I woke up on Wednesday, October 24, and the countdown was finally down to hours. I have been counting down til this day since a week before I left for Rome, and was my main motivator in getting me through the first half of my time away. I knew I couldn't leave Rome and go back home because it would ruin my parents trip as well. I know it sounds crazy, but to give you an idea, I really can't believe I made it to this point.
Their flight was supposed to land at 9:05, so naturally, I arrived at the airport at 8:15 because I was too excited. It was one of the most rewarding reunions ever. I've never gone more than just a few weeks without seeing my parents, so if you can imagine, it was quite exciting, and emotional. All I wanted was a huge hug from my parents, and it was the best feeling in the world. After getting espresso, we walked to the train station to head to Florence for the weekend. Already having been to Florence, I was excited to be able to show them around a little bit (and do it the right way this time. See previous Firenze post).
After checking into the Hotel Mona Lisa, we walked around for a little bit. After a few hours of sightseeing, we all needed a nap.
Our hotel was very...antique. It used to be a convent, and was built in the early 14th century, then converted into a hotel in the 60's. The furniture was from the renaissance era, and the hotel had a beautiful courtyard with a stellar breakfast.
After my parents woke up, we walked around to find somewhere to eat dinner. Of course, we had to get pasta for their first night in Italy. We went to a restaurant that was right in the duomo square. I loved hearing my parents comments about the things they saw, that at this point, I am so used to (people sitting on random curbs, making out in the middle of the street, men in the streets trying to sell stupid toys, etc). After a bottle of Chianti, some pasta, and Tiramisu, we headed back to the hotel to get rest for an early morning of touring Tuscany.
I had a rough night. Which sounds weird because everything I could have possibly needed was right there. I think everything just built up so much the first 7 weeks, and I just broke down.
We woke up around 7:30 to eat breakfast, and get ready for our full day tour of Tuscany. We met the bus around 8:30, and headed to our first stop, San Gimignano. I loved this tour because it was completely off the beaten path. I would have never known to check out this city, but I am so glad we did. It was so hilly, and full of towers which people used to use as a symbol of power back in Medieval times. We only had an hour here, so we explored some shops, got coffee, took pictures, and met back on the bus.
Our next stop was Sienna, about an hour away from San Gimignano. Sienna was also beautiful. We did a walking tour of the city, and learned about the history of their divisions. They hold a horse race 2 times a year in the city square to determine which of the 14 divisions is winner. It has been going on since the early 14th century! It was funny how serious they take this race, and how even if the jockey is thrown off the horse, the horse can still win. It started raining in Sienna after our tour. We got so lucky because it was forecasted to rain the entire weekend, and we ended up having spectacular weather.
After another coffee, shocker, we headed back to the bus to go to a Castle on our way to our last stop, the wine tour. The castle was pretty. Literally had 3 streets, and a total of 40 people live there now.
Lastly, we headed to Chianti. We had a lovely wine tasting, paired with some cheeses, olive oils, balsamic vinegar, and meats. I finally learned how to describe wines using words other than "it's good". I really enjoyed trying the different types of Chianti, and learning the difference between a good bottle of wine, and a great bottle! If it says "DCOG" on the label, it's great!
After the wine tour, we were all pooped. We had about a 70 minute drive back to Florence, and then decided to walk back to the hotel to freshen up, and take a nap. Mom and I went shopping while dad slept, and then met up for a very light dinner. So far, Dad had pasta 2 out of 3 meals, and was killing the game! (he had pizza for the other). I hardly took pictures of my food, which is kind of sad.
Saturday, we had all day to walk around as we pleased. We slept in quite a bit, ate breakfast, and made our first stop to get coffee (what's that, number 7 of the weekend?) Mom and I found a really cute boutique with tons of sweaters. We probably could've spent 2 hours in there, but if we left Dad any longer, he probably would have ended up with more than just 1 "free" bracelet from the nice African man (pro tip: when someone tries to put a bracelet on your hand, don't take it. They will then force you to pay them).
We stopped for a glass of wine in front of the basilica, and some focaccia. Again, another thing they couldn't believe, free snacks with a drink purchase! We had a tour of David at 5, and walked back to the hotel to drop off our bags prior to the tour.
David was unreal. It is still mind-blowing to me how people created this type of art with little to no resources to help them. Its crazy thinking that it was created out of just one piece of stone.
After David, we went to dinner. The environment was so cozy, with candles, and a clear glass wall around our outdoor table. This was definitely one of my favorite meals I've had in Italy so far. The eggplant parm was SO good, the wine was great, and the company was so much better. We then got gelato, and mom got the biggest cone there was (took us all by surprise, I know). We wondered around, and waited for live music to begin at another restaurant. Mom and I sat in the garden that night, and had an Amaretto. I really missed being able to just sit down with my mom and talk about everything. Even though we call often, it was nice to actually have the time to tell full stories, and show her all of my pictures, and talk about my classes, and what not.
Sunday, we were leaving for Roma! I was SO excited to show them my home for the past 2 months. After dropping our stuff off, I showed them around my neighborhood, Trastevere, and hit up my favorite local coffee shop for some coffee and a snack. I took them grocery shopping, and then I let them go on a nice romantic dinner by themselves for the night so I could get a break from Italian food for a little bit. We met up early Monday morning for a Vatican tour. Italy had a "adverse weather condition", so school was closed Monday and Tuesday. I got SOO lucky that this happened this week because I got to go on the tour with them, and spend so much more time with them. PLUS! What adverse weather conditions? The weather was absolutely gorgeous, except for one torrential downpour on Monday.
After our 7 hour Vatican tour, we went to another one of my favorite coffee shops for a quick pick me up, and then headed to Dads new favorite bar. Mom and I had our first Aperol Spritz here! We went to dinner at another one of my favorite restaurants, and surprise surprise, MORE PASTA! We went to get gelato with some of my friends after, and then called it a night.
Tuesday my parents had a tour of all of the basic Roman sights. Meanwhile, I worked off my 10 pounds of pasta I had eaten the past 4 days, and got some homework done, and met up with them later. We got some drinks, and went to dinner at La Tavernetta- Tony's. It was UNBELIEVABLE. People have raved about it all semester, but I haven't had the chance to go yet. I got Risotto Scampi, with biscotti filled with warm chocolate for dessert with espresso, of course. They also brought out some lemon sorbetto on the house. I loved this place because they gave to-go boxes without making ya feel bad for not clearing your plate, and they were so happy just to have us dine with them. After, we went and had a night cap at our favorite bar.
Wednesday, I met them bright and early so we could get a head start on our day. I wanted to show them the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and more of Trastevere. We were done with those by 12 pm! We also did a little bit of shopping. We had a nice lunch, and had a pizza making class to top off our week together.
We had the class with 2 other people from France. Something I appreciate so much about my experience is meeting so many interesting people. I love getting to hear about their lifestyle, and how different it is from my own. I love hearing their stories, where they are from, why they are here, their plans, etc. It's crazy learning how different things are. They can't drive until they are 18, but can drink at practically any age. Overall, we had a nice dinner, with great conversation.
Thursday was HARD. Honestly, the whole week was hard. I knew that at some point, they'd be leaving. Without me. I got so used to having them here so quickly, and honestly, having them here made me love Rome so much more. It allowed me to really appreciate it, because everything I needed was there with me (sorry Jacob, I need ya too). I loved being able to show them their first taste of Europe, and how I have lived for the past 2 months. It was a whole new world to them. I love being the reason why they finally got out of their bubble, and adventured out to experience a whole new perspective of the world.
SO, Mom and Dad, thank you for visiting me, and treating me this entire week, and this entire semester for that matter. I am so grateful for our vacation, and for the memories we made. We will remember this forever, and I'm so thankful you got a taste of what my life has looked like this semester. Thank you for giving me everything I need to allow me to chase my dreams, and for being my biggest cheerleaders through it all. I can't wait to see you in 5 weeks.
I love you!
Marisa
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