My last full week in Florence was action packed! I’m so happy I got to do so many of my bucket list items such as stay in a hostel, vespa tour, and have solo travel moments. I had some fantastic food too.
Things I’ve Done:
30 Hours in Naples
Our weekend trip to Rome was pre-planned by API and ended on a Sunday afternoon. We happened to have the next day off from school as a “midpoint in the course” so I decided to extend my trip and spend a day in Naples! I met up with my little, Claire who has been studying abroad in Sorrento, Italy! It was so convenient that we were both available to meet up for a night. We stayed a super fun hostel called Ostello Bello Napoli that had a bar, rooftop patio, pool table and board games, and more fun stuff. It felt so safe, clean, and had great amenities like luggage check during the day.
We had a nice dinner by the river which was perfect for sunset. The next day we took the bus and then the train to reach Pompeii. We didn’t splurge on a tour so we did some research on the history beforehand and just wandered. There wasn’t much information for us to read like museums have so we were just kind of inferring what we thought the buildings used to be. They did explain the majorly significant ones though.
My advice: Eat before, the cheap restaurants around there aren’t necessarily good. Pack a big water bottle that you can refill and wear walking tennis shoes. If you are super interested, definitely splurge on the tour! We just wanted to see it.
Cooking Classes
This week’s meals were a hit! On Tuesday we made “Cialdine al pistacchio con mortadella e mela” which was basically pistachio cakes with cooked green apple on top. It is supposed to be an appetizer but I honestly think of it more as a dessert.
On Wednesday we made turkey, zucchini and cheese rolls ups that were wrapped in proscuitto and baked. We sauted spinach alongside this and then added a zucchini sauce on top for extra flavor. This was so easy to make and delicious that my partner and I decided to recreate this for our practical exam!
The last recipe of the week was a spin on Tiramisu where we did not include coffee. It was a very sweet strawberry tiramisu that was just as heavenly.
Climb Brunelleschi’s Dome
If you talk to anyone that has traveled to Florence, they will tell you that you need to climb the Duomo. I was putting it off for a while because of the fact that it is so crowded and so many stairs. I am so glad I made the time to do it though. The views are just absolutely phenomenal. The stairs weren’t too bad actually, I just was very uncomfortable with the confined space because of my claustrophobia.
An annoying thing about buying tickets is that you can’t just buy the ticket to do Brunelleschi’s Dome alone, it has to be included in a package. The most expensive package, of course. This package includes access to all five attractions related to Piazza del Duomo including Baptistery of San Giovanni, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Brunelleschi’s Dome, the Opera del Duomo Museum and the ancient basilica of Santa Reparata. The nice thing about this is that you have access to all of these monuments any time within three days of purchasing your ticket.
There are other packages that you can buy, but they don’t include the Dome climb which is what I wanted to do the most. Climbing the dome takes you through the basilica and allows you to see a balcony view of the church so I didn’t feel the need to tour that. However, I did go to the baptistry which was a quick view but worth it to see the intricate ceiling. I didn’t really care about the museum or bell tower since I had already climbed so many stairs.
Vespa Tour and Winery Tasting
This is easily one of my favorite memories from the Tuscany region. I have been wanting to have a solo travel moment where I organize a trip and explore on my own but in a safe and controlled manner. The best way for me to dip my toe into the water of solo travel was to book a day trip through a tour guide company.
I decided to book a 6 hour vespa and winery tour with Florence Town since I had such a good experience with my bike tour the first week. Once again, they did not disappoint. We met at their office in Florence where we signed paperwork and were transferred by a nice bus to an offsite location with the vespas. Here, we were provided waters, driving lessons and time to practice on the vehicle before beginning the tour.
We had a small group of seven with three tour guides which was so helpful. The people that were on the group with me were two seperate families that happened to have daughters my age that we studying abroad. We had so much in common so I got really lucky. One of the families reminded me of my own, which made me feel at home and really want to bring my parents and sister on a tour like this.
I drove my own vespa through the Tuscan hills in the Chianti region. After our practice on the gravel, the smooth roads were a piece of cake and I got a hang of it quickly. Everytime we were crossing the road or at a roundabout, an instructor would pull up in front of the group and block traffic. It was very strategic and made me feel confident and safe. I was so at ease just following the leader, enjoying the views, and loving the thrill of the wind against my face. It is not often that my anxiety stricken brain is able to relax and just feel content, but this was one of those moments of pure joy.
After the vespa ride, we dropped off our vehicles and were shuttled to a winery for a tour. We sampled extra virgin olive oil, a unique blended white wine, and a unique blended red. The winery was small and only sells 50,000 bottles a year through custom orders.
The second winery was my favorite. We got a much more in detailed tour of the landscape and facilities and the tour guide was very engaging. We had an included meal of meats, cheeses, papa al pomodoro, bruschetta, and salad. Alongside that, we had three different wines to try, two reds and one rose. I loved one of the red wines which says a lot for me since I don’t normally like them. Two bottles cost only 18 euros so I bought one to drink now and one to take home.
I could not recommend this excursion or company more!! A group tour was a great entry into solo travel for me.
Places I’ve Eaten:
Mame
I was really craving greek food so I found the cutest mom and pop gyro place across the river. My chicken gyro and spanikopita were fantastic. The only downside is that this is a street food place so there is no seating.
Pinos
Yet another famous sandwich shop that I had to try out! This is a favorite among study abroad students and you can tell by the hanging college pennants on the wall. I really liked my sandwich here and they had plenty of seating unlike the other shops.
Tosca & Nino at La Rinascente
This rooftop restaurant is hidden on the 6th floor of a department store. You would have never thought to go to unless you were looking for it. The patio is hot but has plenty of umbrellas to keep you in the shade. It is worth it though to enjoy the gorgeous views of the Duomo! I had a super fresh peach salad that I would definitely order again.
Sbrino Gelatifico Contadine
You know it’s a good gelato place when there are lids on the containers. When I walked by Sbrino Gelatifico Contadine and saw that, I made a mental note to come back. I really loved the tiramisu flavor here. It is right by the iconic photobooth that all of the influencers post near so that is fun too.
Takeaways:
- The train system is a pain to figure out. You can’t show up to early because there is nowhere to sit and the train information won’t be up yet. But if you are two minutes late, too bad. I miscalculated the time the bus would take to get to the train station, causing me to miss my train. I also didn’t realize that the longer distances trains are just like international flights. They arrive earlier and give you more time to board, but there is no way to cut it close here.
- Trains to Sorrento are particularly difficult, you can’t really book them online. There is even a special machine that you buy those tickets from. The Naples train station has them on a completely different floor. It was very confusing.
- I did a lot on my own this week and really loved it. I thrived off of the freedom and confidence that came with solo travel.
- I really ran myself into the ground on week four. I got sick from fried food, missed my train, and burnt my hand on boiling water. I kept pushing through so that I could do all that I wanted to, but at the price of my health. I had to essentially ground myself to stay in and watch a movie after class on Tuesday to regroup. I hated it, but needed it.
- I was so excited to stay at the hostel to meet other travelers in the bunk rooms. Our reservation got messed up so we didn’t really get to do that. Instead, they gave us a private room for cheaper than what we even paid for the bunk room! When you are flexible and kind, things will work out for you.
