Happy Six Weeks

Written by: Kate Pawlowksi

Major: Art History

Location: Florence, Italy

Having now been in Florence for over a month, I have begun to notice certain aspects of the culture here. Everyone walking the streets who doesn’t happen to be a tourist is dressed in some of the most high end clothing pieces from Gucci to Prada. Along with these stylish dressers, there is a specific culture within non tourist driven restaurants from the amount of food expected to be eaten to the tip at the end.

There are often sales in January within Florence in a lot of major brand clothing stores, leading to an explanation to the very fashionable look of people in Florence. It is strange still to see the majority of people looking their best without seeming to try. The lack of the thrift stores we know and love in the United States also shows this very expensive seeming way of life in Tuscany. While there are many vintage stores within Florence as well, it seems as though they are rarely a steal when it comes to cheaper clothing options, although I am still searching for many. At home, it seems as though the Florentines often shed their designer wear to something more comfortable but when in public it isn’t strange to see one of them buying groceries in designer shoes.

Another thing that I have noticed is the amount of food typically eaten when out and the lack of tipping service workers, whether it’s a taxi driver or a barista. It is often not expected and sometimes even seen as rude, like a way to show the server you are better even though that is not the intention. Often in more tourist driven places the servers will state the total adding that it doesn’t include a tip. It is also common that when you sit down to eat you should plan to be there for a while. There tends to be three or four courses to a meal. They often start with an appetizer or antipasta, then a first course, or primo, consisting of pasta soup or rice dishes. Then the secondo, or second/main course, that is usually meat poultry or fish with a side dish of salad or fruit. Then it is finished with desert and/or coffee.

It is definitely a different experience here than in the States when it comes to very small things such as buying a coffee or just walking the streets. Although I have slowly begun to understand the culture a bit better there is still a long way to go to understanding the country I am living in.

Categories: Clothing, Italy, Understanding Culture