The school planned a dinner for everyone at a restaurant in town. Unlike the Christmas Party, at this we had to pay for our own wine so it was a little more controlled. Here's my table (all girls from my pensione) making a toast to the great year.
Out at one of our favorite bars on the last Friday night of the year. I need more black shirts to fit in! Everyone else figured out how to dress the European way.
The last supper- Manola style. Complete with Mateo our wonderful doorman arist and his ugly sweaters. Mateo worked every other night at Manola's letting us in whenever we rang that little bell. On the nights I had to stay in and write a paper or something Mateo was often there to make me tea and we had some interesting conversations (like cropcircles....) Good Guy.
How I will miss the mopeds! This is looking right down my street.
THIS was a 10 minute walk from my Pensione. Living in Clackamas, OR again will be quite an adjustment.
Mom and Dad spent a few days in Paris before flying to Italy to begin our 10 day adventure. We hung out in Florence for a while, climbed the Duomo, went to the Academia, Uffizi, Boboli Gardens, I even gave M&D my tour at Santa Maria Novella! We ate at many great restuarants, shopped, and all the while I got to play tourguide and show M&D all my tricks to this town I have grown to love so much. I don't really remember everything we did and it was a lot, so here are the main things.
I met them at the Pisa airport (which was slightly a miracle because Mom told me the wrong flight time) and brought them into Florence at night. I tried to warn Mom and Dad not to judge Florence by what they see between the train station and their hotel because that is honestly one of the ugliest areas of town. I also took Mom and Dad to eat one of my favorite foods: The Kebab!
The next morning M&D slept in, went on a walk around Florence, and came to Manola's for lunch (the last meal served ther of the school year). I spent the morning packing and studying for my last final. After 'the last lunch' which was incredibly bittersweet because about a third of our pensione had already left for home, I went to take my test.
The next day, the adventure really began! We got me all moved out of the pensione and went to our first museum: the Academia to see the David. Equipped with our Rick Steves podcasts we heard the great story of how Michelangelo came to sculpt the David.
For lunch, I took Mom and Dad to the central market where we met this pig:
But for our lunch we bought salami, cheese, bread, some fruit and things like that. After lunch we hit the Uffizi! But he had a bit of time before our appointment so I took M&D to Chiesa di Dante and made them write love letters. Dante's lover Beatrice is buried in church so its good luck to write love letters and leave them at Beatrice's tomb. Here's Dad tossing his note to Mom in the love letter basket.
Mom and Dad on top of the Duomo! Aren't they cute? It rained that first day in Florence, but we had really good weather for most of the trip.
A climb up the Duomo makes me hungry! Lunch at El Gato e La Volpe, one of my favorite restaurants.
You know you want one too!
Mom and I at Ponte Vecchio. All the jewlery stores on the bridge and I semi-sorta half tricked Mom into buying me earrings. But I had to live with the Ponte Vecchio staring at me everyday and I knew I couldn't leave Florence without something!
Dad posing in the Boboli Gardens. I made him do it though.
This would have been the Medici's view of Florence.
On our last morning in Florence Dad and I ventured out to get the rental car. Luckily we got it on a Sunday which means you can drive in downtown without getting a fine. We were able to drive to the hotel (after I navigated expertly through town) to get Mom and the luggage. Good bye FLO town! We're off to wine country!
We stopped in Siena for a few hours. I had been there before and it was a lot more crowded this time, probably because of the nice sunny weather. I took Mom to see the head of St. Catherine (because her name is Catherine) at the church of St. Dominic. Poor St. Catherine's body is in Rome, but Siena got the head and a thumb too. After seeing the head we had a coffee at Il Campo (the town square) and saw Siena's Duomo.
I made myself cheif backseat phototaker on the drive.
Between Siena and our destination of Montepulciano, I insisted we stop at Pienza. Pope Puis II decided that Pienza was his "perfect town" and it also is home of our new favorite cheese: pecorino.
Pienza is tiny, here's the backside. We only stopped there for about half an hour. Luckily, Mom thought it would be fun to buy some pasta and sauce and make dinner that night. When we arrived at the agritourismo, nothing nearby was open. (Sunday!)
At the end of our first day of driving we arrived at our agritourismo. (It's like a hotel on a farm.) We stayed in a small village outside the town of Montepulciano. I really reccommend these places to anyone going to Italy. It was so picturesque and we had our own little kitchen and everything. They like you to stay there for at least a week, but in the off season (which usually includes April) you can get a nightly rate.
Rising of the moon. I think this is a really cool picture!
Mom and I hanging out at a castle in Tuscany. We went on a drive to explore wine country before our wine tour. We found a small restaurant in the miniscule villiage of Montecello and I had possibly the best lunch of my life.
The cellar in the winery where we had a tour and learned all about wine making.
The next morning we had to leave Montepulciano and head to the Cinque Terre. On the way we stopped in Voltera because Rick Steves says so.
This arch was built by the Eutruscans in about 400 BC. Those three things are supposed to be faces, but leave a carved stone outide for over 2000 years and most of the features are lost. The filled in bricks around the stone arch were added in WWII by the citizens of Voltera to protect their town from invasion.
Dad and I pose with one of the tiny cars.
Welcome home! LaFrancesca Bungalow Park. All the places we stayed at were different, but I think this one was the most unique.
Every shack has a bedroom, living room, kitchen and ocean view.
Mom and Dad relax after the drive and before the hike in the morning.
Mom and Dad on the hike! We hiked all 9km through the 5 towns. (you take the train back at the end). In the 5th town we found an internet cafe and booked our hotel for the next night in the alps. That weekend was coincidentally a 4 day Italian holiday to celebrate Liberation Day. But we seemed to luck out hotel and traffic wise.
Leaving the Mediterranean, we began our quest into the alps. Heading north is easier said than done. We had to cut through France a little bit and got lost. Also being Europe, we were lost at lunch time and nothing was open.
We finally made it to the town!! Biggest lesson learned from driving in Italy: even though you drive about 80 or 90 on the autostrada, it takes a lot longer than you think to get anywhere.
Dad and I ready for dinner! There were all of two restuarants in this little town/village we stayed at. Also, we were some of the only guests at the hotel that night.
Dad's beverage of choice on the last (and only) night in the alps.
Clean alpine mountain water! I filled up my waterbottle at a similar fountain in town.
The next morning we went on a quest to find The Matterhorn (Cervinia in Italian). In the alps, the roads go up a valley until the mountains win out and they can't go anymore. So have to turn and drive back down the way you came. In other words, you cant get to Switzerland from here!
Jumping Picture! Jumping Picture! Jumping Picture! I explained to Mom and Dad what a jumping picture is and then it took a few tries to get this one.
Mom and Dad at the Matterhorn! It was a successful quest. After this we headed to Milan where we checked into our hotel, returned the rental car and had dinner at a place called "In the Mouth of the Donkey." Great food though.
AND THATS THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLED.
