Observations of Florentine Life

View of Florence from Bardini Gardens. Image by Flora Kontilis 

So I’ve been living in Italy for just over two weeks. I still haven’t quite grasped that fact: I’m living in Florence, Italy. But indeed I am. Maybe it’s this place that explains my dreamlike state. Despite being in a foreign country, in a foreign city, Florence isn’t feeling foreign to me. Already I feel I’ve slid into the rhythm of the community…though I know I still have so much more to learn! Before I go too far here, I want to share some observations of Italian life thus far. These things contribute to culture shock: what to order, when to order, buying groceries, finding your usual produce! Slight, simple shifts to your normal routine can take some getting used to. Even so, I find it fascinating and welcome the bumps in the road…most of them (I’ll share my almond-milk hunt later).

Market in Piazza Santo Spirito. Image by Flora Kontilis

On our first night in Florence we went grocery shopping to gather some basic supplies for our flat. Thankfully there’s a grocery store about 20 steps away! Here I learned lesson one: Italians do not touch produce. They use plastic gloves to gather up their selected apples, broccoli, zucchini, etc. And at farmers markets, it’s customary for the shopper to LOOK over the product then point and tell your merchant what you want. From my shopping experiences, I’ve noticed some merchants get pretty aggressive and are quick to step between you and their fruits or veggies. Basically, keep your hands off.

Overall, I like this concept. Our hands are gross! It’s no secret that handrails, doorknobs, and money are full of bacteria from public contact. Why not keep that off your food? America, can we try this? Yet while Italians foster such cleanliness, they allow dogs in grocery stores and markets. Don’t get me wrong; I love dogs. Love, love, love. But I find this fact odd about Florentine life. However, I admit I haven’t seen any paws on the fruits and veggies either….

Another important lesson, I should say rule, is drinking coffee the Italian way. Yes, there is an Italian way. First, you order coffee at a bar. No, that’s not my inner lush talking. Here the signs you see reading “Bar” are translation for coffee shop. Scratch that – it’s straight espresso. “Bar” comes in because you order at the bar and sip your tiny cup of espresso standing up, you guessed it, at the bar. This is especially true in the afternoon. Italians don’t have milk with espresso late in the day. So when locals are on the go, you’ll see them pop in, order a shot, then be on their way again. However, not to say that I haven’t seen a fellow or two sitting with a cup of joe. It’s just that you don’t see people sitting for long periods with large mugs of coffee like you do in the US. And to-go cups? Nope. “Take away” isn’t typically how they do business. It’s possible at restaurants, but it doesn’t seem very common.

Afternoon macchiato. Image by Flora Kontilis

Back to my point about milk and espresso: locals don’t have milk in their coffee after 10 or 11 am. From what I’ve read, this is because Italians find milk to be too heavy after meals like lunch or dinner. It would be bad for the digestion they say. So when I’m gearing up for a cappuccino, I pay close attention to the time and make an honest effort to order one before 10 am. Why? Because they know…. Italians know you’re not from around here if you ask for latte with your coffee after you enjoyed ravioli, pizza, or a famous Florentine steak. I’ve read that if you really want/need some milk with the strong espresso, then you can order a macchiato, which calls for the least milk in our sacred drink.

Until next time, ciao!