Sunday was rainy and gross—actually the whole week was, my dad was not happy. We walked around a little bit and went to lunch (my dad had his first taste of Italian chocolate and LOVED it, obviously we’re related) and then went to the Palazzo Vecchio, the old city hall of Florence and a former Medici residence (seriously, is there a place in this city that the Medici didn’t live in?). The palace has a special exhibit going on now featuring a skull encrusted in lots of shiny shiny diamonds. It was so sparkly and wonderful. The exhibit is entitle For the Love of Gd, although I need to do more research into what it’s supposed to mean because it didn’t really tell you. Either way there were lots of diamonds. It was great. After the shiny skull we toured the rest of the palace’s art collection. If you ever want to see someone truly bored, bring my brother to an art museum and see what happens. It’s hysterical. Except for when he decides to take it out on me by hitting me with his broken umbrella. Afterwards we just hung out and relaxed and then went to a late dinner. We went to a really yummy restaurant on Piazza Santa Croce, and even though the food was really good, the owner was a complete foodie and yelled at my brother for putting Parmesan cheese on his pasta because it had mushrooms on it. He also definitely judged us for having white wine instead of red. After dinner, I hung out for a little while and then went back to my apartment to “study” for my midterm the next day.
Monday I took my joke of a Mafia midterm and then met my family at their apartment and waited for them to get ready…which took about 5 years thanks to my incredibly slow moving brother. The rain held up on Monday so we walked around the city and then my mom went on search for a place for my parents to change their money. Meanwhile, my brother, my dad, and I sat in front of the Duomo and I just stared at my brother being completely absurd. Finally, we climbed the Duomo and saw the beautiful view at the top. After the Duomo we went and saw my mom’s old house and then chilled out till dinner. I took my parents to a place in a piazza that coincidently my mom used to eat in all the time. The food was delicious and Ben ordered his first legal beer, he was very excited. He also managed to drop his cheesy pasta into my wine…gross. Watching my dad eat Italian food is so funny. I have never seen him get so excited over food before. Just shows how delicious it is.
Tuesday I took a midterm and then met my family for shopping day! It was a very successful shopping day complete with both leather and jewelry! Thanks parents!! For dinner that night my parents had gone to the San’Ambrogio food market and picked up lots of yummy fresh food. It was great to have a “home cooked” meal! We had fresh gnocchi, tagliatelle, ravioli with mozzarella, bread, and delicious wine. It was so great! I took my brother to a bar that night, and then went to sleep!
Wednesday I actually went to my classes and then met up with my family to go to the Natural History Museum and the costume gallery. The museum had these really cool, really old, and really realistic wax models of the human body. The costume gallery in the Pitti Palace was beautiful. I wanted approximately half of all the stuff I saw in there, not that I have any place to wear 1950s gowns. That night my fabulous parents took me, Miriam, Ali, Negrin, and Jordan (and Ben too, because, you know, he needs to eat) to La Giostra (also known as the best restaurant in the whole wide world). It was so fun to have my family and friends all together and have the best food in the whole world. A big dessert sampler came and we literally finished it .4 seconds. Then my brother, dad, and the two boys preceded to see who could drink the most free limoncello. I would seriously love to know what came over my dad on this vacation that compelled him to drink. After La Giostra, we joined the rest of Florence to celebrate Italy’s 150th birthday. There were great fireworks, although Italy is not as safe as the US and got firework dust in our eyes. Ouch. But fun night overall.
act like a walrus Dad!
Thursday was well, rain-filled. I skipped class (gasp!) to go to Lucca, a small Tuscan village, with my family. It was awesome to see all the parades and stuff they had going on for Italy’s 150th anniversary, however, it was also really really rainy. It literally did not stop all day long, which meant lots of waiting around for it to stop down pouring. However, the food was 1000 times better than the weather. We ate a delicious restaurant, where I had spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili flakes (SO GOOD and so easy) and my dad and my brother each got this eggplant tomato sauce that is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Sorry, mom, don’t remember what you ate. Then we climbed one of Lucca’s towers and headed home. That night we went to Gato for dinner along with Miriam, and introduced my family to the best balsamic vinegar in the whole world. It was St. Patrick’s Day that day so Miriam, my brother, and I met up with some friends to celebrate. The next morning I left for Venice, so I stopped by quickly to say goodbye to my parents and then headed for Venezia!
It was such a great week with my family and I am SO happy they got to come see my life here! Thanks for visiting! (although it sounds like you guys were way more upset about leaving the food than leaving me...rude.)
Thanks for letting me re-live the BEST WEEK EVER! I was very happy to be back in Florence but even happier to be there with you! Thanks for letting me shlep you to all my old haunts and listening to my "back in the day" stories. An even bigger grazie for introducing me to my new favorites, La Giostra and Mitica and riso gelato!
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