Photos taken by Asher Savel (Bowdoin College), Student Correspondent for CET Florence, Fall 2024
A Tuesday Evening
After the second day of class, we had a picnic in the Giardino delle Rose, a public rose garden just a ten-minute walk from the CET center. In addition to having delicious traditional Tuscan Foccacia and Torta della Nonna, a group of us decided to climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo to get a breathtaking view of the city for only a short walk. After looking out on the city, we went to a local library, Biblioteca della Oblate, where we found an even better view for studying.
Rafting along the Arno River
On another Wednesday night, during another CET excursion, around thirty people from our cohort got to row the historic Arno River, which cuts the city in half. In addition to racing each other between the Ponte Santa Trinita and the Ponte Vecchio, watching the sunset on the Arno was highly memorable.
Our raft guides shared some fascinating history of the city. The Ponte Vecchio, being seven hundred years old, has only sold jewelry since the Medici made the space exclusive for jewelers in the 1500s, as well as how Michelangelo helped design the Ponte Santa Trinita. The experience helped me see the city differently, and the lights adorning the river at night were ethereal.
Orientation at Villa Ilangi
As part of our orientation to CET in Florence, we had the amazing opportunity to spend a day at a local winery in Tuscany. It was just thirty minutes away from the city. The staff at Villa Ilangi gave our entire CET cohort a tour of their facilities and showed us how they make their wines. After a quick look at their gorgeous dining room and wine cellar, they took us for a walk through their vineyard and explained the perfect time to harvest their grapes if we ever wanted to open our own winery.
In an even larger dining room, we had lunch consisting of three courses, from salumi and bruschetta as antipasti to an excellent tagliatelle better than any pasta I’ve had in the US. We finished the meal with a crema al tiramisu, and of course, all paired with a glass of Villa Illangi’s flavorful Chianti. Afterward, we all relaxed by the pool for the afternoon, talking, swimming, sleeping, and playing cards.
Exploring Shops on the Weekend
Florence has hundreds of unique stores selling artisanal specialties like Tuscan leather and gorgeous stationery. Many tourists take advantage of the artistic shops that can be found everywhere in the center. On a few nights and the weekends, we stopped by a few.
We found a small stationery chain in the city called Il Papiro, and we visited a location right next to the Duomo. They sold only handmade products with captivating designs and even softer paper. Another night, after shopping at a grocery store for dinner, a friend and I passed by a local record store that was covered in all of the music memorabilia you could ever hope to find. They were blasting house music and sold local Italian and American records for anyone to enjoy.
At Night, the City Comes Alive
After dinner, especially as Italians eat at around 8:00 PM, a customary walk around the town makes for some great photos and even better memories. I took this photo right outside our apartment. With lots of activity so close to my apartment, it is tough to get bored.