The Top 2

I'm going to do this backwards because i want you to scroll down and read the entire entry instead of reading number one and skipping number 2 because number 2 is awesome.

NUMBER 2. - PARCO DELLA CASCINE

Heaven

The only place in the city of Florence with deciduous trees. I miss the shit out of deciduous trees. Olive trees are just fine for producing olive oil and other olive products, but the happiness they provide is a very temporary one. Deciduidity (ask Carranza if that's a word) is more about a state of mind. The colors it provides are so satisfying that its almost as if fall can't happen without them. They also provide fresh air, which in this city is perhaps the most rare commodity of all. The difference is so drastic upon entering the park, your body will begin to feel as though you just regained use of your lungs. It is also much quieter within the limits of the park. Italians are also much less to elbow you and asian tourists are about as common as sunny days in the month of December. All i'm saying is that if you need a break from the horrors of city life, you dont have to go to the medici villas to find an escape. In the park you have all the freedom in the world to walk, breathe, and run if you find it necessary. 

THE NUMBER ONE BEST PLACE IN FLORENCE 1. - VIA DEL MORO 2A

Me, Christina, Davide, Mike, Alice. ( not featured Jaime )

A very cheesy choice. Perhaps the cheesiest. 4 cheeses sometimes. Quattro formaggi. Really though, i grew very close to a group of people here and enjoyed some of the most delicious meals of all time with them. Im not going to elaborate on who did what or even attempt to pinpoint the craziest one of us. All i know is that i am thrilled to have been able to share the experiences of this semester with such a good group of kids. I am going to miss the ability to walk down a set of stairs into such a happy and entertaining environment. I will see you all soon and look forward to the next time we cook far too much food and drink more than our fair share of wine. 

A Little Catching Up To Do..

NUMBER. - 7 THRU 3

3. Sant Agostino 23 ( Favorite Restaurant )

4. Italian ( Favorite Class )

5. The Joshua Tree ( Favorite Bar )

6. La Carraia ( Favorite Gelateria )

7. "The Big Red Bridge" ( Favorite Bridge )

So in order to keep the countdown in a readable fashion...

NUMBER 3. - SANT' AGOSTINO 23

I highly recommend eating at this establishment. Its location in the Santo Spirito neighborhood of Florence makes it a bit difficult to stumble upon but it is well worth the trip. Upon arrival you might be a bit hesitant, as i was, to enter what seems like a small and unimpressive kitchen. You will be glad you did. The menu is stacked. The adventure begins with the antipasti which can be anything from a plate of meats and cheeses to a sumptuous salad. The prima piatti has much to offer as well. My own experience included a plate of pasta carbonara and... a garlic breaded pasta. After this Alice and i started on the second piatti of spicy pork and a Fiorentina bistecca... the menu is BOMB. All i will say is that you should be prepared to speak italian and spend around three hours eating.

NUMBER 4. - ITALIAN CLASS

ELENA! Far and away the best part of the Palazzo Rucellai Program. I can not say enough good things about this class. By far the best language course i ve ever taken ( spanish blows! ). AND it was actually useful. After a week or two of only saying SCUSI in my obnoxious fake italian accent, i finally found myself being able to ask for things... or at least being able to say that i wanted them. Elena didnt just teach us the language though. This class taught us many cultural things such as Italian greetings ( a very funny class ) and introduced us to the concept of Aperitivo ( drinks and appetizers from 7-9 before dinner). It was really more about just helping us survive in this country and i think it did just that. 

NUMBER 5. - THE JOSHUA TREE

THE best bar in all of Florence. The place where you will find Palazzo Rucellai students after any significant assignment has been completed. The place where your friends DJ and free drinks are always on the menu. The place where you know half the people in the place and everyone whos working there. Max is the man. He pours the best Heinekens, Erdingers, Murphy's, etc... In general, this is just the place to be when you want to enjoy a drink with your friends and listen to music that you actually enjoy.. and theres almost always a good soccer match or highlight on the tv. 

NUMBER 6. - LA CARRAIA

This is the best gelateria in Florence. Given gelato is one of the best things in all of Italy, it becomes difficult to understand how i rated this place at number 6... too late now... Anyways. The flavours get me going but in this case the QUANTITY blows my mind. Imagine twice as much ciccio'arancia ( chocolate with orange) or biscotti ( cookies) as you would get anywhere else in the city. What im saying is that La Carraia hooks you up right. A two euro cup of anything is more than enough where most other places would give you a bit more than a spoonful for that price... dare i say that i ll be hitting up Friendly's when i get back?

NUMBER 7. - PONTE ALL' INDIANO

Despite being in a historical city full of beautiful bridges, my personal favourite bridge is the one above. I have grown quite attached to this bridge as it has been a destination of my runs for the past three months. It is located on the far end of Le Cascine Park and plays a major part in vehicular transit in the more modern part of Florence. The simplicity of this bridge has always pleased me as well. I am pleased by the two towering vertical supports which take the load of the entire bridge. I am also pleased by the cables which bond the two together. The details of this bridge are particularly enjoyable as well. You can take a closer look at the ends of the cables and observe the massive bolted connections or observe the welds which create these massive steel piers. OR you can venture across the footbridge which hangs below the decks in between the road ways. In general, there is a lot to enjoy about this bridge. It's only downfall is that its so damn far away. 

NUMBER 8. - WALK BACK FROM STUDIO

It never fails. No walk in life can be so pleasureful as the one which follows countless hours spent slamming your brain into your computer screen. Its as if all of a sudden you wake back up again and have an incredible amount of freedom in front of you. This is truly the case too. You have all kinds of options like picking up tasty treats for dinner, stopping for gelato, and, AND if you are lucky enough you are leaving to get sleep. This doesnt mean that i dont enjoy walking around the rest of the city ( although it can be a major pain in the ass). It really just means that i can watch the lights bounce off the arno as its muddy brown waters race through the city carrying the debris de jour. I also have the pleasure of observing the massive front facade of the Uffizi and the Vasari corridor which connects it to Ponte Vecchio. Or i can go along the other side of the river and stop by the Duomo and Santa Croce. Its a win win situation and i promise you, it never gets old.

Number 9

Oltr'Arno on the right.

NUMBER 9.- OLTR'ARNO

The better side of the Arno, is located on "the other side of the Arno River" from the city center and my place of residence. Why is this side better? It's simple. There is less asian tourists clogging the streets, less traffic, and in general is a more pleasant part of town. You will encounter a much higher concentration of actual Florentines and the better restaurants which accompany them. You will also encounter the flagship La Carraia Gelateria which i will elaborate on in a few days. In general, this side of the river is just less obnoxious and offers a lot of tasty treats. Sorry city center, you lose this round.

Blogging? In a Time Like This?

YUMMMM

So, blogging right now should not be a priority of mine buuuuuuuuuuuut i started a countdown and it must go on so..

NUMBER 10. - CONAD

This is by far the best chain of grocery stores in the city. The food is always fresh and the bread is always warm. They always have the things you are looking for and the people who work their are not rotten assholes like the people who work in META. Conad has all the essentials from spicy pepperoni to the always tasty swiss roll. It also has sweet deals on iced tea and a wide variety of apples. I just wish they didnt always ask for the smallest change possible. I will be spending my one and two cent euros at meta in the near future on a large purchase. Just to cause trouble.

Number 11

Piazza Della Republica

NUMBER 11. - PIAZZA DELLA REPUBLICA

This is my favorite Piazza. It wins by default however. The rest of the piazzas in this city are just plain miserable. This particular space is not terrible though and at times is even pleasing to be in. It is the heart of the pedestrian old city. This piazza was once a jewish meat market and then became a parking lot before being converted into a "place for the republic". It can be a very lively space depending upon the time of day. One will almost always encounter a number of different types of vendors selling legal and illegal goods. The carousel is a real treat for those who are into that kind of thing and there are a number of cafes to choose from all along the perimeter. The reason i chose this as my favorite is because it is very close to my apartment and i feel safe here at any time of day. For all of these reasons i have awarded this piazza the prestigious 11 spot on my 12 day countdown! WHOO!

Just an Idea..

I was thinking, and... it occurred to me that some day i might want to be able to remember the names of the places where i once spent the greatest time of my life. It then occurred to me that i have the perfect medium for recording my experiences as well as sharing them with others. So. I am officially starting a countdown.

My 12 Favorite Florentine Places

Why 12?.. because i have 13 days left here and 13 is not such a good number. So i have chosen 12 of my favorite places to share with those who might be studying here next semester or those who are merely interested in what this city has to offer.

NUMBER 12. - MESOPOTAMIA KEBAB

This establishment, if it ever washed up on the shores of America, would sweep across the nation like a wildfire. Their Kebab, in my opinion, is the best Kebab in all of Europe and the workers are extremely friendly. I have tested similar concoctions in several countries and none have compared to the quality of this particular sandwich. The combination of greens, spices, sauce, peppers, tomatoes, and shredded chicken available in Piazza Salvemini is so far unrivaled. It can however be a lot to handle which is why Mesopotamia Kebab comes in at number 12 on the list.