As we’ve spent more time in our “home away from Duom,” we’ve started to feel more comfortable with the Euro culture. That’s not to say that this week was without its “fish out of water” moments. We may have tackled our new challenges with a bit more grace, but assimilating into our new environment continues to present us with obstacles.
Our survival tips for this week?
1. Always be aware of special events taking place in the city
With its amazing weather, beautiful art, and rich history, Florence is sure to attract tourists year-round. The constant tourism sometimes poses a challenge when navigating the narrow streets or attempting to get a reservation at the restaurants that your sorority sister boasts has the “BEST RAVIOLI” or “balsamic that’s to DIE for.” Naturally, we didn’t think twice when hundreds of tourists filled the streets outside of our apartment last weekend. It wasn’t until we saw the assemblage of police officers and metal gates that we realized something was different. To our surprise, Florence was hosting an international bike race with thousands of cyclists and just as many avid fans. The streets surrounding our apartment were conveniently shut down, and those that hadn’t been closed were swarming with slow-paced locals and frantic tourists. Our 3-minute walk to the gym had now become a 15-minute trek. And venturing to the other side of the Arno River? Forget about it. One of our few weekends spent in Florence, a chance to explore the city, and we were confined to a ½ mile perimeter surrounding our apartment. MOLTO BENE!
2. Avoid creepy vendors AT ALL COSTS!
You think the Durhamites on a Friday night at Shooters are bad? You haven’t seen anything until you walk through the market in Florence! Here you will get comments ranging from “look at those sexy legs, Jennifer Lopez,” to “how much for 30 minutes?” After countless experiences like these, we decided it was time to figure out how to avoid these extremely discomforting encounters. While we have yet to find the perfect solution since these guys can be persistent, we have come up with a few tips, which have been proven to decrease your daily encounters. 1. Blend in with the Italians! We know that in America, there’s nothing cooler than strutting to class in your sorority tank. However, wearing a sorority tank and lulu lemon leggings through the market in Florence will make you stand out like a sore thumb! The locals are just waiting to find those glaring Americans studying abroad! 2. Wear sunglasses, especially if you have blue eyes! Not making direct eye contact drastically decreases the amount of comments made to you while walking through the streets. Blue-eyed Italians are rare, so you will especially stand out in a crowd, making you even more likely to draw attention! 3. Walk as quickly as possible! The faster you go, the less easy it will be for people to spot or call out to you! Since these tips aren’t 100% effective, sometimes you have to “go with the Flo” and accept these questionably light-hearted remarks with a smile. A compliment is a compliment, right?!
3. Locate a secret bakery
Late-night eating: A college girl’s favorite activity. A magical 15 minutes when calories don’t count, and we can shamelessly stuff our faces with the foods we resist when we’re “thinking clearly.” After our first few nights out in Florence, we were disappointed with the lack of late-night food options. Sure, we’ve been spoiled with unbelievable, authentic pizza…but can’t a girl get some Domino’s cheesy bread every once in a while? Just when we thought our dreams of late-night grub were hopeless, we made a discovery. The secret bakery. It seems that even the thin, beautiful Florence locals can’t escape those late-night cravings. While leaving a club one night, we noticed an Italian party-goer returning home with a white bag in her hand. By this point, we’d developed a sixth sense for detecting food at night, and we were confident that the white bag was hiding some type of pastry. We approached the Florence resident and used our minimal Italian vocabulary to inquire about the pastry. Before we knew it, we were being led down dark backstreets, eventually arriving at a mysterious glass door. We knocked on the door quietly and were greeted by an old man in an apron. For 3 euros, we were given a plethora of pastries: croissants with nutella, homemade donuts, and fruit-filled tarts. At last, our prayers had been answered. Although we’ll never abandon the Tower’s haystack or the burrito at Cosmic, the secret bakeries in Florence will be visited regularly during our time abroad.