Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2009
Morozzi
The two apartments in my building that were occupied by SACI students were labeled with the name Morozzi. The seven of us came from different backgrounds but after four months in a foreign country, homecooking Sunday night dinners, travelling and living together... we've become a little Morozzi family.
These are the people I spend time with doing random things - walking around Florence, going to soccer games (where Italians curse out the opponents and make obscene gestures), go on hikes in the countryside, oh yeah and eat lots and lots of gelato. My roommates and I also discovered one of our favorite drinks here - Spumante - sweet champagne or in this video -- our first tastes of the dry version.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Florence 2: Sightseeing 101
This was my first weekend in Firenze my roommates and I did a bunch of sightseeing. This is the first installment--Ponte Vecchio.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Fresh Meat for Florentine Restaurants
As I mentioned today, I ate dinner in the Piazza Republica. The restaurant had a great deal. Any dish on the menu and any drink of your choice (including wine or beer) for 10 euro. That sounds like a good buy for me.. considering a glass of wine usually costs at least 4 euro.
One of the waiters told me about the deal and I said I'd come back. So a few hours of shopping later, I returned ready to eat. As I walked through the square I wasn't sure where the entrance was. I walked up to one enclosed patio attached to a restaurant (I'm amazed that Italians actually still put out the outdoor seating in the winter when it's about 40 degrees outside. Even more amazed when I see groups of people eating there!) and my waiter friend came out from an enclosed patio adjacent to the one I was headed toward.
As I redirected my path. A waiter (from the first restaurant I approached) in a red jacket (even the wait staff is well dressed here. If you go into a pasticceria - a pastry shop that sells croissants and gelato and sandwiches, they're sometimes fully clad in suits!) ran toward me where he started waving me in and called, "Come into my restaurant, it's better!" in English.
I felt bad having to turn him down but the wallet dictates the meals.
One of the waiters told me about the deal and I said I'd come back. So a few hours of shopping later, I returned ready to eat. As I walked through the square I wasn't sure where the entrance was. I walked up to one enclosed patio attached to a restaurant (I'm amazed that Italians actually still put out the outdoor seating in the winter when it's about 40 degrees outside. Even more amazed when I see groups of people eating there!) and my waiter friend came out from an enclosed patio adjacent to the one I was headed toward.
As I redirected my path. A waiter (from the first restaurant I approached) in a red jacket (even the wait staff is well dressed here. If you go into a pasticceria - a pastry shop that sells croissants and gelato and sandwiches, they're sometimes fully clad in suits!) ran toward me where he started waving me in and called, "Come into my restaurant, it's better!" in English.
I felt bad having to turn him down but the wallet dictates the meals.
Florence and seeing Sart Differently
Number three in the gloves post is right by the post office and a piazza (square) where I had dinner tonight! Fabulous seeing the people and the places everyday. I forgot my camera in my apartment and I've only been using internet here in this little Gelateria (Ice Cream Shop) around the corner. They offer free wi-fi, with the purchase of a Cup of Gelato 1.5 euro or a tea or anything for as little as 1 euro! Fabulous trade off for an hour or two of internet access.
I've been enjoying the sales which take place only in January and then only again in May! I've got to get it all done now! I've since purchased from one of those haggling street vendors, an across the chest purse to hold my essentials and hopefully keep me safe from pickpockets. Nearly everyone wears them here, I think it helps me fit in. The other day actually, I was stopped by an Italian man who asked me for directions to a place I didn't know, obviously. I responded with a confused look and some broken Italian (which is getting much better by the way) and he got the idea.
I went shopping at ZARA here too and it was fabulous. I got a great shirt for 12 euro! The styles, boots, fashions, bags, nearly everything you can imagine putting on your body in a fashionable way... you could probably find inspiration here.
Aside from that, there are little shops for almost everything you could want! Glove shops, hat shops, eye glasses shop, shoe shops, bag shops, scarf shops, even a nineTnine cent shop! Where one can find some American chocolate candies for, as the name indicates, 99 cents. Also toilet paper.
I've been enjoying the sales which take place only in January and then only again in May! I've got to get it all done now! I've since purchased from one of those haggling street vendors, an across the chest purse to hold my essentials and hopefully keep me safe from pickpockets. Nearly everyone wears them here, I think it helps me fit in. The other day actually, I was stopped by an Italian man who asked me for directions to a place I didn't know, obviously. I responded with a confused look and some broken Italian (which is getting much better by the way) and he got the idea.
I went shopping at ZARA here too and it was fabulous. I got a great shirt for 12 euro! The styles, boots, fashions, bags, nearly everything you can imagine putting on your body in a fashionable way... you could probably find inspiration here.
Aside from that, there are little shops for almost everything you could want! Glove shops, hat shops, eye glasses shop, shoe shops, bag shops, scarf shops, even a nineTnine cent shop! Where one can find some American chocolate candies for, as the name indicates, 99 cents. Also toilet paper.
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