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Schedule below is for Spring 2011 |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday | |
9:10- 10:25 |
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10:30 |
Office |
Office |
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11:10 |
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12:00 |
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1:00 |
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2:00 |
ISC |
ISC |
Michael Bucher taught in the Study Abroad Program for the Spring 2009 Semester in Florence, Italy, and recommends the experience for both students and fellow teachers.
A peek at some of the places visited as part of the cultural program or independently during a weekend or the mid-semester break: Virtual Tour of the Bel Paese.
Also available online is the AIFS Student Handbook for Spring 2009. It will be updated for subsequent semesters but can provide insight into life in the study abroad program.
Travel tips
A place to get a jump on getting smart about affordable travel during your free time is Rick Steves' website. Although he operates tours, writes and sells travel books, he has provided a lot of free information. Click “Plan Your Trip” then Travel Tips” for a wealth of advice. One of his other pages has tools for estimating the cost of rail travel within Italy on a point-to-point basis to determine whether it would be worthwhile getting a Eurail pass before you leave home (probably not).
If you plan to do a lot of train travel, consider getting a Carta Verde (green if you're under 26) or Carta Argenta (silver if you're over 60) for discounted tickets in Italy and beyond. They can be purchased in Italian train stations. TrenItalia has a website where you can begin to figure out how the system works before you leave.
For getting around Florence and its environs ATAF is the go-to place. As you can see below many bus lines serve Florence, including a shuttle-like tram within the largely vehicle-free historic center. Click the map for a larger zoomable version. Better still use the ATAF link and find the newest map available. As of late 2009 Florence was committed to make the piazza around the Duomo (cathedral) strictly pedestrian. Many bus lines will be rerouted as a consequence. Walking is better for you anyhow.
