A Weekend with my Parents!

Surprise! My parents came to visit me in Italy. It was a very welcome visit, as I'm missed them a ridiculous amount and had just begun to feel really homesick. Considering that I am spending the semester studying in Florence, you might assume that they stayed in Florence this past week. That would be an incorrect thought. They chose to return to San Gimiagno, the small town in the Tuscan countryside, right outside of Siena. Luckily, they were able to stay in the exact villa at which we stayed six years ago!

They came into Florence to see me last Monday (October 25), and we had a fantastic lunch together as well as a delicious dinner at Il Gatto e La Volpe! It was so nice to be able to share one of my favorite restaurants in Florence with my parents!

They next returned to Florence to see me on Thursday (October 28). We shopped San Lorenzo Market for a few hours (I got a killer cute brown leather jacket!) and then I went back to Il Cornetto with them. We stopped at the cutest little trattoria (coincidentally it was the only one open) where I had pasta and pizza, a very balanced Italian meal. I was in awe upon returning to the villa; it was just as I remembered it, but more beautiful! As much as I adore my apartment in Florence, the queen-size canopy bed I slept in at this villa certainly was an upgrade.

Friday afternoon, we went into San Gimiagno for a half hour of so, stopping at my favorite restaurant from years ago, as well as a gelato shop which boasted that it was "The World's Best." We then made the drive to Siena for our cooking class!

Our cooking class was absolutely amazing! We made pappa al pomodoro (tomato bread soup), pepe e calcio (a super cheesy/peppery pasta that I can't remember it's name in Italian), a potato souffle, a slow-cooked beef dish, and almond cantucci with orange essence. SO DELICIOUS.

On Saturday, we journeyed to Venezia for the remainder of the weekend. It was fantastic to be able to share my mother's first visit to Venice! It's such an awesome (I use this word in its traditional sense, meaning inspiring awe) place and I know how fortunate I am that I've been able to return so many times! We walked all Venice, eventually stopping for dinner at a fancy little restaurant where I had the extravagant meal of filet mignon. Yes, I ate red meat... and I enjoyed it! Who have I become?? St. Mark's Square was beautiful and bustling with street vendors and slow-walking tourists. I was able to buy a few souvenirs for friends, which was nice, since my prior trip to Venice was overtaken by issues with my eye!

We stayed in a modern hotel right outside of Venice. Sunday, we traveled to Murano, the island of Venice known for it's glass. While in a store picking out glass jewelry, we had the fortune to see an artist blowing glass to make cute little Halloween figurines! The water bus system takes a bit of time, so we had to venture back to the train station so I could travel home to Florence. After retrieving my bag from the luggage holding center, grabbing a quick bite to eat, and saying a long goodbye to my parents (who I'll see again in 3 weeks!), I was on the train, headed for Firenze.

It was a fantastic weekend with my parents, and I'm just so happy that I was able to see them during their visit to Italy!