As we wrap up the end of the fall semester, I am feeling so much jealousy for all of you who are getting ready to study abroad in Florence in the spring. Don’t worry, I’m also really excited for you, but I remember this time last year, getting ready, packing, getting my visa figured out. It’s a lot, but it’s absolutely worth it. My time in Florence was one of the best times of my life, and I wish I could rewind back to this time last year, getting ready for the most wonderful, rewarding experience of my life.

So skip ahead a few weeks, and now you’re in Florence, like you’ve just arrived. What should you do? Where should you go? Never fear, I am here with all of my favorite activities, food, and places to go in Florence on any given day.

1. Let’s start with gelato! Carabe is my absolute favorite gelato in all of Florence. On Via Ricasoli right off of the Piazza Duomo. I went with my Food, Culture, and Society class, and it instantly became my favorite. Try ricotta and pistachio flavors!

2. One more good gelato place, Edoardo, right in the Piazza Duomo. At first I thought, “there’s no way this is going to be good, it’s in the center of all the tourists.” I happily admit that I was completely wrong. Go, enjoy, be friends with the people who work there. It is absolutely worth standing in line!

3. Moving onto sandwiches, people will tell you to go to Pino’s and Antico Vinao, and go, they are delicious, but I wish I had found I Due Fratellini before my last week in Florence. It is on Via dei Cimatori, and they make delicious, fresh sandwiches. Stand in line again, it’s worth it.

4. Now we can think about locations. Again, people will tell you to go to Boboli Gardens, and go, it’s beautiful, but don’t forget about the Bardini Gardens. Again, I found this too late, and only got to go one time. It’s a lot smaller, but just as beautiful with a great view.

5. Now for my favorite meal in all of Florence, pear ravioli in a truffle cream sauce from Trattoria Ponte Vecchio, literally only steps from the bridge itself. Again, I thought tourist trap, right? Wrong, it’s wonderful. Go and enjoy it because it is my absolute favorite meal in all of Florence.

Well, hopefully these are just a few fun things to do when you get to Florence. I wish I could go back and do it all over again, but I’m leaving it in your hands now. Make the most of it, your time there will fly by!

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Caitlin Fell
Muhlenberg College

A love of travel was instilled in me from a very early age when I travelled to Italy, France, and England with my family. Knowing I wanted to return to Italy in my lifetime, Florence became the perfect place to call home for the best four months of my life. Living in another culture, a city filled with rich history and tradition, taught me so much, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given to explore Florence, my second home, and all of the other unique places I was able to visit throughout my semester abroad.