Roman Holiday!

So this past weekend was our last big adventure, so early Friday morning we headed to Roma! Picture Audrey Hepburn standing on the Spanish Steps and Lizzie McGuire throwing her coin into the Trevi fountain and then picture me doing all of this while it was raining sideways. So the weather all weekend was less that ideal, but that didn't stop us from touring the historical center of city the second we stepped off the bus! Our first stop, the Spanish steps of course!

These are the widest steps in all of Europe and were built in the 1700s and lead to the Trinta dei Monti church! After seeing the Spanish steps we quickly headed to the Trevi Fountain! All the money thrown into the fountain goes to poor citizens in Rome, so here's one wish you can feel good about!

So about that wish? While I can't tell you what I wished because it won't come true, I can tell you hope to properly make a wish at the Trevi Fountain! To properly make a wish at the fountain you hold you coin in your right hand and throw it into the fountain over your left shoulder. Here's a little demo with a few of the roommies!

After making wish we headed to the Pantheon, not to be confused with the Parthenon (which is in Greece!). The Pantheon was build around 100 AD and is an architectural miracle and the inspiration for many domes across the world! This building also houses the tomb of Raphael!

After this we checked out our Hotel, took a quick nap and enjoyed some of Rome's night life including arancini (rice balls) of course! Our second day in Rome began in Vatican City at St. Peter's Basilica. Not only is this one of the largest churches in the world, but it houses major works of art, architecture, and popes!

We also got to see Michelangelo's Pieta, which was intended for his tomb!

After seeing St. Peter's Basilica we toured Castel Sant' Angelo, which was once a prison as well as a mausoleum and home to popes during dangerous times! Climbing to the top of the castle was amazing and offered great views of Roma and Vatican City!

After seeing the castle we went back to the Vatican Museum to see the Sisteen Chapel! We saw a ton of exhibits in the Museum, but one of my favorite was the Gallery of Maps. It was filled with maps from all different times and the ceiling in the Gallery was incredible!

After seeing the Gallery, we headed to the Sisteen Chapel which is covered in frescoes done by Michelangelo including the famous The Creation of Adam! Our first two days of Rome were packed full of art, history, and tons of rain, but we loved every minute!

Out at the Opera!

So Tuesday night I did something really Italian and saw my very first Opera, all in Italian of course! We meet at Piazza della Repubblica to see the opera L'eslisir d'amore!

 I was expecting poofy dresses and a classical opera, but my experience was much different. This opera written in the early 1800s and is a story about a poor peasant falling in love with a beautiful wealthy girl and using a love potion to get her attention. Sadly I got most of this information from synopsis online because an opera all in Italian is much harder to understand that I thought! Despite how long ago the opera was written, it was performed in modern costumes in a totally modern setting!.

The opera lasted a little over two hours and reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet minus all the dying. Although there isn't too much to say about the opera because I didn't understand most of it, it was definitely a cultural experience, and made me feel like a true Florentine!

Farewell Famiglia!

The final day of my family's visit to Florence was a mellow one. My parents headed to the Galleria dell' Accademia to see the David, while my sister and I did some last minute shopping in the San Lorenzo Market, for leather of course! The San Lorenzo Market is filled with leather in every form from bags to belts to wallets. Kate bought her very first Italian bag and in exchange for helping her shop she let me drag her to another one of my favorite landmarks. The best part about Florence, or any city for that matter, it that wherever you go and wherever you look there's something new to discover. I took Kate to Piazza Signora, which is where the David originally stood and now a replica stands in its place!

However, I didn't drag Kate all the way there to show her the fake David, I took her to see a drinking fountain. While there's an incredible statue in this square that is massive and can't be missed this isn't what I was showing her either. The fountain I took her to see is on the left side of Museo di Palazzo Vecchio. This is one of many drinking fountains scattered throughout the city, but this one is by far the coolest! Not only does it offer regular water, but it offers fizzy water too, which I think is the coolest thing ever! People come from all over the city to enjoy some of the best water in Florence!

After a busy morning, it was time to say goodbye to my family as they embarked on their next adventure in Roma! I can't even tell you how happy I was to see them and show them my beautiful Firenze!

Day for the Duomo!

The last full day of the family visiting we spent seeing one of Florence's most famous sites, Santa Maria del Fiore, better know as the Duomo! There are about a million and one reasons why I love the Duomo the first is because its an architectural marvel and so stunning you could honestly look at it forever. More importantly I love the Duomo because it helps me find my way home, and you can see it from just about anywhere in the city! Thank you Duomo! This cathedral was build on top of Florence's previous cathedral Santa Reparata. Remains of Santa Reparata are located under the Duomo and can still be seen today! Construction on the Duomo began around 1300 and took about 170 years to complete! The most impressive part of the church is the Dome constructed by Filippo Brunelleschi.

We started our visit to the Duomo by checking out the Campanile or the Bell Tower, and got super ambitious and climbed all the way to the top, all 412 steps! 

This climb let us see over all of Florence and after climbing the Bell Tower we saw the inside of the Duomo and checked out the underground remains of Santa Reparata!

We checked out the Baptistery, which is the oldest building in the plazza. This was once a pagan church and was converted for the church's use. The most impressive parts of the Baptistery are definitely the mosaic on the ceiling and  the Gates to Paradise. Lorenzo Ghiberti's golden doors located on the East side of the Baptistery. The doors depict scenes from the Old Testament and were referred to by Michelangelo as the "Gates of Paradise," which they are still called today! The originals are located inside the museum along with a Pieta by Michelangelo intended for his own tomb. Overall a pretty incredible thing to see and an absolute must if you find yourself in Florence! After cramming all this in I headed to my first class of the day and my family headed off to lunch at La Prosciutteria, which I've been dying to go to, its really local and not technically a restaurant so you have to set the table yourself or eat outside! Its all fresh meats and cheeses and all very Tuscan! Here's my family enjoying Florence, without me!

After class I met back up with them for dinner at another famous Florentine hot spot, Acqua Al 2! The really cool part about this restaurant isn't just that it has amazing Tuscan cuisine, but it's a totally unique dinning experience. They're known for their blueberry steak which is insane and of course we tried it! They're also know for their tastings! We ordered their pasta tasting where they bring out five different small servings of pasta like courses all chosen by the chef. Depending on the time you order, the day, and the mood of the chef, you can have something different every time! Also their table wine is amazing!

So how do you end a visit to Florence? Back to Gilli for espresso of course! To make the most of our culinary experience I also ordered their cioccolata calda (hot chocolate), which is so rich you have to split it! It literally tastes exactly like melted chocolate and is served from the coolest golden spout. I also made everyone try crema di caffè, which is like coffee, ice cream, and caramel blended to perfection. If you ever make it to Gilli, you can't leave without it!

Overall an incredible first European family vacation!

Florence by Foot!

Day four of family vacation began with sandwiches from I Fratellini, another local hot spot. This sandwich and wine shop is located right near Piazza Signoria and offers amazing food and wine, but don't expect to sit because this place is literally a hole in the wall, but it can't be beat! After this I took them to see Piazzale Michelangelo which is home to my favorite views of Florence as well as copies of Michelangelo's famous statues!

After seeing the view we decided to keep walking and came across a small church!

And we kept walking even further and came across San Miniato al Monte, an incredibly gorgeous church well worth the walk! Not only is the church incredible, but it surrounded by large tombs of the Florentine wealthy. This whole site is peaceful, gorgeous, lets you look over all of Florence!

After I dragged them on this super long walk, we headed to a bar around the corner from my house for a little prosecco to finish the day, ok maybe a little more than a little!

Back to Boboli!

So after seeing Siena we spend the next day seeing the sights around Florence, and I decided to take my parents to see the Boboli Gardens as well as the Piti Palace! Before we went to the gardens we took a quick trip to the Mercato Centrale! This indoor market was built with huge glass windows and skylights to give the feeling you were shopping outdoors. This market offers the best quality and freshest food in all of Florence and has everything from dried fruits to tripe!

We grabbed some meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, and the best Nutella muffin and headed over the Ponte Vecchio for a picnic in the gardens. We also grabbed some local wine at a street stand on the way!

After an afternoon of exploring the garden, we went into the Pitti Palace to visit the Galleria del Costume, Museo delle Porcellane, and Baroque Ivories Exhibit in the Museo degli Argenti!

More perfect weather and another perfect day!

Seeing Siena!

On the second day of my family visiting we got ambitious and decided to take a day trip to Siena. We spent the day roaming around this medieval Tuscan city and took advantage of the perfect weather! We started the day exploring the center of town, Piazza del Campo, which hosts a huge horse race twice a year!

In the Piazza del Campo we saw The Fonte Gaia!

We also took a look at the Duomo of Siena and the Palazzo Pubblico!

Siena was an amazing place to spend a day with amazing weather. The rolling hills of the city were gorgeous and everywhere you went was another spectacular view!

We ended our day trip to Siena by visting San Domenico, construction started on this cathedral in the early 1200s. The unique part about this church is the chapel that was constructed inside and dedicated to St. Catherine. 

They built this cathedral to house her preserved head, and you bet it was on display! It definitely made the trip to Siena a memorable one! After making a million head jokes we headed back to Florence an ended the night with some wine and a trip to Gusta Pizza, just over the Ponte Vecchio, for some of the best pizza in Florence! We also took our first family trip to Gilli, an amazing historic cafe and one of my favorite places in Florence!