Carnevale in Venice: According to Kaitlin J.

Over the weekend, 75 students from Northern California traveled to Verona & Venice to take part in the world-famous Carnevale celebrations! Here are some photos from Kaitlin J's point of view...

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Cooking Class: According to Hailie G.

Just got my hands messy making some home made raviolis with spinach and cheese, with an artichoke quiche appitizer (not sure if that's what it was called) and panna cotta with chocolate for dessert. Mmmm!

Don't tell my mom that I am learning how to cook.. or that I know how to cook. 

We had to meet on the middle of the Ponte Vecchio (view shown below). This is that bridge with all that snazzy gold on it *sparkle in my eye* 

Anyway, that isn't the topic. So from there we went to this little restaurant/caffe where we were learned to make this lovely meal.

The chefs were amazing! They were very funny and totally entertaining. The main one, Francesco loved my friend Melodie's name. He even started singing to her a little bit *chuckle.*

I just threw this one in here because it was cool.

I am not sure what to say about this other than it was such a good experience. I had never made raviolis before, let alone home made pasta. It was quite the accomplishment! We didn't use any egg white or water to close the ravioli either like you see on tv, but still it tasted marvelous! We had to use a lot of team work though because once we got the pasta rolling everything sped up. We had a little assembly line going. I am getting a little sick, so in all honesty everything was a bit of a fog, but luckily they gave us the recipes so I can continue to make it when I get home. Yay! So, take a look at our wonderful food and be jealous :)

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Shoe Shopping in Florence: According to Fiona

Like most people visiting Florence, I wanted to buy some nice Italian shoes. I went online and simply googled “10 best shoe stores in Florence,” and after some clicking around I ended up on TripAdvisor.com, where I found two promising shops.

The one I decided to visit first is called Goccia, which is on Via Pellicceria in Florence (really close to the Piazza de Repubblica). It’s a pretty tiny shop, but it’s worth finding for sure! I was there during the last few days of their winter collection sale. (The TripAdvisor review that convinced me to go)

I bought 3 pairs of shoes there! 

Petra, me and Nino. They’re both very nice, and speak English really well. They’re really helpful; just tell them what you’re looking for and they’ll be able to assist you.

My roommates Elizabeth V. and Kat L. tagged along, and they both bought shoes there too. Elizabeth V. ordered this style of shoes to be made for her.

Elizabeth V.

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Weekly Round-Up: According to Elizabeth M.

Elizabeth M. shares a few photos and talks about pizza making, the hunt for the perfect gelato, and more...

Ciao! It’s been about a week and a half now that I’ve been in Florence, and it’s hard to believe that it’s still only the beginning of the trip! I feel like I’ve done so much already, and there’s still so much more for me to do! This is a photo of the pizza that I made yesterday (and ate half of right then because yum, it was delicious) and a lovely glass of complimentary wine! Today I have a wine tasting class after our ILC (Italian Life & Culture) class, and I’m so excited to try out all the delicious wines!  :)

Kaitlin and I have been wandering around trying to find the best gelato, and so far we have found two delicious places! The first is located across the Ponte Vecchio and is named Gelateria della Passera. It’s located at Via Toscanella, 15R, and has an amazing Earl Grey flavor. Plus, it’s only 1 euro for a scoop in a cup, and yummmm. The second place we found is called Le Botteghe di Leonardo and is located on Via Valori, 12. We got a scoop in a cone, and it was SO delicious. This is Kaitlin’s scoop of nocciola (hazelnut) and she said it was amaaazing.

This is us at a lovely pizzeria in Lucca. I ordered the ‘fortuna’ pizza and it was delicious, I ate the entire thing, and it was a large pizza!

And a ‘lovely’ photo of me and my roomies in front of the leaning tower of Pisa! Hahaha!

We’re all enjoying Florence so much, hope you’re all doing well! xo

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Best Spots to Study in Florence

We know, we know...as fun and exciting as it can be to study abroad, there comes a time in every study abroad student's life where they actually need to...you know, STUDY.  While some people are perfectly fine studying at home, others seek the quiet refuge of a library or a good cafe in order to get their learnin' on.

We've scoured the city and come up with a list of the best study spots in Florence.  Let us know if you've visited any of them & what you thought, or if you have a study place to add to our list!



1.  Biblioteca Oblate 
Close to: the Duomo
Via dell'Oriuolo 26 |  Tel. 055 261 6512
Hours: Mon. 2pm-7pm, Tues-Sat. 9am-Midnight (Closed Sundays)

This library is one of the best kept secrets in Florence--in fact, the incredible view of the Duomo from the second floor might make it hard for you to study at all! Fully equipped with internet access, quiet areas, and a cafe for those late afternoon snacking needs.  Be warned that outlets tend to get snatched pretty quickly, so come prepared with a full battery on your computer.

2. Caffe Letterario
Close to: Piazza Beccaria, Via Ghibellina
Piazza delle Murate |  Tel. 055 234 6872
Hours: Mon-Sun. 9am-1am
Set in a quiet courtyard of a former prison, Caffe Letterario is a perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. With both indoor and outdoor space, you're guaranteed to find a nice secluded place to crack open your books.  Also, don't miss out on the live music that happens in the courtyard in the warmer months or the Sunday brunch specials!

3. Arnold Coffee
Close to: Santa Maria Novella train station
Via degli Avelli 8/Second entrance on Via Panzani
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun. 9am-8pm

If you're looking for the Italian equivalent of Starbucks, look no further than Arnold Coffee.  This cafe has American-sized lattes, flavored macchiatos, bagels, sandwiches & more, plus the added bonus of free-wifi and a downstairs area with plenty of tables and chairs.




4.  Brac
Close to: Piazza Santa Croce, Ponte alle Grazie Via dei Vagellai 18R | Tel. 055 094 4877
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 12pm-12am, Sun. 12pm-8pm

While it may be hard to find on the first try (the front door is quite plain and can be easily mistaken for just another storage building) this small architecture studio/cafe/bar is a hidden gem tucked away on one of the side streets surrounding the Santa Croce area.  If you walk past the bar in the front, you'll come out into a lovely courtyard decorated with hanging streamers and comfy cushions and chairs surrounding the interior.

5. La Cité

Close to: Santo Spirito, Ponte Carraia Borgo San Frediano 20R | Tel. 055
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 7:30 am-1am, Fri. 7:30am-2am, Sat. 10am-2am, Sun. 3pm-1am

Definitely more of a "hipster" location than its counterparts, La Cité is located on the Oltrarno side of Florence and reminds us of many of San Francisco's independent bookstore/cafe/art studio combos.  There's plenty of space to spread out, have a coffee, surf the internet and generally just chill out and take your time with those homework assignments.



6. The AIFS Study Center!
Piazza dei Peruzzi 1
Hours: Mon-Thurs. 8:30am-6:30pm, Fri. 10am-4pm, Closed weekends

While you're here, you might as well take advantage of our AIFS study center.  All computer and printing materials are of course free of charge, plus you get the additional bonus of our awesome AIFS Staff to keep you company and answer any questions for you while you're doing your homework!

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Fun Facts about Florence

Just your typical medieval day in the birthplace of the Renaissance...

Now that all of our students have settled into the swing of things here, we thought we’d brighten up this grey and drizzly Wednesday afternoon with some fun facts about Florence.  That way the next time someone asks you about your new home, you can say “Well, did you know that....?”

Without further ado, the top 5 fun facts about Florence...

5. Did you know that the Duomo is the largest brick dome EVER constructed? Hats off to Filippo Brunelleschi for winning the competition to design Florence’s most impressive landmark. It houses the Cathedral of Florence, which is the second largest church in Italy (coming behind St.Peter’s Basilica in Rome).

4. Piazzale Michelangelo is famous for being one heck of a lookout spot (the piazza overlooks the entire city), but if you head even farther up the hill from Piazzale, you’ll stumble upon the Church of San Miniato, home to some real live monks! If you head up to San Miniato around 4:30 pm you can catch the monks doing their daily Gregorian chants inside the church (in the summer, chanting is done at 5:30 PM).

3. Underneath Piazza della Signoria lies an entire ancient Roman amphitheater!  Excavation of the Roman ruins of the ancient city of Florentia finished in 2010, where archaeologists discovered not only the remains of an amphitheater but also evidence of wells, building foundations and other edifices. Tours are available and reservations are a must (Tours are in Italian language only).

2. Carlo Lorenzini (also known as Carlo Collodi), the writer who created the infamous children’s character Pinocchio, was born in Florence.  

1. Florence is considered to be the birthplace of the modern Italian language, thanks to Dante Alighieri!  Dante used a mixture of his native Florentine and southern Italian influences in his poetry collection The Divine Comedy, which was read throughout Italy and eventually used to standardize the Italian language.

So now you know 5 interesting facts about Florence, Italy! 

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Visiting Pisa & Lucca

It was a rather wet and rainy weekend here in Florence, but we didn't let that stop us from heading west to the small towns of Pisa & Lucca for the day.  Although there had been some concern about flooding in Pisa, the day ended up being clear but cloudy until late afternoon.  Our students from NCSAC and Mount St. Mary's had a guided walking tour in the morning around Pisa, then headed off to the medieval town of Lucca for some lunch and time to explore the ancient walls surrounding the city.

Here's one student's take on how the day went:
Fiona O-Young's Tips on Visiting Pisa & Lucca

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Spring Semester Has Begun-Meet Some of Our New Student Ambassadors!

Last Sunday, 97 students from Northern California jetted across the pond to join us here in bella Italia for a semester of studying, traveling and discovering everything there is to know about Italian culture and how life works here in Firenze.  Throughout the semester, we'll be having guest posts from some of our AIFS students.  In their own words, they'll be showing you what it's like to study abroad in Florence, Italy.

Meet our student ambassadors and check out their individual blogs to see what its like to be an American student living in Florence:

Fiona's Blog: Fiona in Florence
Hailie's Sunset in Firenze
Adventures with Brigitte
Numinous Lands
Bizzie in Firenze
Zach's Adventures in Florence
Spring in Firenze
Follow Firenze

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Happy Holiday Season

We're busy saying goodbye to 2013 but looking forward to 2014, particularly our J-Term groups arriving on January 4 and 5.

The AIFS Florence Partnership Programs staff are taking a break right now but they will be back in the office on January 2 2014.  

Felice Anno Nuovo Tutti!

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From the Pitti to the Cupola.

Its been a week for exploring Florence.  Even after the students have been living in the city for a couple of months, there is always something to see and do.

Alexandra Lawrence (ItalyAlexandra) was our guide on Tuesday last week, taking the students on a journey of discovery inside the Pitti Palace.

Palazzo Pitti, few steps from the Ponte Vecchio

Alex sets the scene, going through 550+ years of history

Then up several flights of stairs into the Palatine Gallery

As is often the case in Florentine museums, the amount to see was somewhat overwhelming but Alex did a great job picking out the highlights.  All of our students receive a Friends of the Uffizi card when they arrive in the city and are encouraged to visit again and again for free.

The next day, it was the turn of Angela Oberer to share her knowledge of the Baptistery and Duomo with the group.  It was a perfect Fall morning, slightly chilly but clear.  Each student was given a combined ticket allowing them to visit the Baptistery, Duomo Musuem as well as climb the Cupola and Bell tower within a 24hr period.  These are must do things in Florence.

Perfect day for learning in the Piazza del Duomo

The museum is currently undergoing renovation but still worthwhile

Angela explains the doors to the group

Great conditions for climbing the Cupola

Angela explained how it was the case that you couldn't enter the church if you hadn't been baptised, hence the reason why many cities have a Baptistry away from the main church building.  Then she described the meaning of the doors and the (sometimes toxic) process involved in making them.

The students then went into the Duomo museum before heading off to regular classes.  In the breaks between classes they were able to head back to the square and explore at their leisure.

The sunset from the top of the Duomo was fantastic!

AIFS staff also took the chance to climb up.  This is Ged and Ember his six month old daughter.

Under the guidance of prof. Rigon many of the Pasadena Students were in Venice this weekend to soak up the city and in particular visit the Biennale.  Rome is calling them on Friday this week.

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Fall back.

The week following a historic football match was always going to be a little on the slower side.  However the city did continue basking in the glow of victory for a few more days, with the local newspaper, La Nazione giving away a commerative poster on Wednesday.  A few copies have ended up in the study center and we will find homes for them soon...

Soon to be found on the walls of the AIFS study center.

Our friends from Pasadena City College were busy studying for Mid term exams as well as fine tuning travel plans as their Mid Term break began after class on Thursday.  Paris, Amsterdam, London and Barcelona appear to be the most popular locations and we're looking forward to hearing all the stories when classes begin again on Monday November 4.

On Tuesday, all our students attended a guided visit inside our local church, Santa Croce. It was a very pleasant afternoon, the Summer crowds have departed and the church was brightly lit but quiet, allowing Angela our guide to tell us all we ever wished to know.

Santa Croce Church

The students armed with listening devices enter the church.

Plenty to see, including the tomb of Michelangelo.

The remainder of the week has been fairly quiet.  This past weekend, Jordan and Nicole from Oregon took a trip upto Venice and Professor Lyons jetted down to explore Sicily. The Oregon students do have class this week.

Marta from AIFS chats to Nicole and Jordan about where to travel in Italy.

At the end of the week, the clocks changed, giving us all an extra hour in bed.  This has meant a brighter start to the day but by 5pm it is now starting to get dark.  Winter is coming. 

Halloween is also upon us, a quick stroll through the city reveals decorations and costumes are available but certainly on a smaller scale than in the USA.  No doubt some people will be in the mood to make the most of Thursday October 31 as Friday November 1 is the feast of Ognissanti (All Saints Day).  For the majority of Italians it is a public holiday.  It is traditional for Italians to visit the graves of relatives on this day. 

Sunset over Florence, viewed from Fiesole on Sunday October 27 2014.

Have a good week everybody.

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Fifteen years of hurt.

As part of our Study Abroad programs, we try and introduce the students to a broad range of experiences and emotions.  This past week in Florence is a perfect example.

On Wednesday evening, all the students attended and evening class about Chianti Wine.  Todd Bolton from Tuscan Trails came in and told the story of wine in this region from the Etruscans to present day.  This was followed by the chance to sample three types of local wine.

Three types of Chianti on offer.

Hopefully all the students will look at red wine differently in the future.

On Friday, we had another daytrip, this time taking in Pisa and Lucca.  Tuscany has so much to offer in terms of daytrips and activities so it was fun to see the tower and stroll the walls of Lucca.

Nicole and Jordan from Oregon.

The group just before they scatter to take "the" picture...

Then on Sunday, October 20 we introduced all the students to another aspect of Italian Culture.  Calcio.  The city had been brimming with anticipation all week and the stadium was sold out for Fiorentina v Juventus.  December 1998 was the last time Fiorentina beat Juventus in Florence, in Serie A.  Juventus are reigning champions but Fiorentina had gotten off to a good start to the season, so the match was well balanced.

Pasadena City College students proudly display their colors before the game.

A full house against Juve.  The empty seats are to creat a buffer to the traveling support.

The balance disappeared during a one sided first half that saw Juventus score two goals. Fiorentina did not play well at all and at half time, the stadium was silent.

Things did not improve much at the start of the second half, with a couple more chances for Juventus.  However luck began to change for la viola with a penalty which brought the score to 1-2.  At this point most in the stadium would have settled for a draw, even if that would have been undeserved.

The tifosi (including the students) start to believe.

Maybe the Curva Fiesole never stopped believing?

4-2 final score.  An amazing day.

However Giuseppe Rossi, the American born Fiorentina player had other ideas with a devastating display of skill and confidence, he brought Fiorentina level before claiming his hat-trick making it 4-2 to Florence.  From despair to euphoria, the entire ground was in disbelief at the turn around.  The final whistle brought jubilant scenes with the entire city cheering and taking to the streets with an outpouring of joy.  Fifteen years was a long time to wait.

You can watch the match highlights here. 

This coming week the students from Pasadena have midterms before starting their break on Thursday evening.  Our Oregon students have regular classes, including a visit to Santa Croce church as part of their Italian Life & Culture class.

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