Living life the Italian way

yummy risotto with mushrooms from the cafe around the corner from our hotel

I know it’s been such a long time since the last time I’ve posted, but I’ve been so busy squeezing every last ounce of fun out of my last week in Florence (oh yeah, and I was studying for my art history final too). We did so much in the last week… mostly we were were trying to act Italian by eating delicious food, people watching, picnicking, relaxing in piazzas, and meeting new people!

the sandwich "shop" I Due Fratellini (or more like a stand because it's literally just 2 guys behind a counter in the wall)-- really cheap sandwiches that are wildly popular among locals because of the fresh ingredients and delicious bread. It's been around since 1875!

eating on the curb outside I Due Fratellini just like the locals do 🙂

lunch from my favorite cafe in Piazza San Marco-- I spent my last Sunday afternoon leisurely eating my lunch by myself at an outdoor table and people watching. I felt so Italian.

a close-up of the dessert because it was just so delicious

pigeons are EVERYWHERE

Cailin and I just grabbed a bench in a park between our classes and sat there for 2 hours just talking, eating gelato, and watching the children get picked up from school.

making new international friends! This is Yves from Switzerland, whom we met while we were relaxing in the piazza in front of Palazzo Pitti before going in to see a museum.

lounging in a piazza before class... I have such a hard life 😉

experiencing my first Italian train strike while on the way home from Cinque Terre-- Now I feel like I'm truly Italian!!

More will come soon about the other things we’ve done in the last week… plus my first few days in Parma! Let me just tell you now, Parma is amazing and I love it here already. (Though my tailbone is sore from riding my bike on the bumpy cobblestone streets… any tips on how to best avoid this problem??)

A presto, mia famiglia e amici!! ❤