Florian: Ups and Downs during my first week in Florence

Ciao a tutti,

My Erasmus+ experience began with a very stressful and complicated train journey. I was travelling together with Julia, a classmate of mine. We were driven to Bozen by car, where we caught the train to Florence. At first, everything went smoothly, but suddenly we were told to leave the train without any clear instructions. It was confusing, and we struggled to figure out what to do next. On top of that, the extreme heat and the huge number of tourists didn’t make things any easier. After quite a bit of chaos, Julia and I finally managed to get on a regional train to Verona. From there, we continued our journey on a replacement train and eventually arrived in Florence.

Despite the challenging arrival, the first few days in Florence went really well. Our accommodation is clean and comfortable. One of the best things is that it’s very close to our workplace. We don’t need to take a bus but can walk there in just ten minutes. Julia and I also explored the city centre a bit. Florence is a nice city with a lot of interesting buildings and small streets.

But then, quite unexpectedly, everything changed on Wednesday. The weather took a dramatic turn, and I experienced the most intense thunderstorm I’ve ever seen. I was home alone at the time and had to deal with the situation by myself. The wind was so strong that I honestly wasn’t sure whether the windows would hold or burst under the pressure. It was a bit scary. Unfortunately, water started coming through the bathroom window, and soon the entire bathroom was flooded. It’s important to mention that we’re living in a typical Italian house, beautiful and full of character, but not very stable or well-insulated. The building clearly wasn’t built to withstand such extreme weather conditions.

Even with all these ups and downs, the first week in Florence has already been full of unforgettable experiences. I’m excited and curious to see what the next few weeks will bring.