A Cheeseburger in Italy

After the late arrival at my accommodation in Rome, I didn’t bother giving myself too much to do. I had to check out at 10am and make my way to Florence, so I figured the best thing I could do was get some much-needed sleep.
The public transport system in Rome isn’t quite as straightforward as Singapore’s, and I soon found myself getting lost trying to find the station for my long-distance train. Nevertheless, after a couple of hours of fucking around, I eventually made it to the correct station for the train to Florence.

Unfortunately, in an attempt to save a few dollars, I opted for the four-hour train rather than the 1.5-hour option. This wasn’t a huge issue, though, as I couldn’t check into my accommodation until 3pm anyway, and it gave me a great opportunity to see some of the Italian countryside. I don’t have many photos from the journey because taking photos on a moving train is quite difficult

So, today might not look like much in terms of photos, but I still thoroughly enjoyed watching rural Italy pass by the window.

When I finally arrived in Florence, I knew I was going to have a good few days here. Even the walk through the city to my accommodation was breathtaking.

After checking in, I took a short walk around the surrounding area. I was careful not to stray too far, though. I knew I had five days to explore Florence, and I didn’t want to ruin the experience by trying to do too much on the first day, exhausting myself and missing out on things later.

Instead, I wandered through the local piazza, and it was incredible.

The buildings are packed incredibly close together, often overhanging the streets in a style of architecture that was completely different from anything I was used to. Small restaurants and bars were squeezed into tiny spaces between the buildings, creating an atmosphere that was fascinating just to wander through. I wanted to keep going, but I knew that if I spread myself too thin, I’d end up missing things and having to come back tomorrow. So, after taking a slightly longer route home past the Pitti Palace, I started making my way back towards the accommodation.

Seeing people playing football and basketball in the park really solidified the feeling that I was actually in Italy. It sounds simple, but watching locals casually playing sport in the middle of the city was one of those little moments that made the whole experience feel real.

By around 6pm, I was getting hungry, but finding somewhere to eat in Italy at that time proved surprisingly difficult. Most places don’t open until 7, so I had to settle for a bar that I probably wouldn’t have chosen otherwise.

I also didn’t have data on my phone, meaning I couldn’t Google the menu.

This led to one of the most despicable decisions of my entire life.

The waiter came around for a second time to ask what I wanted, and in a moment of complete panic, I ordered the cheeseburger.

In Italy.

I ordered a cheeseburger.

I just picked something.

And it was a shit burger, too.

My accommodation itself looks awesome, though, and the bar area is fantastic. I went down for a quick drink before realising that they only served cocktails. Although I was mostly keen for a beer, I figured I’d get a cocktail instead and use it to wind down before bed.

It’s an open restaurant, so most of the people there weren’t actually staying at the accommodation, which was a little disappointing for someone keen to make some friends. I wasn’t planning on staying for too long anyway, though. After that, I headed to bed relatively early. I wanted to get a good night’s sleep and make the most of tomorrow.

Florence has already made a pretty good first impression.Read more