This is a long one so bear with me...
First off, here are some pictures that should go with the previous post:
Lake Como
Again
Dad and me waiting on the ferry... we did this quite often
The view of the lake from our hotel window... notice the floating pool
One of the buildings we found in a town around the lake
Mom and me in front of the Coliseum in Verona
Apparently this is good luck... 
These are glass flowers from Merona... I thought it was cute
In front of the Grand Canal
Okay so dinner in Venice Tuesday night was to die for. Apparently people say that the food in Venice is not very good at all, but I can say that this was probably the best restaurant I have ever eaten at before. I had the gnocchi and tiramisu and it was to die for! I have never had tiramisu quite like the tiramisu I had that night in the restaurant. Dad did his research for the restaurant while mom and I shopped and I have to say it was Fabulous! I think dad has found his new calling.
Wednesday, we awoke to some freezing cold weather. I put on all of my gear and got ready for another day of exploring the city. Unfortunately as the day progressed I began to feel worse and worse with my crazy allergies. Needless to say, Wednesday wasn’t my favorite day of the week. I will say we walked and walked Venice all day on Wednesday. We walked to the academia in the morning and saw lots and lots of more artwork. It was cool, but it got exhausting quickly, especially when I didn’t feel so great. After touring the museum, we ate some lunch and then headed out to walk around the city and I mean we walked and walked and walked and got lost several times. We went to the top of the tower on San Marco square and it was neat to look down and see all of Venice since the tower is the tallest thing in Venice. Funny story of the day was that we were walking down the Grand Canal and I ran into two of my friends from the program in Valencia. How crazy is that? It was so fun to see some familiar faces though. Dinner Wednesday was good too, but it did not top Tuesday’s. After dinner I can say I went to bed because I felt so bad and mom and dad went out. Yes, my parents were cooler than me that night!
Dad and Mom on the Realto Bridge
Thursday was a MUCH better day! I think I needed some sleep and to get away from Venice. Thursday we took the taxi boat to the train station to go to Florence. The train was super nice and we made it to Florence in 3.5 hours. It was so fast and so nice to relax after the fast moving pace we were used to. Side note: I finished one book J and it was one of the best books I have ever ready. It is called Velvet Elvis and is by Rob Bell. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t. Upon arriving in Florence we took a taxi to our hotel because in mom’s words “the hotel was at least 20 minutes from the train station” so I thought ok I can relax some more until we get to the hotel. Well mom was wrong and we arrived at the hotel in like 3 minutes. Mom was confused but went on with it. We checked into the hotel and headed out for a quite bite of lunch and then some exploring around the city. Well, the first restaurant we encountered was empty (never a good sign, take my word for it), but we were hungry so we decided to go in. The pizza was okay but it took like 1.5 hours for our lunch. We learned our lesson (or at least we thought we did). After that we ventured out to find the touristy sites and the shops. Mom and I are always up for some shopping. Dad joined us for a while and we walked over the Pontiveccio and looked at all of the fun jewelry. I was immediately in love with Florence. After dad veered off mom and I hit the shops. We had lots of luck and then while walking the 30 minutes back to the hotel we found and hair place and decided to get a wash and blow-dry (another thing that mom and I love to do). I can’t even tell you how good this decision was, it was so relaxing and after the lady spent and hour and half styling my hair, it was straighter than I have ever seen it. It looked so nice that I didn’t wash my hair for the next 3 days and I was sad when I finally gave in. That night we went to dinner at a restaurant that was recommended by friends, but quickly realized it was a bust, the waiter was a jerk and the food wasn’t great. But oh well, that happens. So after our early dinner we really wanted to go sit somewhere and have a drink but there was no place in sight. It was that night that mom decided to look at her email confirmations about the hotels in Italy and she realized that there are 3 grand hotels and the travel agent put us at the one the farthest from the center of the city. It was okay because after eating Italian food for like the whole week we needed to walk.
Florence
Friday in Florence was another fast paced day. We met up with our guide and she took us to the duomo. I saw the famous “bronze doors” and we also went in. It was cool to see the inside, but this was like church number 7 of the week and after a while the churches start to look somewhat the same, but the marble was cool. After that she took us to the Uffizi museum where some of Michelangelo’s work is and that was cool. But she literally told us all about all of the paintings and after three ours of listening to her and the history of these paintings I was EXHASUTED. Luckily, one of my good friends from Ole Miss, Liz Weyand, who is studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, came to see me. So I left the museum and headed to the train station to meet her. We met up and then she took me shopping in the markets, we went to Zara (shopping trips aren’t complete without it) and then went to get gelato at her favorite place in Florence. It was so nice to see a familiar face and be with her and catch up. It was also nice to have someone to show me where to go and someone who could speak the language. After shopping we met up with mom and dad and went to a restaurant which another one of my good friends Meghan Milloy recommended. I thought the place in Venice was good, well this restaurant (Parione) topped everything and was amazing. The best dinner of the whole vacation (and there were a lot!). After dinner Liz and I separated from the parents once again and walked around the city, but quickly decided to go back to her hotel and watch Grey’s Anatomy. I was sad to see Liz go, but thankful that we got to spend a day together. It is always nice to catch up with a good friend. It’s kind of funny because we actually met on a Crusade trip to Italy 2 years ago and have been great friends ever since. It’s funny how the Lord works!
The famous bronze doors at the Duomo
The view of the River from the Museum
My sweet friend Liz who is studying abroad came to meet me in Florence. It was so nice to see a familiar face.
Liz and me outside the restaurant Parione in Florence
Saturday, we awoke early and once again headed to the train station. Our journey of Italy was coming to an end and we were headed back to Milan to be close to the airport for Sunday’s departures back to Spain and the United States. We arrived in Milan around 2 checked into the hotel, and once again ventured out to eat lunch. After lunch mom and I headed shopping and dad quickly decided shopping wasn’t for us so he left mom and I to that task. We had so much luck at our first stop: an Italian store called Louisa something (I don’t remember the name). Ah! Their clothes were so cute. I got a precious sweater and mom got several things. After that things went downhill from there… we could not even walk around the shopping Mecca of the world because there were literally thousands and thousands of people. I don’t know about the American economy, but the Italian economy is thriving. It was worse than NYC on Christmas Eve; I have never seen so many people in my life. It was almost too much to handle. Mom and I walked up the streets with all of the high-end designers and it was fun to see the pocketbooks and shoes. After that we headed back to the hotel to pack and go to dinner. We spent our last night in Italy together eating at the restaurant in the hotel, which was another one of my favorites.
Mom and me at dinner our last night in Italy
Sunday, we woke up early and headed to the airport at 8:30 AM. I was so sad to leave but even sadder to leave my parents again for a long time. We arrived at the airport about an hour later, checked in and then said our goodbyes at the last minute possible. I was heading back to Valencia and my parents back to the United States. I have to say that Sunday (yesterday) was a sad day. I hate saying goodbyes, I think they are the worst and while it wasn’t a goodbye for long, I will see them in December, I felt like I was doing this studying abroad thing all over. The plane ride was sad and I was alone for the first time in 10 days, which was hard. Not only that but I arrive in Valencia to warmer temperatures but to rain! Ugh! I hate it when it rains… so I lugged all my luggage (2 bags) from the metro station to the house. At this point I was exhausted, sad and ready to be home and was not ready for what I was about to get into. I arrived at my house to my Madre and her entire family and grandkids (all 23 of them!) It was extremely overwhelming, especially since I had not spoken or heard any Spanish in 10 days. So she tells me to come and eat with them so I get seated at the grownup table for the elegant meal. I know no one: only my Madre and 2 of her grandkids, the twin girls who were sitting at the other table. So for 2 hours we ate and they talked the whole time, I didn’t open my mouth, nor did I understand much of what they said. My mother finally excused me and I began to unpack my bags. As I was unpacking I got really homesick and sad, but I think I was just tired and overwhelmed by the crowd at my house who did not leave until 5 PM. You can only imagine 24 people in an apartment that is not even as big as a 6th of a football field… it was chaotic. After unpacking I met up with two of my friends at the Internet café to catch up and do the mountain of homework. I went to bed early and tried to prepare my self for a full week (5 days) of classes.
It was hard to get out of bed Monday morning, but I did and somehow made it through being at school from 8:45 AM to 9:30 PM. I don’t know how, but I managed. Today was hard too! I took a 2 hour nap though. Lots of work this week: 2 4 page papers and homework and midterms next week, so not too much going on in my life. I will keep you updated. Bona Sera. (Goodnight in Italian- like the only phrase I learned the whole time).
-Mo
2 comments:
Wow...all of that sounds absolutely amazing. Glad you had a great time with your parents. I hope you're adjusting quickly to being back in school mode.
glad you had fun with your parents! wish i was there to eat the tirimisu with you... yum!! you are missed in memphis.
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