A Day in the Life
Come with me and follow along on weekend in my life as a 20-year-old American studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Much like at Villa, we only have classes Monday through Thursday, so Friday through Saturday are ours for adventuring. I generally try to do my exploring on Friday and Saturday and then leave Sunday for finishing my work from the week and resetting my apartment for the week ahead.
Friday
This weekend was Valentine’s Day on Friday. Being single myself, my roommate Sam and I headed out through the rain for a “Gal-entines Day” instead. First stop has to be Nab coffee house, an eclectic café with an amazing menu for anytime of day and some more American style drink choices such as Chai lattes that you won’t find in every bar (café.) After a coffee and pastry and some friendly banter with the staff, it was down the street to a tattoo and piercing shop, Firenze Ink.
Not a stop we make every weekend for sure, but on this special Gal-entines occasion, we are treating ourselves to some new jewelry, and with student discounts, how could I resist? This shop is quiet, clean, and welcoming. The staff is informative with the English that they speak and makes sure you are getting the best experience. With our adrenaline primed and the elation of new piercings, the next stop was ‘Humana’ for a little retail therapy. ‘Humana’ is a vintage thrift shop near the Arno River with amazing pricing and selection. A favorite among students and young locals, it’s usually a busy place to be. Unlike many of the other vintage shops you may come across, it is very reasonably priced, and each day, there is a max price for items you will find around the store. Friday’s max is 10 euros for any item. A steal!
Once we’ve sifted through the selection and made our purchases, we are ready to head back to the apartment for the day. But no Valentine’s Day can be complete without a sweet treat. We top off the day with some specialty tiramisu, strawberry and pistachio flavors, which perfectly caps off our excursion.
Saturday
Saturday is a fresh day, with no rain, and a whole new adventure ahead.
Sam and I picked up a friend along the way and met him at the Uffizi Gallery. As students, our school provides us with memberships that allow us to enter the Uffizi and select other museums free of charge as many times as we’d like.
Being a huge gallery, it is a perfect way to kill a few hours and see some masterpieces of art history, such as Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes, as well as its unique view of the neighboring Palazzo Vecchio and the rest of the city from the rooftop observation deck.
By the time we finish at the gallery, it’s midday, and how can we resist a stop at Florence’s cat café for some lunch and a play date with our feline friends? Home to 8 cats total, it’s so fun to sit and chat over lunch while a Sphinx nestles into your lap or a Siamese kitten paws at your shoes.
This is not quite our last stop. This weekend is special. Being the third weekend in the month, there is a huge thrift market at the Piazza Indipendenza. This opportunity is not one to pass up. All kinds of vendors come with their wares, from clothing to furniture and trinkets of all kinds. If you can’t find something of interest here, you’re probably doing it wrong. A few more hours spent chatting and mulling through the market, making a purchase here and there completes the day.
Sunday
Sunday is refresh day; the apartment gets reset from any chaos during the week, homework gets done and prepped for Monday, and any little shopping necessary is done with what few shops are open. This study abroad experience is so special for the opportunity to explore more places than just where you live.
Most professors try to keep their workload outside of class light so the students can take the weekend to go to Paris or Amsterdam or even just around Italy for a few days and still make it back to class on Monday. I have done several weekends this way, but I also appreciate exploring my own city and its hidden gems, finding opportunities to exercise my Italian skills.
Spring break is rapidly approaching, and I have arranged to go to Nice, France, so stay tuned for that.
Until next time, Chiao Buona giornata!
