Adventure Awaits: January in Florence

8 days into the new year, I embarked on my journey abroad. The day for me to get the chance to live and study in a foreign country had finally come. Granted I was nervous, I couldn’t help but feel excited for the memorable moments and learning experiences that were waiting for me on the adventure ahead. Once I arrived in Florence, I got the chance to not only meet, but bond with my 7 roommates who have made this experience better than I could have ever imagined. Being able to explore a new country, experiment with new foods, and have lots of laughs with such kind hearted and adventurous friends are what has made my first month in Italy so meaningful.

For starters, claiming the food in Italy is incredible is an understatement. Though eating carbs for 3 meals a deal isn’t ideal for my health, I can’t seem to stop myself from indulging in all of the delectable dishes that Florence has to offer. Here are my favorite meals from this past month.

1. My Favorite Restaurant: Calling all seafood lovers, this dish is your ultimate dream. I had been dying to try seafood a few days into being in Florence since I have only heard great things about how Italian chefs prepare it. I can now confirm that this claim is valid. Dante’s Trattoria Pizzeria here in Florence has easily been one of my favorite restaurants so far in Italy. They offer free unlimited wine for students and all of their meals are under 20 euros. This dish in particular has a special place in my heart. The “Seafood Pasta” sounds like a boring dish when you are first reading the menu, but for the generous amount of mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp and prawn you get, it is far from it. The light lemon-garlic sauce in the dish paired perfectly with Dante’s vino bianco. An absolute must try when you are in Florence, especially if you are a student! (Make sure to bring your student ID card with you.)

Seafood Pasta at Dante’s Trattoria Pizzeria.

2. First Home Cooked Meal in Italy: In addition to all of the meals I have been able to enjoy eating out in Florence, I have finally gotten the chance to be able to cross off “cooking a meal in Tuscany” off of my bucket list. Obviously, my first home cooked meal in Italy HAD to be a pasta dish, considering pasta here is so cheap, along with all of the ingredients I chose to add to it. To start off, I cooked about two cups of farfalle pasta until al dente in a large pot. I then sautéed freshly minced garlic, roughly chopped cherry tomatoes, and fresh sliced mushrooms in a pan coated with the most amazing olive oil sourced directly here in Tuscany. Once this medley was cooked to my liking, I added in chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder that was cooked in a separate pan. I added in the cooked farfalle into the pan with the other ingredients, tossing them all together and adding a (very) generous amount of freshly shaved parmesan and a handful of arugula. This meal was one of the quickest I have made and was also super yummy.

Farfalle with Garlic, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Chicken, and Arugula.

Florence not only has some of the best food, but some of the most beautiful architecture, artwork and scenery. The Piazza del Duomo, Piazza Michelangelo, Galleria dell'Accademia & the Carosello de Piazza della Repubblica are breath taking spots throughout Florence I have had the privilege to experience while only being here for a few weeks. (Check out some photos below!)

The Statue of David at Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy.

The Piazza del Duomo in Florence, Italy.

Sunset at Piazza Michelangelo in Florence, Italy.

Carosello de Piazza della Repubblica in Florence, Italy.

As I continue my studies and travels for the remainder of the semester, I keep in mind how grateful and lucky I am to get the opportunity to spend the spring in Florence. I look forward to all of the places in Italy and the few countries in Europe I plan on visiting within the next few months. I can’t wait to update you all on my adventures and as always, if you have any recommendations or comments on my semester here in Italy, please reach out!

XO,

Sabrina

@ClothesMindedLife