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student life student ser vices development

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palazzi is a group of academic interdisciplinary institutions located in the historical center of florence italy palazzi s purpose is to offer an enriching international higher education for students and partner institutions throughout the world palazzi s name bears the core of our educational mission and philosophy a group of prestigious meticulously renovated historic buildings palazzi that have witnessed the civic political and economic life of florence since centuries which strives to bring innovation to the present and future in the midst of a rich historical context palazzi mirrors the contemporary face of florence and invites its students and institutional partners to partake in an educational endeavor for a study abroad experience that challenges and shapes the mind our institutions are one of a kind throughout all of italy and europe and sets the standard for international education we sustain our local culture by bringing to life the arts that have shaped our economy in the past and creating a vital space for them for the present and future we promote and nurture local small green mapped businesses that support sustainability and share with our students their lore craftsmanship and expertise palazzi is an integration project that allows students to break through the surface of the academic experience abroad by offering the opportunities that allow them to not only study but to live the past and present while building the future of florence fua florence university of the arts apicius international school of hospitality palazzo bombicci guicciardini strozzi corso tintori 21 tel 055 0332727 fast fashion and accessories studies and technology fl fashionlovesyouvintageanddesignerstore y borgo pinti 20r tel 055 033174 apicius international school of hospitality culinary institute location villa brilli peri via guelfa 85 114 116 tel 055 2658135 fedora:pastryshop via guelfa 116b diva digital imaging visual arts ideas interior design environmental architecture and sustainability palazzo doni via magliabechi 1 tel 055 0332664 via dei macci 85r tel 055 241076 ganzo culturalassociationand enogastronomy squola center for contemporary italian studies palazzo ramirez de montalvo via dell oriuolo 43 tel 055 0332424 via san gallo 45r tel 055 0332950 via dei macci 53 tel 055 0332748 this handbook has been specifically designed and developed for all the students enrolled in our programs to provide you with a resource tool that guides you through your everyday life in our country please feel free to contact your on-site advisor with your questions and concerns we will be glad to assist or meet with you we wish you a wonderful experience as you embark on a new journey f_air gallery and fua florence university of the arts fine arts studentlifeanddevelopmentdepartment

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table of contents 1 3 medical information .5 money matters .5 religious services/holidays .6 communications .7 mail/computer/fax .7 transportation .9 buying food .10 measuring differences .10 other supplies .11 public libraries /bookstores .11 vat info .12 free-time/sports activities .13 cultural events in florence .14 safety tips cultural tips .15 apartment tips .15 missing home .15 introduction to the city of florence .16 basic italian expressions .16 florence by night .17 student life and development department .19 student services health medical housing activities .19 sport time .19 la palestra .20 connecting cultures .20 music cinema .21 blending .22 city walks views .23 what is ganzo .23 eft educational field trips .24 palazzi useful numbers .

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course schedule time monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday 9:00 11:30 12:00 14:30 15:00 17:30 18:00 20:30 20:45 24:00 useful numbers emergency telephone numbers police emergency calls .tel 113 carabinieri emergency .tel 112 fire station .tel 115 ambulance first aid .tel 118 tourist aid police .tel 055 203911 police headquarters .tel 055 49771 tourist medical center .tel 055 475411 night medical serv 24 hrs .tel 055 477891 cardiological service .tel 055 283394 city police town hall .tel 055 32831 city police railway station .tel 055 212296 hospitals general hospital of santa maria nuova piazza santa maria nuova 1 .tel 055 27581 general hospital of careggi viale morgagni 85 .tel 055 794111 ospedale nuovo san giovanni di dio via torregalli 3 .tel 055 71921 santa maria annunziata ponte a niccheri via dell antella 58 .tel 055 24961 nuovo meyer pediatric hospital viale pieraccini 24 .tel 055 5662912 pharmacies il moro piazza duomo open 24 hrs tel 055 211343 comunale inside train station open 24 hrs .tel 055 216761 flight information 24 hour automatic service central line .tel 055 3061300 national flights .tel 055 3061700 international flights .tel 055 3061702 lost baggage .tel 055 3061302 florence airport amerigo vespucci ticket office 5:30am 8:00pm www.aeroporto.firenze.it every half hour the vola in bus shuttle service connects the airport departures and arrivals sita bus station via s caterina da siena beside the railway station the journey takes approximately 25 minutes tickets 5 euros can be purchased on board the bus remember to validate the ticket railway information .tel 892021 train station luggage service .tel 055 2351 customs via valfonda 25 .tel 055 214316 apt tourist promotion center via cavour 7 .tel 055 23320 .tel 055 290832 tourist information center tel 055-290832 .tel 055 290833 lost property via fracesco veracini 5 int 5 .tel 055 334802 includes all property handed in at the police stations tel 055 3283943 car removal .tel 055 783882 filing a police report regarding robbery bag-snatching theft lost property may be presented at the following offices comando provinciale carabinieri via borgognissanti 48 24 hrs/day .tel 055 27661 questura ufficio denunce via zara 2 mon thru sat 8:00am 8:00pm .tel 055 49711 commissariato di polizia via pietrapiana 50r mon thur sat 8:30am 7:30pm .tel 055 2033911 r stands for red in florence we have black numbers for private houses and red numbers for commercial premises so on the same street you may have numbers twice in black and red 3

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lost or stolen articles city of florence lost and found ufficio oggetti smarriti di firenze via fracesco veracini 5 int 5 .tel 055 334802 fax 055 3246473 email segr.economica@comune.fi.it this office for items lost in the city of florence is open on mondays wednesdays and fridays in the morning and on tuesdays and thursdays in the afternoon numbers to call for lost or stolen credit cards visa .tel 800 819014 mastercard .tel 800 870866 american express .tel 800 874333 diners .tel 0124 6564653 cartasi .tel 800 822056 bankamericard .tel 800 207167 tourist information offices the tourist information offices provide information to tourists and are staffed by qualified personnel who supply information about local events artistic and cultural shows and the city s museums piazza stazione 4 mondays to saturdays 8:30am 7:0pm .tel 055 212245 borgo s croce 29r mondays to saturdays 9:00am 5:00pm .tel 055 2340444 via cavour 1r mondays to saturdays 8:30am 6:30pm .tel 055 290832 student centered information offices student point viale gramsci 9a .tel 055 243140 open monday-friday 10:00am-5:00pm www.studentpointfirenze.it .tel 055 2261366 student point is an information center whose main goal is to help foreign students to integrate more easily in our city it provides information advice and literature about the city and accommodations museums transport etc student point issues student cards which entitle the holder to special discounts and services at all businesses with which it has an agreement carta giò card the city s new student card is available at palazzo giovane vicolo s maria maggiore 1 carta giò gives students an array of discounts throughout the city for a complete list of stores theaters etc that give student discounts see http portalegiovani.comune.fi.it/cartagiovani/convenzioni_public_list.php the hours for getting a bike are mondays and fridays from 10am to 12am and thursdays from 3pm to 5pm entertainment bookings and advance ticket sales for shows as well as cultural and sporting events can be made at box office via delle vecchie carceri 1 .tel 055 210804 tuesdays to saturdays 10:00am 7:30pm reservations at the desk by phone or on line only with credit cards consulatesinflorence united states lungarno vespucci 38 .tel 055-2398276 fax 055 284088 e-mail florence@state.gov open to the public monday-friday 9:00am 12:30pm 2:00-3:30pm emergency situations and afternoon appointments they can be reached by phone fax and e-mail brazil piazza pitti 5 tel 055 222336 fax 055 229345 china via della robbia 89 .tel 055 5058188 fax 055 5520698 france piazza ognissanti 2 .tel 055 2302556 fax 055 2302551 germany lungarno vespucci 30 .tel 055 294722 fax 055 281789 japan via quintino sella 60 roma .tel 06 487991 fax 06 4873316 mexico via arte della lana 4 .tel 055 217831 fax 055 217831 south korea via b oriani 30 roma .tel 06 8088769 spain via lamberti 2 .tel 055 2608606 fax 055 217446 sweden via bonifacio lupi 14 .tel 055 499536 fax 055 471858 embassy of the united states of america in rome via vittorio veneto 119/a .tel 06 46741 fax 06 46742356 open to the public monday-friday 8:30am 5:30pm 4

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medical information phone number 118 to call an ambulance or in the event of any medical emergency this service is available 24 hours a day and calls can be made from any public telephone without the need for tokens or phone cards free call in case of emergency head for the pronto soccorso emergency room station located in front of all major hospitals there is also an ambulance station misericordia to the right of the duomo facade tel 055 212221 the closest hospital to the center is s maria nuova piazza s maria nuova 1 tel 055 27581 tourist medical service via lorenzo il magnifico 59 .tel 055 475411 english and french speaking practitioners a doctor is on call 24 hours a day house calls are available if needed for an additional fee 70 euros weekdays 100 euros evenings and weekends walk in clinic hours weekdays 11:00am-12:00pm 5:00pm-6:00pm sat 11:00am-12:00pm a medical service doctor is also available in florence s historic center at via porta rossa 1 monday-saturday 1:00pm-3:00pm email medserv@tin.it by payment only free with hth dott.ssa gabriella friedl piazza dell unititaliana 7 above the pharmacy .tel 055 287383 or cell 349 7319461 monday friday 2:00pm-4:00pm by payment only office visit free with hth dr stephen kerr mb.bs british general practitioner piazza mercato nuovo 1 clinic visits and house calls 24 hrs please call ahead of time for a weekday morning appointment clinic .tel 055 288055 cell phone 335-8361682 or drop-in hours from 3pm-5pm weekdays by payment only office visit free with hth dr lazzeri ent audiology via lamoarmora 24 ground floor .tel 055 58853 cell 333 2098612 email lazzmarco@yahoo.it works with hth before making an appointment confirm payment details psychotherapy dr mary ann bellini american psychotherapist and counselor international counseling services lungarno cellini 25 .tel 055 680721 works with hth before making an appointment confirm payment details dentists studio dentistico associato via dell albero 19 50123 firenze .tel 0550119050 cell 3341616075 studio odontoiatrico peirano english speaking dentist/orthodontist dr alexander peirano or dr nicolò ghezzi galli tassi viale g milton 27 50129 firenze .tel 055 48 3351 fax 055 495066 works with hth before making an appointment confirm payment details dr marja-leena peltonen-portman .tel 055 218594 via cherubini 20 50121 firenze works with hth before making an appointment confirm payment details health insurance in most european countries public health is available to citizens and permanent residents to receive medical treatment and may be charged a nominal fee foreigners are welcome to use public health facilities but fees may be required depending on the services and exams rendered if you have health insurance other than hth you should contact your health care provider for an updated list of participating physicians medical facilities and payment method procedures as many private and public health facilities administrative policies and payment procedures maybe different regarding your private health insurance from your country money matters cash do not carry large amounts of cash with you while in florence or traveling within the country there are many different and easy ways for you to get money atm/debitcard you may be able to withdraw money from your bank account at home by using your atm card the money is immediately deducted from your checking account and you won t be charged interest when using an atm machine make sure that your card has access to the cirrus and/or plus networks if your card has one of these symbols and you find a machine with the same symbols you should be able to access funds from your checking account if your debit card has a visa or mastercard logo it should work to withdraw 5

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cash overseas but you will need the pin number you usually use in the united states you can find atm machines in italian bancomat at almost any bank i.e piazza della repubblica via nazionale via por santa maria near ponte vecchio via calimala next to la rinascente at the banco di sicilia and via panzani in front of the billa most of the machines have instructions in english it is always advisable to check with your bank at home the withdrawal amount allowed per day most italian banks do allow a maximum of 250 euros per day credit card visa and mastercard are the most widely accepted credit cards worldwide american express and diner s club are less widespread you should not assume that you can use credit cards as easily abroad as you can in the us western union you can have money wired to you via western union which has an office in piazza stazione money exchanging machines throughout europe at banks you will often find machines which look like atms that can exchange your cash at pretty good rates the best thing is that they are open 24 hrs/day banks are generally open from around 8:00am to 1:00pm and in the afternoon from 3pm to 4 pm hours vary from bank to bank travelerscheques most places in italy do not accept travelers cheques any currency excahnge location will exchange travelers cheques for euros for a fee omega viaggi p della stazione 14red tel 055 291312 religious services and holidays catholic and protestant religious services in italian unless otherwise indicated duomo cathedral mass in english every saturday at 5:00pm santa croce mass every saturday at 6:00pm sunday at 11:00am 12:00pm 6:00pm santa maria novella mass every saturday at 6:00pm sunday at 10:30am 12:00pm 6:00pm st james episcopal church via rucellai 9 tel 055 294 417 mass in english on sundays at 11:00am angelican church of st mark s church of england via maggio 16 .tel 055 2952764 other religious denominations comunità israelitica/synagogue via farini 4 .tel 055 245 252 please call for service times for lunar calendar info http moked.it/jewishflorence centro islamico culturale vicoolo gherardacci 14 prato .tel 0574 30495 centro buddismo tibetano via reginaldo giuliani 505 tel 055 454308 www.ewam.it istituto biddista italiano via di bellagio 2/e località castello firenze tel 055 426971 www.sgi-italia.org how to be sick in italian allergy allergia antibiotic antibiotico band-aid cerotto bladder infection .cistite blood sangue broken bones ossa rotte bruise livido burn bruciatura cold raffreddore cold sweat sudori freddi cough tosse cramps crampi cut ferita diarrhea diarrea faint svenimento fever febbre flu influenza fracture frattura headache mal di testa indigestion indigestione irritation irritazione jet lag fuso orario motion sickness mal d auto nausea nausea shivers brividi stomach ache mal di pancia sunburn insolazione vertigo vertigine vomit vomito yeast infection candida 6

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holidays below is a the calendar of our national holidays being that italy is a predominantly catholic country these holidays are mostly in accordance with such customs most government and local businesses also acknowledge these holidays absence from school for other religious holidays not in accordance with local customs will not be excused this decision does not represent the beliefs of apicius/fua or its staff but rather reflects the local culture the students of apicius/fua have come to take part in below are the dates apicius/fua will be closed also check the academic dates located in your academic handbook january 1 new year s day august 15 assumption january 6 epiphany november 1 all saints day easter sunday easter monday monday following easter pasquetta december 8 immaculate conception december 25 christmas december 26 saint stephen s day april 25 liberation day may 1 labor day june 2 italian national holiday june 24 san giovanni patron saint in florence communication telephones just as any country around the world public phones are slowly substituted by personal cell phones you can make sure to find a public phone at public phone center -telecom via cavour 21/r open from 8:00am to 9:45pm to use the public phones you can buy a phone card scheda telefonica that works as a debit card at most pay phones this way you see the total on your card decreasing as you talk and can monitor the length of your conversations you will find these cards at the tabacchi shops and news stands some of them provide more than 5 hours of conversation from any pay phone keep in mind that pre-paid us phone cards that require you to make a call through a 1-800 or toll free number are not accessible from italy calling with a calling card if you have one of the following phones cards you can charge your calls and pay later by calling on an american phone card you are charged with us rates no matter where you are calling from when you are calling the usa from europe it is always cheaper to call on the phone card due to the high telephone rates in europe especially italy attention be careful if you call from one european country to another it is as though you were calling a european country from the usa in this case it would be less expensive dialing direct from italy the following are access codes to use from italy to the major us long distance companies usa via at&t .172-1011 .usa via us sprint .172-1877 usa via idb .172-1777 .usa via mci .172-1022 just dial the access number and the operator or recording will answer these operators can also place collect calls for those who do not have calling cards keep in mind that with most cell phones it is not possible to call the us by using a calling card however this is possible from a pay phone here are some examples of how to be called in italy to call outside italy .00 country code+area code number to be called in italy from usa .011 39 55 if it is a landline number e.g the school phone .011 39 if it is cell phone number to be called in italy from brazil .00+39+055 local number e.g fixed line to be called in italy from korea .001 002+39+055 local number e.g fixed line cellular phones here are a few addresses of places where you can rent or purchase cell phones it is advisable to verify billing charges if you choose to rent a cell phone with the provider or facility student cells corso tintori 29/r there are cell phone alternatives in the city center a few popular ones are wind vodafone and tim country codes all the codes are at http www.countrycallingcodes.com mexico 52 .israel 353 usa cananda .1 kuwait 965 japan 81 .india 91 computer photocopyand fax service the school offers a fax photocopy machine and e-mail service for student use school fees for photocopies 0,20 a page 7

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photocopies from books in the library 0,05 a page to send a fax italy 1 a page europe 3 a page other countries 5 a page for customs service 5 see note on sending and receiving mail paragraph computer e-mail and internet services internet train many locations in florence via porto rossa 38/r via de benci 36/r photocopies a copy shop in italian is copisteria and most of them also offer a fax service centro a-zeta via degli alfani 18/20/r mail boxes etc via della scala 13r via san gallo 26/r 55/r corso tintori 39 sending receiving mail post offices you may receive mail at school have your friends and family address the letters/packages to fua students your name c/o fua via magliabechi 1 50122 firenze italia apicius students your name c/o apicius via guelfa 85 50129 firenze italia letters generally take from 8-10 days to arrive both to and from the u.s packages take longer than 20-30 days if sent via airmail 60-90 days if sent via surface rate please note the following procedure when receiving packages some packages will require you to pay a customs fee when this happens the front desk will not pay the customs for you and will arrange a new drop off date with the courier we will then send you an e-mail including the following information new delivery date and the custom fee to be paid you will be responsible for getting the money to the front desk before the new delivery date otherwise your package will not be accepted it is easier for you and more reliable to receive your mail at school since there is always someone to accept it and since your name does not appear anywhere on the apartment mailbox post offices central post office via pellicceria piazza della repubblica hours mon fri 8:30am 7:00pm saturday 8:30am 12:00pm closed on sundays nuova posta via pietrapiana in front of billa hours mon fri 8:30am 7:00pm saturday 8:30am 12pm closed on sundays post offices also provide the following postal orders current accounts and parcel post letters or packages that need to be weighed not the regular letters or postcards up to 20 grams should be brought to a post office stamps which in italian are called francobolli can be purchased at the post office or at a tabacchi stores/bars where cigarettes are sold sending packages and express mail you can send packages via the italian post by simply going to the post office sending a parcel surface rate is the least expensive but it will usually take 2 months to arrive at its destination airmail costs about double the price but your package will arrive in about 10-14 days fed-ex dhl in order to send express mail from florence you must directly call one of these couriers and tell them how much the package weighs its dimensions and where it s being sent to they will give you an estimate cost and will set up an appointment with you to pick up the package at your home and collect the payment shipping is not to be made under the school name dhl toll free 800-345-345 federal express toll free 800-833-040 the italian postal system also has a courier/express mail service called cai-post their office is located in the via alamanni post 8

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office next to the entrance to the train station mail boxes etc via della scala 13r via san gallo 55/r lungarno guicciardini 11/r corso tintori 39 mailboxes etc will do your packaging and shipping for you as well as photocopies fax passport photos packaging materials to send packages either via ground or airmail your packages must respect certain regulations we recommend that you get your packaging done professionally as to avoid any problems you can get packaging materials at cartoleria mugnai via s gallo 105/r or any mail boxes etc store such as the ones listed above transportation buses the florence bus system covers a huge network throughout the city and buses run frequently most buses start and end at the railway station at regular intervals the city bus company is called ataf the large orange buses which you see around the city especially useful are the small buses a b c and d you can purchase bus passes which range anywhere from one hour tickets to a one month ticket bus tickets single ticket costs 1.20 90 minutes 5.00 24 hours can be purchased at tabacchi shops news stands ticket machines before boarding once on board insert your single ticket into the small orange box and it will be stamped with the time the ticket will be valid for the next 90 minutes it is pre-printed at the top of the ticket you can change and transfer buses important tickets must be validated the first time you use them and must always be carried with you along with a form of id copy of passport it is also written and posted in the english language fines are very expensive if you are caught without your ticket or without having it stamped during the night between 9:00pm and 6:00am it is also possible to buy a ticket directly from the driver paying a surcharge however it is highly recommended to purchase your tickets in advance as there is no guarantee bus drivers will always have tickets available to sell and have appropriate change make sure you have coins with you bus passes information call toll free 800-424500 can be purchased at the ataf office mon fri 7.15am-1:15pm 1.45 3:30pm located to the right as you exit the santa maria novella train station at the central/main entrance monthly bus passes are available for students age 27 and under to acquire a monthly pass fill-out a form labeled abbonamento/tessera studenti complete the form where applicable front and back tick tessera studenti 9.00 which is valid for a year then mensile studenti 23.00 the first month is 32.00 including the tessera studenti a monthly pass is useful and economical for those who will use buses frequently it is important that you always keep your tessera studenti along with monthly pass at all times and appropriate documents when boarding the bus or it could result in a fine forms are also available in the student life development office bus schedules and routes are available at the ataf office or at the www.ataf.net the bus service for most routes starts at 5:30 am and ends around midnight a few buses run all night but they make very general routes a volainbus is 5.00 single and 8.00 roundtrip here are a few routes that students often ask about bus 7 fiesole .bus 12 13 piazzale michelangelo .bus la linea/volainbus florence airport sita lazzi and capbuses sita lazzi and cap are three bus companies which have routes that travel outside of florence city limits both bus terminals are located near the train station sita which is located in via santa caterina d alessandria and has buses that depart for siena san gimignano volterra the chianti wine country etc lazzi is located in piazza adua and has routes going to lucca viareggio pisa etc cap is located on largo f.lli alinari and serves prato calenzano poggio a caiano and impruneta taxis keep in mind that taxis cannot be hailed you must either go to the taxi stands in the main squares duomo san marco repubblica or at the train station or you can call a taxi at the following numbers · to call a taxi .tel 055-4242 055-4390 055-4499 or 055 4798 · a women run cooperative taxi intaxi operating hours 6:00am-22.00pm to to call .tel 055 200 1326 note the meter starts running the moment the call is received supplements are charged for baggage and for journeys at night traveling by train train systems are an excellent way of traveling in many countries particularly in europe different discount tickets exist which are worth consideration if you plan on traveling extensively 9

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all the tickets and schedule can be purchased from the train station from all main travel agents check first some agencies may charge a small fee for booking train tickets for more the info refer to their website www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html important you must validate your ticket before getting on the train yellow boxes are set up at the beginnin of each track if you forget to validate the conductor will make you pay a fine travel agencies boston travel via guelfa 1g tel 055-291999 cts centro turistico studentesco borgo la croce 42/r italy council travel they offer student fares and issue international student id cards car rental is also available here .tel 055 292150 alghieri viaggi srl via sant egidio 14/r .tel 055 240380 fiorino viaggi via nazionale 157/r .tel 055 461473 agenzia albizi viaggi via palmieri matteo 35/r .tel 055 2346705 buying food markets without question open-air markets are some of the best places to get fresh vegetables fruits and cheeses compare prices from stand to stand and make friends with your favorite vendors so you can pick the freshest produce and they can give you recipe tips mercato centrale via dell ariento open mon thru sat 7:00am 2:00pm is housed in an enormous two-story liberty-style art nouveau building the lower floor is dedicated to meat cheese and dry goods while the upper floor id devoted to vegetables and fruits this market has also a couple of excellent cheap lunch places where it is really hard to find a seat mercato di s ambrogio piazza ghiberti open mon thru sat 7:00am-2:00pm and every wed and friday 8:00am-7:00pm during winter is situated near santa croce church and is florence s oldest market here you can find fresh fruit vegetables household goods meat fish flowers you can also find kosher meats at bruno falsettini macelleria mercatone delle cascine viale a lincoln viale lecci tue from 8:00am to 2:00pm fierucola natural and ecological products piazza santo spirito every 3rd sunday of the month 9:00-7:00pm closed in july august and december mercato delle piante plants and flowers loggiati via pellicceria,thu 10:00am-7:00pm mercato delle pulci antiques used books and much more piazza dei ciompi everyday store hours and the last sunday of the month there is a larger market supermarkets found scattered on the outskirts of central florence these are supermarkets in the american sense of the word with their packaged frozen canned goods and legions of household supplies these are the supermarkets closest to the center esselunga via masaccio 274 open mon fri 8:30am 9:00pm sat 8:30am 8:30pm via pisana 130 open mon thru sat 9:00am 8:30pm billa via pietrapiana 42/44 open 9:00am 8:30pm conad via alamanni via deservi open 9:00am 7:30pm coop via cimabue 47/r open 8:00am 9:00pm mon-fri sat 8:00am 8:30pm specialty stores these are places where you can try foods not ordinarily stocked at basic food stores or in the open markets pegna via dello studio 8 gourmet deli vivi market via del giglio 20r wide selection of ethnic foods including american peanut butter nautura si via masaccio 88/90 vegetarian and organic foods la raccolta via giacomo leopardi 2r vegetarian and organic foods in the back there is a vegetarian restaurant smaller foodstores called alimentari can be found all around the city and usually carry dry and canned goods and often have a deli counter or dairy case most florentines in the historic center shop in the smaller specialty stores like these forno bread and baked goods latteria dairy products pasticceria bakery and pastry shop macelleria butcher shop ortofrutta/primizie fruit and vegetables pizzicheria/gastronomia delicatessen 10

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measuring differences in addition to the various cultural and linguistic differences you will encounter in italy you will find some basic differences in the way things are measured temperature in europe the temperatures are measured in degrees celsius or centigrade thus when florentines complain about 40°c weather they don t mean it s cold fahrenheit to celsius subtract 32 from the fahrenheit figure multiply by 5 then divide by 9 to get the celsius figure celsius to fahrenheit multiply the celsius figure by 9 divide by 5 then add 32 to get the fahrenheit figure weight you will discover that all things in italy are weighed according to grams grammi and kilograms kilogrammi another unit of measure you should become familiar with is the etto 100 grams ounces to grams multiply the ounce figure by 28.3 to get the number of grams grams to ounces multiply the gram figure by 0.35 to get the number of ounces pounds to kilograms multiply the pound figure by 0.45 to get the number of kilograms kilograms to pounds multiply the kilogram figure by 2.21 to get the number of pounds distance all distances in italy are measured according to the metric system millimeters centimeters meters and kilometers inches to centimeters multiply the inch figure by 2.54 to get the number of centimeters centimeters to inches multiply the centimeter figure by 0.39 to get the number of inches miles to kilometers multiply the mile figure by 1.61 to get the number of kilometers kilometers to miles multiply the kilometer figure by 0.62 to get the number of miles public libraries british library british institute of florence lungarno guicciardini 9 http www.britishinstitute.it/it/contact/index.html biblioteca delle oblate very close to piazza duomo via dell oriuolo 26 www.bibliotecadelleoblate.it biblioteca palazzo di parte guelfa behind piazza repubblica piazzetta parte guelfa http www.comune.firenze.it/comune/biblioteche/ppguelfa02.htm for a complete list of public libraries http www.comune.firenze.it/comune/biblioteche/biblioteche.htm bookstores english feltrinelli international via cavour 12-20/r .tel 055 213110 libreria bm bookshop s.n.c american and british book piazza ognissanti 4/r .tel 055 294575 libreria internazionale seeber-melbookstore via cerretani 6 .tel 055 287339 paperback exchange anglo-american bookshop via delle oche 4r .tel 055 2658395 nardini bookstore via delle vecchie carceri monastero delle murate www.nardinibookstore.it .tel 055 0540234 general libreria edison piazza repubblica 5 libreria feltrinelli via cerretani 30/r libreria martelli via martelli 22/r other supplies schoolsupplies/stationary you will find notebooks and other school supplies in any cartoleria or in the general stores and supermarkets billa ovviesse esselunga cartoleria nuove poste via pietrapiana 61r copisteria-cartoleria via degli alfani 61 11

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chef clothing non solo chef via ghibellina ask for the 10 discount card fill it and have it stamped at the front desk via guelfa apicius students only alba via de servi 27 rosso 5 discount black pants approx 20 black shoes 20-40 painting drawing and sculpture supplies salvini via degli alfani 127/r leoncini via ricasoli 57 ostolani via della scala 14/r zecchi via dello studio 19/r rigacci via dei servi 71/r photography supplies and film developing fontani viale strozzi 18/20/a bongi srl via por santa maria 82/r clothing stores these are the three biggest department stores in downtown florence where you can also find house wares and beauty supplies coin via dei calzaiuoli la rinascente p.za della repubblica principe via del sole appliances/house wares for small appliances like hairdryers radios coffeemakers try an elettrodomestici or a casalinghi you can often find wattage converters and plugs too there s one in via dei servi called elettricitdei fiorentini they have everything house and cleaning supplies shops called mesticheria are great places to find any type of general household supplies you can also find vape and other antimosquito devices hairdressers/estheticians hair din hair stylist via faenza 12/r .tel 055 287 500 jean louis david lungarno corsini 50 .tel 055 216760 international studios chiasso soldanieri 8/r .tel 055 293393 pino capasso largo alinari 20 .tel 055 294179 princess via de rondinelli 6/r .tel 055 0120595 antica tintoria 14 hair lounge lungarno delle grazie 14-16/r .tel 055 2260024 body:istituto vivoli via panzani 13 waxing facials manicure tanning bed estetica hito via de ginori 21 manicures massage make-up for special occasions oasi via alfani 53/r solarium waxing tropical via cavour 19 tanning beds they have english speaking staff on duty laundry services wash-dry via dei servi 105 .tel 055 291504 ondablu via guelfa 22a/r from 8am to 10pm lavamatic via dei serragli 60/r .tel 055 283134 vat info vat refund for purchases made in italy by eu non-resident subjects how to get vat refund or relief shop shop where you see the global refund tax-free shopping sign over 190,000 stores worldwide and simply ask for your global refund cheque purchase must exceed 154,94 please make sure your name address and passport number have been correctly entered on your global refund cheque remember not to use your purchases before leaving the european union customs stamp when leaving the european union you have to show your purchases global refund cheque and passport to european union customs officials and have your global refund cheque stamped this must be done within three months of month of purchase if you are traveling by air obtain the customs stamp before checking in your luggage please remember that without the european union customs stamp on your global refund cheque global refund cannot process your refund cash in please don t forget to hand in your customs stamped global refund cheque to the global refund desk after passport control the main desks are listed on the back of your global refund cheque global refund will give you an immediate cash refund or credit you in any way of your choice or if you prefer you can mail your global refund cheque to global refund using exclusively the prepaid envelope provided in the 12

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shop and global refund will credit your refund global refund cheque fattura tax-free to get refund within 10 days of purchase at global refund contact points town centre you can also obtain an advance cash refund of the vat just bring your tax-free form credit card and passport to any contact point within 10 days of you purchase your refund will be in foreign currency for a maximum amount equivalent to $500 firenze forexchange via por s maria 3r via dei calzaiuoli 42r free time /sports activities bicycle rentals and more alinari via s.zanobi 38/r www.alinarirental.com .tel 055 280500 segway firenze bike rentals available via dei cimatori 9/r www.segwayfirenze.com .tel 055 2398855 florence by bike via s.zanobi 120/r www.florencebybike.it .tel 055 488992 055 480814 carta giò card palazzo giovane in vicolo s maria maggiore 1 website http portalegiovani.comune.fi.it/cartagiovani/convenzioni_public_list.php milleeunabici has 4 locations around the city stazione santa maria novella campo di marte piazza vittorio veneto and piazza ghiberti for more information take a look at their website http www.firenzecittaciclabile.org/milleeunabici.html car rentals auto europa via il prato 47/r www.autoeuropa.it tel 055 2657677 hertz via m finiguerra 33/r www.hertz.it .tel 055 282260 avis borgo ognissanti 128/r .tel 055 213629 for travelling around tuscany chianti valdarno tel fax 055 8335585 gyms/palestre palestra ricciardi borgo pinti 75 www.palestraricciardi.it .tel 055 2478444 palestra gymnasium via palazzuolo 49/r tel 055 293308 klab wellness center via dei conti 7 www.klab.it .tel 055 2655128 swan via de pepi 28 www.palestraswan.net .tel 055 240802 martial arts budokan borgo pinti 5 www.budokanfirenze.net .tel 055 2344605 ki dojo via gordigniana 20/m and viale corsica 3/r info@kidojo.it .tel 055 362090 swimming the heart of the city does not offer a lot of space for pool-sized facilities so you will probably have to travel a little outside the city walls to find a pool outdoor pools are only open in the summer bellariva lungarno colombo 6 open in the summer .tel 055 677521 le pavoniere via della catena 4 inside the cascine park .tel 055 3215644 costoli viale pasquale paoli open daily in the summer .tel 055 6236027 rari nantes piscina gigi raspini lungarno ferruci 24 .tel 055 6812141 055 680979 tropos via orcagna 20/a .tel 055 679746 golf golf club ugolino impruneta 18 hole course .tel 055 2301009 golf club parco di firenze via p fedi 27 .tel 055 785627 rowing società canottieri firenze lungarno dei medici 8 .tel 055 211093 055 231010 società canottieri comunali lungarno ferrucci 6 .tel 055 6812151 tennis circolo tennis cascine viale visarno 1 .tel 055 354326 a.s.s.i arno soc sportiva italiana-sezione tennis via michelangiolo buonarroti 64 .tel 055 6810746 emanuel battisetta offers private lessons .tel 055 354326 13

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