hadleyway

Ciao Florence

Published on December 18, 2024 by hadleywayLeave a comment

I have not been super active in a few weeks so let’s catch up.

I went to London with my two girlfriends! We had a blast and a half. We saw two West End shows: Hamilton and Wicked. I was a little disappointed with the Hamilton cast, but the Wicked cast exceeded my expectations. We also indulged in the classic high tea at Kensington Palace! Fit for a princess. When we didn’t have reservations or shows to see, we spent time walking around the public parks and neighborhoods nearby. On the first morning, we stumbled upon the changing of the guard ceremony! We saw all the sights, did a lot of shopping, and fish & chips eating. It was the most perfect girl’s trip I could’ve asked for! So lucky I got to see my Denver girls I miss them already.

The weekend after, I traveled to Zurich to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday! I was SO excited to take the train, I’ve heard that right is beautiful… that is until your train gets stuck in the snow and you have to walk through feet of it to board a different one… but hey it’s an adventure! It was a beautiful winter wonderland after I successfully made it to Zurich. We went to a jazz club, a chocolate factory, and many Christmas Markets. It was so snowy and festive – I even tried some hot cocoa!! I loved it.

The next week I stayed back in Florence to relax and take advantage of my city before I leave. It was also Thanksgiving that week. To be completely transparent, it was a very difficult day for me. I am very family-oriented, so it was weird seeing them celebrate and indulge in family traditions while I was in a different continent. To distract ourselves, my roommates and I went to Rooster Café to have their Thanksgiving meal. It was passing! Then the rest of the weekend, my roommates were gone so I treated myself to pizza and pasta, played tourist and spent an entire morning at the Uffizi Gallery. It was a little lonely, but it was nice to relax before finals.

My boyfriend and his friends then visited Florence the next week. It was fun and entertaining to see all of them – I showed them some of my favorite little places and we even did a wine tour. My roommates and I also did some last-minute Christmas shopping and tourist activities. I even attended church in the Duomo!

Now, I am sitting in my bed in my childhood home. This experience went by so quickly, I hardly blinked. I am so thankful for this opportunity and I will cherish it for the rest of my life. From my professors who made me excited for my future to new and old friends alike, the people do make the place. To my new best friends, I am so happy that Florence brought you into my life. To my old friends I got to share this experience with, I am so glad Florence brought us closer. To my friends all over, I am so lucky to exchange memories and lessons learned. And to people questioning if study abroad is for you, it is. Take the leap and risk, for the reward is priceless.

To everyone who read my blogs throughout the semester, thank you for following along. I hope this inspires you in some shape or another.

Arrivederci,

Hadley

How to Have the PERFECT Day in Florence

Published on November 12, 2024 by hadleyway1 Comment

hadleyway

Hi! I’m Hadley way, a junior studying hospitality management. Currently in Florence, Italy, I write about my experiences abroad. Thanks for following along!!! 🩷🩷

After cosplaying as a tour guide this weekend with my friends, I have curated the perfect itinerary to see Florence (IMO)!!!

Morning

If there is something I am sure about, it is that you need to sleep in a bit before hitting the streets of Florence. This is not an early city, and you don’t need to “beat the crowds” when wanting to see it all. That being said, sleep in a bit. Don’t start your day too early or else you risk the burnout when mid-day rolls around. If you want a big breakfast, head over to Rooster Cafe, not your traditional Italian breakfast, but filling. If you’re wanting a more relaxed breakfast, grab a cafe latte or cappuccino at the Vintage Cafe. After breakfast, go to the leather markets – a must-see when in Florence. Here, you can bargain leather bags & it’s always fun seeing how low you can go. If you chose the latter breakfast option, you are probably going to be hungry earlier (even if you did choose the Rooster Cafe). It is so important to me that you go to the Central Market for lunch. The bottom floor is full of vendors selling produce, cheese, fish, meats, etc. But the top floor is where many locals grab a quick and easy bite to eat. I highly recommend grabbing the Tuscan Burger with Pecorino cheese but be sure to explore all the options (and grab anything the vendors are giving out to sample!)

Mid-Day

After grabbing lunch, I would suggest making your way towards Ponte Vecchio to cross the river. Take your time though – pop into vintage shops on the way or the Gucci store if you’re wanting to treat yourself 😉 When crossing Ponte Vecchio, be sure to stop at the halfway point and look at the Arno River & the city around it. Across the River, you’ll find the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. These are very historic landmarks of Florence, as the Medici family inhabited the Palace (along with other families, but Medici were very influential for Florence). Spend a few hours exploring the Palace and walking around the Gardens – some of the best views of the city are from here!

Evening

After walking around the Palace and Gardens, make your way back to siesta, go to the Odeon Cinema to watch a movie, or pop into a cafe for another espresso! After feeling well-rested, go grab an aperitivo at La Ménagère. It’s like a bar inside of Anthropologie home section. If you’re a student, you even get 10% off if you sign up for emails (do it, you can always unsubscribe later). After eating all of the olives and exploring the store and flowers, finish the night off at my favorite restaurant – Fuoco Matto. It’s a trendier spot, but they perfect every dish. It is also very budget-friendly, whether you want an 8-euro pizza or 30-euro lobster tagliatella, you can have it all.

So yeah, it’s not the perfect day for everyone, but it’s the perfect day for me. Have fun exploring!

Arrivederci,

Hadley