La Famiglia Insieme
(I recommend you read my dad's account of the trip first here)
(You should also follow my Instagram for more photo highlights)
I couldn't believe my family made it all the way to Italy to visit me for the holidays! After a couple of flight changes and 2 lost suitcases, it was going to take a lot to make up for the hassles the traveling brought along. However, if I do say so myself, the visit was amazing and I got what I wanted for Christmas: my family!
It all started in Viterbo so my family could see where I lived. They came at a perfect time to see Viterbo in it's prime- Christmas lights everywhere, the market at it's tipping point, and the Viterbesi full of joy. We went exploring and learned how miserable it is to drive a car in Italy. However, the most important thing was the lunch between both of my loving families where they met for the first time. My host mom prepared course after course of all my favorites, and the conversation didn't stop regardless of the fact there was a very strong language barrier. I realized just then I am the luckiest girl in the world. There is nothing more important than family, and I am so blessed as to have two.
After a nice short visit in Viterbo, we headed up north to see my beloved Firenze. Che bella questa città ! The lights of Florence were striking. Every via had a different type; I saw everything from upside down christmas trees to chandeliers! Everything had a little touch of Natale and I was wished auguri by all who passed me. The spirit in the air was unlike any other I had felt before.
Awaiting me in Florence wasn't just the adventures but a dear friend and her family who decided FIVE DAYS BEFORE to join my family for the rest of the trip. Their company made the holidays and our itinerary far more interesting, and I was so so so happy to reunite here in Italy. Together, we shopped in a leather market, got stalked by gypsies, ate mountains of food, searched for cannolis everywhere we went, climbed the Torre Vecchio in the middle of Palazzo Vecchio next to Ponte Vecchio, enriched ourselves at the Uffizi, attempted to go to a mass in Italian at the Duomo, and charmed waiters into free drinks. Needless to say, I had an amazing time in perhaps my favorite city in the world.
For one day, the group split up for separate family excursions. While our friends toured Toscana, my family and I ventured to Orvieto to see what all the fuss over it's beauty and ceramic skills was about. We were not disappointed. The Duomo di Orvieto was beautiful and all the ceramic works were masterpieces. It resembled Viterbo in the way the streets had a medieval feel, but was bigger and had more cultural points of interest. Worth a visit for anyone passing through Umbria!
We wrapped things up in Roma as a group. We barely sat down between exploring and shopping! We had a tour of the underground of Rome where we went into churches, old houses, and ruins that allow you to see a whole other layer of Rome below the surface. We learned a lot about Rome's history just through observation alone! Props to my mom for finding that tour. The next day, we cooked all day long. The whole group took a cooking class where we made three types of pasta (gnocchi, ravioli, and fettuccine), veal, and stuffed tomatoes ALL FROM SCRATCH! I cleaned my plate for all five courses (did I mention they finished off with pandoro, or Christmas cake?) and we had a ball. I now expect when I get home to never again see pasta from a box....
Quick shoutout to Catalina!! So glad I got to have at least a dinner with my dear friend. Torna subito! Lo raccomando, eh?
The day of my departure, we took a tour of the Vatican. I was awestruck the whole time. What an overwhelmingly beautiful place. I could not have asked for a better way to end my time with the best family and friends out there.
Saying goodbye for five months to my family was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do. For now, it's back to Skype calls and virtual faces, but I'm off to Berlin to continue my life of adventure here. Ci vediamo presto, la mia cara famiglia! Grazie mille per tutto e spero che ci sia un altro opportunita per viaggiare Italia insieme.
(You should also follow my Instagram for more photo highlights)
I couldn't believe my family made it all the way to Italy to visit me for the holidays! After a couple of flight changes and 2 lost suitcases, it was going to take a lot to make up for the hassles the traveling brought along. However, if I do say so myself, the visit was amazing and I got what I wanted for Christmas: my family!
It all started in Viterbo so my family could see where I lived. They came at a perfect time to see Viterbo in it's prime- Christmas lights everywhere, the market at it's tipping point, and the Viterbesi full of joy. We went exploring and learned how miserable it is to drive a car in Italy. However, the most important thing was the lunch between both of my loving families where they met for the first time. My host mom prepared course after course of all my favorites, and the conversation didn't stop regardless of the fact there was a very strong language barrier. I realized just then I am the luckiest girl in the world. There is nothing more important than family, and I am so blessed as to have two.
After a nice short visit in Viterbo, we headed up north to see my beloved Firenze. Che bella questa città ! The lights of Florence were striking. Every via had a different type; I saw everything from upside down christmas trees to chandeliers! Everything had a little touch of Natale and I was wished auguri by all who passed me. The spirit in the air was unlike any other I had felt before.
Awaiting me in Florence wasn't just the adventures but a dear friend and her family who decided FIVE DAYS BEFORE to join my family for the rest of the trip. Their company made the holidays and our itinerary far more interesting, and I was so so so happy to reunite here in Italy. Together, we shopped in a leather market, got stalked by gypsies, ate mountains of food, searched for cannolis everywhere we went, climbed the Torre Vecchio in the middle of Palazzo Vecchio next to Ponte Vecchio, enriched ourselves at the Uffizi, attempted to go to a mass in Italian at the Duomo, and charmed waiters into free drinks. Needless to say, I had an amazing time in perhaps my favorite city in the world.
For one day, the group split up for separate family excursions. While our friends toured Toscana, my family and I ventured to Orvieto to see what all the fuss over it's beauty and ceramic skills was about. We were not disappointed. The Duomo di Orvieto was beautiful and all the ceramic works were masterpieces. It resembled Viterbo in the way the streets had a medieval feel, but was bigger and had more cultural points of interest. Worth a visit for anyone passing through Umbria!
We wrapped things up in Roma as a group. We barely sat down between exploring and shopping! We had a tour of the underground of Rome where we went into churches, old houses, and ruins that allow you to see a whole other layer of Rome below the surface. We learned a lot about Rome's history just through observation alone! Props to my mom for finding that tour. The next day, we cooked all day long. The whole group took a cooking class where we made three types of pasta (gnocchi, ravioli, and fettuccine), veal, and stuffed tomatoes ALL FROM SCRATCH! I cleaned my plate for all five courses (did I mention they finished off with pandoro, or Christmas cake?) and we had a ball. I now expect when I get home to never again see pasta from a box....
Quick shoutout to Catalina!! So glad I got to have at least a dinner with my dear friend. Torna subito! Lo raccomando, eh?
The day of my departure, we took a tour of the Vatican. I was awestruck the whole time. What an overwhelmingly beautiful place. I could not have asked for a better way to end my time with the best family and friends out there.
Saying goodbye for five months to my family was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do. For now, it's back to Skype calls and virtual faces, but I'm off to Berlin to continue my life of adventure here. Ci vediamo presto, la mia cara famiglia! Grazie mille per tutto e spero che ci sia un altro opportunita per viaggiare Italia insieme.
Comments
Post a Comment