streets like a stampede of animals getting to the bars and disrupting the entire community.

Pizzeria Dante, gives you free wine and shots!
and of course the food is delicious! Cheers!

Florence is filled with street markets and vendors selling fresh vegetables and fruit. In Piazza San Lorenzo at the Mercato Centrale, you can find rows of tents selling leather purses, jackets, watches, scarves, etc. Then at Sant'Ambrogio market, which is more of a locals market, not only can you get some bargains on clothing and jewelry; there is also a huge variety of fresh produce. The streets in Florence are also filled with pizzerias, trattorias, delis, and many delicious little holes in the wall to buy food. Although many people think life here is too expensive, I have come to find prices to be reasonable, if you know where to shop, of course! Living on a budget is making me even more aware of how much I can spend and finding the best bargain. Many small cafes and pizzerias a few blocks away from the duomo will offer you a delicious lunch for no more than 5 euros. Since I can't afford to eat out everyday, the supermarket has become my best friend. The supermarkets in Florence are all pretty small and basic. However, if you are willing to take a 30 minute walk to the COOP, a much bigger store, you can find everything you need and more! *Just remember to recycle your bags because they will charge you for each one

                                                  

Classes started Monday and maybe I had my expectations of it being a really easy semester with lenient professors set a little high...but that's okay, I'm eager to learn. I only have school Monday through Thursday and all the classes are super interesting. I placed into an Intermediate Italian, so before I know it: Io Parlero' Perfetto Italiano. My other two favorite classes are Event Planning and Nutrition!

Each day is a new adventure! Now its on to Prague for the weekend with the girls! Ciao!