Monie Moves Home

Tomorrow, the 13th of May, marks not only my last day of finals (and the end of my sophomore year of college) but also the fact that I only have two days in my countdown until I return home to Seattle. All my traveling has been done and all I have between me and Seattle now is finals and packing my suitcases. I can’t even begin to describe how studying abroad has changed who I am as a person and my life. Seeing as I went abroad as a sophomore and my older sister, Carmen, never studied abroad I am the first out of pretty much every one I am close with to make the decision to go to school in a foreign country for four months. I didn’t really know what to expect and there weren’t a lot of people I could ask–after all everyone’s experience is so different. It feels like the semester has flown by, but yet all the memories that I have here in Florence and around Europe make it feel like its been going on forever. I’m planning on spending my weekend and last few days in Florence trying to do everything and see everything that I will miss when I go home. So, I’ve decided to compile a list of all these things here on this page. Here’s what I’m going to mis about FloTown:

1. the food and being able to shamelessly eat pasta and pizza every night for dinner because that’s what you do here
   1. La Giostra
   2. ZaZa’s
   3. Oil Shoppe
   4. ItIt Cafe
   5. Il Gatto e la Volpe
   6. Le Vespe
2. having gelato twice a day just because
   1. La Carraia
   2. Eduardo’s
   3. Grom
   4. De Neri
3. Ponte Vecchio: especially at night when the sun is going down and the tourists have lightened up
4. running in the morning along the Arno River
5. the breathtaking view from Piazzale Michelangelo
6. sweet, frothycappuccinos from Fernando at the cafe on NYU Florence’s campus
   1. the beauty of the campus itself
7. the purple wisteria flowers that are everywhere
8. Gusta’s heart-shaped pizza
9. the cyprus trees
10. the freshness of the food at the grocery store
11. the bread that is placed on the table as soon as you sit down at a restaurant
12. living in a city that quiets down at night and in the early morning
13. grocery shopping every Monday at my local Conad

And the things I definitely won’t miss:

1. the agonizingly long walk to campus
2. the narrow streets
3. the narrower sidewalks
4. shops closing for two or three days at a time–just because
5. tourists. that. are. everywhere.
6. the buses that never come

Of course, what I love about this town outnumber what I didn’t love as much. All in all the opportunities I have been given while living in Florence for the past four months are something I will never forget and always be thankful for. I hope you have enjoyed coming on my adventure with me!

Tanti Baci!

Farewell Firenze

This past week marked my last official week of classes, with finals starting tomorrow. So, to commemorate our time spent at Villa La Pietra, New York University decided to throw the students a farewell dinner–NYU style. A long table was set up on an avenue between rows of cyprus trees, lined with purple flowers (NYU’s color and also the most common color flower found throughout Florence). The evening started with hors d’oeuvres (the event started at 6 pm, which is a little too early for Italian dinner time so I think they gave us these to hold us over till the meal was served) and strawberry and kiwi spritzers while watching students perform poems and songs on the grass lawn. Dinner was served four course style and was sort of like amped up cafeteria food with risotto, a pasta dish, potatoes and veggies and a dessert. It was a bittersweet night, I’m excited to go home, but I’m also going to miss the food, friends, and home that I have found here in Florence. All in all, it was a nice way to end my adventure at NYU Florence and I can’t wait to see where next semester takes me.

Tanti Baci!

Ice Ice Baby ☕️

One of the things Italy is known for is the coffee here. And while espresso shots and cappuccinos are fun and all, something I really miss is good old fashion American iced coffee. Throughout my semester in Italy I’ve found a few spots with iced coffee that has kept me happy and satisfied until I get home to my beloved Starbucks.

1. Arnold Coffee
   1. On the door of this coffee shop (and on the cups themselves) there is a statement that is probably explanatory as to why I love this cafe so much: The American Coffee Experience. The drink menu and food offerings here remind me most of what you found find at a cafe back home in the states. There are ice mochas, lattes, frappuccuinos, smoothies, bagel sandwiches, muffins and doughnuts. There’s also free wifi and lots of seating to boot. Arnold Coffee is located right near Santa Maria Novella Train Station and there is always a good mix of tourists, students and locals there on their laptops studying or just hanging out.
2. ItIt
   1. Located on Via Cavour, one street parallel to mine, I don’t know how I went so long into the semester without finding this gem. ItIt Sandwich Cafe reminds me most of a Pret (a place all New Yorkers treasure). To be honest, I haven’t tried anything from here except for the iced cappuccinos which are INSANE.
3. OilShoppe
   1. Oil Shoppe (located in the Lion’s Fountain Neighborhood) is famous for its sandwiches and amazing salads, which are why I originally would frequent it for lunch. However, after trying the ice coffee one day I started making trips to the shop for it’s frothy deliciousness alone. There is something about this iced coffee that is just pure perfection. It has a whipped, creamy consistency–no milk or sugar needed.

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*all photos courtesy of trip advisor*

 

Tanti Baci!

The Beauty of Doing Nothing: Sorrento, Positano and Capri

For my official last trip of the semester (that sounds so weird to even type!), I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the weekend than going to the beach. I think people tend to forget how stressful traveling is. And, while once you get there it is easy to relax, the trains, planes, bags and tickets are a sure way to make a vacation not feel like a vacation. I am so happy for all the weekends I got to spend jet setting to different countries all over Europe, but they were mainly spent waking up early to try to get to as many monuments as possible before having to go back to school Monday morning. My roommates and I spent the perfect last weekend laying on the beach doing nothing at all at the Amalfi Coast.

We took  a train Thursday night to Naples from Florence and then from Naples took a car to the town of Sorrento. Sorrento is a quaint little beach town that is perfectly located close enough to the two other places we wanted to hit this weekend—Capri and Positano. Positano, another town on Italy’s famous Amalfi Coast, was a short car ride from Sorrento and had tons of linen shops and lemons the size of my head. We spent the day in Positano laying on the beach and eating the amazingly fresh seafood the seaside town had to offer. The next morning we took a ferry to the tiny island of Capri. The ferry lets you off in the port and you can walk or take a tram to the town that is at the top of the mountain. We decided to get the exercise (we could all use it after this semester) and hike up to the top. The view from the top made up for the hundreds of stairs we had to climb. We tried some famous Neapolitan Pizza and got some equally as famous Capri lemon slush for dessert.

We spent our last night in Sorrento where festivities were being held for a national holiday that took place this weekend. I highly recommend going to Primavera Gelato if you find yourself in Sorrento. I got Twix and Snickers gelato in a sprinkle covered cone—at little slice of Italian heaven!

Tanti Baci!

Amalfi Coast lemons! They’re huge!!!

Amazing seafood restaurant in Positano. They had squid ink spaghetti!

Primavera Gelato! Twix and Snickers on a sprinkle cone!

Eastern Europe Adventure

For our last out of country trip of the semester (wow has time gone by fast!) my roommates and I decided to head to Munich, Germany for Springfest–Oktoberfest’s younger sibling. To be honest, we bought the tickets so long in February I almost forgot we were going to Munich at all. I have had so many connecting flights in the Frankfurt and Munich airport this semester I feel as though I have already visited Germany. Munich is very much unlike any city I have visited before. The location that Springfest was held was a short walk from our hotel (about a five minute walk). It took place in a large carnival with many rides and different booths with traditional Bavarian food and of course sausage, pretzels, cider and beer. There were two tents, a red and a blue, that had benches to sit at and order liters of beer, as well as German performers.

Springfest was fun for a day, but we knew we couldn’t handle it for the whole weekend so Saturday morning we took a one hour train ride from Munich to Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and was easily my favorite part of our trip.

The train ride from Munich to the city took us through acres and acres of rolling grass fields, with flowers and cows and towns that looked like they were out of a fairytale. And Salzburg was no different. The town was beautiful, with a river flowing through the Old Town and the New Town, and mountains in the background.

We knew we wanted to see the filming locations of the Sound of Music so we purchased a 16 euro hop-on hop-off bus ticket that took us to attractions like Mozart’s House and Mirabell Palace and Gardens and also to the famous Sound of Music gazebo and Leopoldskron Palace, where the Trapp family lived during the movie.

We only spent the day in Salzburg, but I wish I could have spent the entire weekend there. If you find yourself in Munich, definitely take the time to visit Austria as well!

Tanti Baci!

The beer garden we visited for lunch before the festival

A liter of beer!

Sound of Music Tour

Mirabell Palace Gardens

Palazzo Vecchio: A New View of the City

My Florence apartment is very close to the Duomo making it so I walk by the massive line to climb to the top of the dome daily when I’m walking to school or going to get groceries. I have been to the top of the Duomo a few times now and the view is spectacular and breathtaking. however, last night my roommate and I ventured to the tower of Palazzo Vecchio and I have to say I think the view from the top might rival that of the Duomo—with a much shorter line.

Palazzo Vecchio, is the town hall of Florence. it overlooks Piazza della Signoria (which has the copy of Michelangelo’s David Statue) and the galleries of statues in the Loggia dei Lanzi. The tower itself is 95 meters high (the Duomo at its highest point is 114.5 meters), with a much shorter climb than the Duomo; i think in total it took us less than 10 minutes to climb. The great thing about the view from the tower is you can actually see the Duomo and the clock tower, the church of Santa Maria Novella, and great views of the Arno.

i highly recommend going around sundown for awesome views of the city!

 

Tanti Baci!

Amster(damn) its Spring!: Amsterdam Day 2

The weather in Amsterdam cleared up considerably for our last day in the city, so we put the sunshine to good use embarking on a bike and canal tour. My sister and I took a 2 hour bike tour through Yellow Bike Tours that took us to the Anne Frank House, Van Gough Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Red Light District. The tour was really informative and I loved getting to see the city through a different perspective. I felt like I was experiencing the city again for the first time when I was biking around–I noticed a lot of things that I didn’t when I was walking and felt more like a local. After we finished our bike tour we head to a canal tour to see the city from yet another different viewpoint–the water. Amsterdam has more than 100 kilometers of canals, 90 islands and 1500 bridges. The three main canals of the city are Herengracht (Gentleman’s Canal), Keizersgracht (Emperor’s Canal) and Prinsengracht (Prince’s Canal), each with their own distinct feel in the way in which the buildings along the canal and width differ.

After spending only two days in the city, I think it’s safe to say that Amsterdam is officially my favorite city I have been to so far. The air is fresh, the streets are quiet and lined with flowers and trees, the people are friendly, and the architecture is breathtaking. I can’t wait until I have the chance to go back to Amsterdam and explore more of the Netherlands!

Tanti Baci!

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spring has sprung in amsterdam

smallest house in Amsterdam

ready for our bike tour!

Going Dutch: Amsterdam Day 1

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This particular weekend was unlike any other so far on my adventure on account of the fact my sister is in FloTown for the week. Naturally, even so I didn’t want to spend the weekend not traveling so as soon as she touched down in Italy from her flight from Seattle we hopped on a plane the next morning to go to Amsterdam. I was especially excited to come to Amsterdam because not one person I have talked to has had a negative thing to say about the city, in fact, many of them say it is their favorite city they have visited in Europe.

We landed in Amsterdam at about 8:30 am, took a cab to our hotel to drop our bags, and then we were off! We headed first to the Anne Frank Museum because we knew the longer we waited, the longer the line to get into the museum would be. The line in total took about 3 hours. But even in the rain it was worth it. Photos of the inside of the house were forbidden for obvious reasons, but even so I don’t think it is a place I will ever forget. The museum takes form in an exhibition in the house that Anne Frank and four other members hid in during Nazi Persecution and is known as the “Secret Annex”.

The walls are lined with quotes from Anne’s diaries and there are many, many artifacts from the house during the time of their hiding, including the moveable bookcase that disguised the door to the secret annex. The exhibit was extremely touching and really displayed what a bright young girl Anne was and how she maintained  spirit in her writing through such a difficult time.

After the museum we spent the afternoon after lunch walking up and down the sides of the canals that run throughout the city. Because of the waterways it is actually faster (and easier) to be and walk everywhere in Amsterdam rather than drive.

To wait out the rain that came in the later part of the afternoon my sister and I headed to the Heineken Brewery. I had so much fun at the Guinness Factory in Dublin, I was curious to see how the Heineken Experience matched up. Though not as big as the Guinness Factory was, it was still really fun. The Heineken Experience wasn’t as informative about the brewing process and what goes into making the beer, but it had a lot of fun exhibits inside that made it entertaining. As a bonus with your ticket you get a free keepsake glass.

For our final day in Amsterdam we’re going to go on a bike tour and then try to find a boat ride. More pictures soon to come!

Tanti Baci!

Easter Break: Bunny Hopping Countries

I don’t have class most Fridays, and because of the Easter holiday I got this past Monday off–giving me a four day weekend to do one of my new favorite past times: travel. I left Thursday night by bus and headed off to my first two destinations: Cannes and St.Tropez. From there I went to Barcelona for two days and then headed to Nice and Montecarlo for a day before coming back to Italy (I do have school as much as I pretend I don’t.)

Cannes and St.Tropez

Cannes is most famously known for the international film festival it hosts around the summer time. While I obviously will never be in attendance at such a high class event, it’s really easy to see why they chose Cannes as a location. Cannes is super beautiful with lots of palm trees and buildings with balconies. I only spent the morning in the city but when the weather gets nice there were a lot of beaches I could see myself spending time at.

St.Tropez was one of my favorite places we visited because it was so quaint. Quaint however does not mean inexpensive by any means, if anything St.Tropez was one of the most expensive places i’ve visited so far (besides Montecarlo). There were lots of high end shops like Hermes, La Duree, Longchamp, La Perla, etc. While I didn’t buy anything it was fun to walk down the streets and go window shopping.

Barcelona

I spent most of my spring break in Barcelona so I have seen all of its major attractions but it was nice to visit it with a friend, as I came by myself. We hit up all the major sites like Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, and all of Gaudi’s famous buildings that are sprinkled throughout the city. My favorite part of the trip was the day we spent at the Barcelona Aquarium. I am a sucker for animals (I spent all day at the zoo when I was here over spring break) and loved watching the sting ray. I would definitely recommend heading out to the marina to check out the aquarium if you find yourself in the city,

Nice and Montecarlo 

Nice was another beautiful city on the French Riviera that was full of beautiful architecture and surrounded by blue water and beach. We spent the morning we were there popping into shops and checking out the antique market they have on Mondays. I would 100% recommend checking this out, as due to the “classiness” of the area these are not your normal flea market finds. There are loads of designer bags, fur coats, and beautiful kitchen ware.

Montecarlo was our last stop and is the capital of the second smallest country Monaco (with Vatican City being recognized as the smallest). I only know the city from the James Bond movie Casino Royale. I wasn’t dressed well enough to be let into the casinos that were there but I had a fun afternoon looking at all the expensive cars that lined the streets and seeing the church in which Grace Kelly is buried.

Tanti Baci!