Traveling Around: Florence, Italy

Can you relate?

• Trying to speak Spanish (because of a lack of Italian) and thinking that you will easily be understood.
• Paying in Euros, but still thinking in U.S. Dollars.
• Using websites to find the best places to eat at, then arriving to those places only to find that they are too expensive for your budget.
• Roaming around and trying your best to avoid the hordes of tourists everywhere.
• Walking up a grueling 400 some steps to get to the top of the Bell Tower; and being awarded with an excellent view of the city (on a really nice day as well).
• Enjoying the warmer temperatures and appreciating them, knowing that the average temperature where you live is much lower at this time in the year.
• Staying at a cheap, but very unique and cool, bed and breakfast.
• Going shopping in a nearby grocery store, outside of the city center, with the locals…wishing that many of the products were being sold in the grocery stores where you live.
• Searching for the “best” italian pizza only to find just average tasting pizzas instead.
• Taking the time to visit some museums, appreciating the important art history of the area.
• Finding it a challenge to get your daily schedule to coincide perfectly (better) with the sometimes frustrating opening times of the local restaurants.
• Thinking that it was a cheaper option to eat at the Mc. Donalds for a quick bite to eat, only to find out that the prices were WAY above what you are used to…for a fast food place!
• Checking out the pretty amazing outfits of the senior citizen community of Florence.
• Making a mistake by diverting our walk a bit to check out an outdoor market, with the hope that it would have some unique items and not be so touristy….wrong!
• Forgetting to take advantage of our hotel room’s balcony to really take in our location and surroundings.
• Regretting not getting out of the city to really check out the countryside of Tuscany.

Currently we have 31 international schools listed in Italy on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on them:

• International School of Bologna (15 Comments)
• International School Florence (10 Comments)
• International School in Genoa (10 Comments)
• American School of Milan (13 Comments)
• Bilingual European School of Milan (19 Comments)
• Sir James Henderson School (7 Comments)
• The Bilingual School of Monza (8 Comments)
• The English International School of Padua (12 Comments)
• Ambrit-Rome International School (7 Comments)
• American Overseas School of Rome (5 Comments)
• International School of Trieste (9 Comments)
• International School Turin (15 Comments)

If you are on a trip right now, away from your host country, write to us at admin@internationalschoolcommunity.com with your “Can you relate?” traveling experiences.  Tell us where you are traveling in the world, what you are seeing and how you are coping with any culture shock.  Once your Traveling Around experience is posted on our blog, International School Community will give 6 free months of premium membership!