One of the many things I love about Florence is that there are so many small villages and towns just outside the city. Each town is typically famous for a certain type of food or...
Food is such an integral part of Italy's culture, which I love, because who doesn’t like eating fresh and tasty Italian cuisine everyday? But dining out can add up here in Florence, so I decided...
This week the streets of Florence are filled with excitement around Pitti Immagine Uomo, literally translated as Pitti Image Man, fashion week. This means plenty of designers, models, and fashionistas are out flaunting the latest Italian trends....
Ciao a tutti! I’m Natalie, the new intern at studentsVille. I’ll be sharing everything I experience and learn from the Italian way of life for the rest of the summer, which I'm pretty excited about....
Evi Reci, student at Political Science of Florence presents her last videoclip filmed in town.We know her personally and we really love and admire her style and her music, so we are very glad to present you...
“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”--Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love
Studying abroad in Italy for 3 months, I knew I couldn’t leave here without visiting Rome. Rome is home to some of the most important and influential history in the world, the capital of Italy, and a huge city with so much to do and see in general. I finally made the trip last weekend, and it definitely was an eventful one! I’ll give you some advice to squeeze in all of the must-see sights while avoiding lines, tourist traps and ultimately making the most of your weekend.
"MANGIA MANGIA!!!” Something not so uncommonly heard as you roam the streets of Florence. I suppose Italian restaurant owners think that just talking about eating will remind passersby that their stomaches are empty and need filling...pronto!?There’s a remarkable amount of differences between dining out in the U.S. and dining out in Italy, that it’s hardly comparable. I feel as though going out in Italy is more about the food, and less about the experience. While in the U.S., surely the food is important, but Americans love being waited on and dining lavishly. It’s all about feeling like a “princess.” The food could taste like pond scum, yet if the room was decorated like the Monte Carlo, you bet the dinner wait for that restaurant is at least 3 hours. While Americans must have perfect service, a server waiting on them to the T, Italians do not put emphasis on this. In fact, I find it hard to even find a server or get their attention if I do find one. Their philosophy is more of a “I’ll take your order when I get around to it and you’ll get your food when you get it.” But the food...thats a whole new story. Since time is not important in Italy, rather, relaxing is key; the food is made to perfection, compared to the American philosophy of “as quick as possible!”
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves,” Henry David Thoreau. This, perhaps is one of many reasons why so many of us yearn to travel the world. Living in Firenze has given me slightly too many opportunities to get lost, but every time I find my way, I’m so proud of myself! This experience has made me a lot more independent. Traveling is not only fun, exciting and liberating; it forces us to feel and think about new things...or perhaps think about things in a new way. All of these experiences give insight into who we really are. During college, a time when we are growing and becoming our adult self more than ever, travel is essential because we discover so many new aspects of ourselves.One of the most opportune times to travel is as a student not only because of the phase in your life as I previously stated, but because now is the time to reap the benefits with all the student discounts and make friends all over the world! If you are like me, and have to work hard for your money and do some serious saving up in order to travel, don't lose hope, with a little extra planning you’ll be able to travel with a smaller budget. The first thing you want to do is order your ISIC card: international student discount card. If you are already in Europe and have not ordered this, but have your university student card, most places will accept the standard university card. This card will provide you with proof of identity and save you lots of money along your way. Always bring this with you to museums, historical sites and many restaurants, as they will offer a discount if you show this as proof that you are a student.
Florence is to fashion as gelato is to Italy! Half the beauty of Florence is the aesthetic view of women and men in their trendiest clothes walking the streets. Florence houses some of the first prestigious designers; Salvatore Ferragamo and Emilio Pucci. Historically Florence is regarded as Italy's first fashion home, and many elegant designer boutiques sit along Via de' Tornabuoni including: Bulgari, Gucci, Prada, Robert Cavalli and Chanel. Simply peering into their display windows is a treat for ones eyes as they are each uniquely beautiful.
