SAI Viva Experiences!

The study abroad program I chose was called SAI, and it was a third-party program that partnered with my school. I am so glad I chose this program, as I found everyone to be super helpful, and I got to meet students from schools all over the U.S. One of my favorite parts of SAI was that they offered Viva activities throughout the semester that were included in our tuition. Every Wednesday, the next week’s activities would be announced, and you could sign up. Now I will go through all the activities that I participated in!

1. Market Tour

The very first SAI activity I did was the Sant’Ambrogio fresh market tour. We all met in Santa Croce and walked a few minutes to the market. It was super busy, but they had a table in the back corner for us to sit at. We were served fresh Tuscan bread (without salt, of course) and a variety of cured meats and cheeses. We tasted a fresh pecorino and an aged one, and I think I preferred the flavor and texture of the aged one. Then, we walked around the rest of the inside market, which was full of different meats, seafood, baked goods, fresh pasta, and dairy products. After, we walked around the outside section, which was strictly produce. It was interesting to see that many different vendors were selling the same items, but they all had their own local customers who were loyal to them.

One of the many fresh markets in Florence

2. Hike to Piazzale Michelangelo

This was actually the same day as the market tour, but it was in the evening to catch the sunset from the viewpoint! We even stopped at a gelato place in Oltrarno called Vivaldi before the hike. However, the line for gelato took longer than expected so it was pretty dark by the time we were actually making the hike. Also, my roommates and I did not actually make it to the top because right before we got there, we found out our friend’s apartment had been broken into, so we walked back with her to make sure she was okay. However, we returned to Piazzale Michelangelo the next day on our own to make it to the top!

A picture of me at the top of Piazzale Michelangelo

3. Coffee Experience

This activity was at a chain coffee establishment in Florence called Ditta Artigianale. We got to go in the back of the cafe, and one of the workers gave us a presentation about their coffee sources and production methods. We then got to try different blends of espresso and drip coffee. I had a cold during this activity, so I think I would have enjoyed it more if I could have fully enjoyed all of the different flavors.

4. Street Food Tour: Santo Spirito

This was definitely my favorite activity that I did! We got to try so many different street food establishments that were all so delicious. This one was in the Santo Spirito neighborhood, which is more on the local end of Florence. We first got an aperitivo at Bulli & Balene, where I got a salmon crostini and an aperol spritz. Next, we got sandwiches at Schiaccia. Then, pizza and ended with gelato at Gelateria Della Passera. All of these hidden gems were super close together around the Piazza Della Passera.

5. Street Food Tour: Piazza dei Ciompi

I enjoyed the first street food tour so much that I signed up for a second one. This one was in a different neighborhood, so we tried all the different foods. We first got an aperitivo at Degus, which was a salmon sandwich and an aperol spritz. Next, we tried coccoli, which is fried dough with prosciutto and stracciatella. This was so good! Next, we got two different types of pasta at Salsamenteria de' Ciompi. Lastly, we ended the night with more gelato. This was the best coffee gelato that I had in Florence!

6. Cooking Class

I really enjoyed the cooking class we took at Florence Food Studio. It was quick and to the point, which I liked. ALSO, we recreated the pear ravioli that I just adored from La Giostra. We also made homemade pesto, which was much easier than I imagined. For dessert, we even made personal tiramisu!

This was the pear ravioli that we made in the cooking class!

7. Wine Tasting

One of the main sandwich shops in Florence is Pino’s. Pino himself hosted this wine tasting in his wine cellar. We also tried his special olive oil and balsamic, and you could definitely taste the high quality. We tried one white wine and two reds. I was surprised, but I definitely liked the red ones better!