At the time my parents came to Florence I was going back and forth between many emotions. At one point I would find myself just wanting time to stop so I could soak up everything about this city that has become my home and at other times I would feel my heart wanting home more and more. I was very excited to see my parents with out a doubt, but that also meant that this semester was coming to an end and I was not sure if I was ready to face that yet. As always though there is something comforting about having them here and I was excited to show them my new home and all the history and things I have grown to love here. They got settled in their cozy bed and breakfast that was in an area I hadn’t even been to in Florence. We started off enjoying some drinks on the rooftop café overlooking all of Florence. We were able to get a great view of the Duomo, one of the best views I had seen yet. Then we met Elizabeth and Camillo’s for dinner. It was Elizabeth’s last night in Florence so it was great that we could get a nice meal before she left. After dinner Mom and Dad went home while Elizabeth and I went out to celebrate our last night out in Florence. It was all bitter-sweet having our last Dragoons. The next day I met up with Mom and Dad and showed him one of my class rooms to give them an idea of where I had been studying all semester. Then we went to the San Lorenzo market, making some stops on the way of course. I had to have my dad try a Narboni sandwich and see what the market was like inside and out. After we had some gelato and one of my favorite gelato places and I ran up to Elizabeth’s apartment to say goodbye to all of the girls. I kept telling myself that it wasn’t good bye that it was more of a “See you later.” I couldn’t let it hit me that that “See you later” meant “See you in America.” We continued on our way taking in the sights of Florence such as Ponte Vecchio, the Arno River, and other elements of the city. then we headed to Boboli gardens where I thought I would kill my mom trying to make it up the hills. They enjoyed all the colors in the Spring that the garden had and the history I knew of the garden and the Medici family. After we rested and freshened up then headed up to Piazza Michael Angelo to watch the sunset. We got some cheese, wine and salami and took in all of Florence and its beauty. I saw some more of the girls there and had to say goodbye to all of them then too. That night we went to dinner at 13 Gotto by my house then moved all of my stuff out of the apartment. Jess had already left so after that it was just Hannah and Rebecca, again I had to say “See you in Colorado.” type of goodbye. On Saturday we started out doing the Uffizi gallery then going to lunch and Gusta Osteria so they could see Santa Spirito. We headed back to Palazzo Vecchio so they could get an idea of the kind of living the Medici’s had. After that we went to Mass at the Duomo so they could peak inside and also saw the baptistery. After we listened to my favorite musician in Florence play in Piazza Santa Maria Novella and enjoyed some gelato. I was soaking in all of my last moments in Florence. That night we went to a place that a woman at our Bed and Breakfast suggested then headed back. The next day we stopped in Siena on the way to the Amalfi Coast. It was a rainy day and I was unprepared in my sandals and shorts. Siena was beautiful even with the rain, their Duomo was beautiful with pink granite on the outside, but not as big as the one in Florence. We also went to San Domineca where we saw St. Catherine’s thumb and face, it was very amazing. She had a beautiful monastery by her old house as well that had frescos depicting her life. We went off to find a place Rick Steve’s suggested for lunch only to find that the place was full. We spent about an hour after tat trying to find the other place and deciding where to eat. Finally we decided on a little hole in the wall place that only had two people working in it. I felt like I was in an old Medieval cave with the walls and shields everywhere and the big bearded man drinking beer like water to cool off. We had to wait awhile for all of the food but it was great and the people were friendly. The man also gave my dad his beer for free which gave my dad bonus points. Dad was frustrated about spending too much time in Siena and worried about the ride to Amalfi and the dreaded coast line. Everything was going great until we got closer and lost trying to get on the right road. By that point it was dark and raining still and all of us were on edge. Eventually we made it to Praiano where our Bed and Breakfast was at 10:30 at night. We stopped and had dinner in Amalfi for some dinner where my dad received another free beer, I think they could sense the stress we were all under. The next day we had lunch in Praiano and San Gennero Trattoria and saw inside the church there as well, it was beautiful with brightly colored tile all over the floor inside and out. The walls and ceilings were covered with white and yellow moldings everywhere. Then we headed into Positano and headed for the beach. The sand was dark grey and the water was a beautiful clear blue. Even though it was a bit overcast it was still beautiful. We collected sea glass along the beach, but my favorite time was when I was taking a picture of my mom and dad on some rocks and a huge wave came up and splashed them. The best part of the day was when I spotted Pierce Brosnan outside of a ceramic store. There he was just living his life right in front of me I almost took a picture but felt creepy and decided to run and get my dad who was sitting on the corner waiting for us to shop. As he walked by him my dad gave him a casual “Hey Pierce, how ya doing?” This is when I realized I would never be able to live in LA. We headed back to Praiano and watched the sunset from our balcony and then headed down for dinner. We were the only ones to sit outside but we wanted to take in the view, even if it was a bit chilly outside. The poor woman kept rushing us our food when she came outside but was to sweet to be rude. My dad and I were too stubborn to admit that it might be just a little too cold out. We had a very delicious meal though so it made it worth it. The next day we headed to Sorrento only to find that the boats going to the Blue Grotto were non existent because of the weather. We took in Sorrento and the lively atmosphere by having a nice lunch and stopping by some shops and of course having some gelato. That night we went to dinner in Positano but were ready to get home and relax. The next day we were heading off to Rome. So far mom and dad have been keeping up very well but I think are a little tired of walking, especially up al the stairs and hills.
No comments:
Post a Comment