Weekend in Florence with the Parents

My parents arrived in Riva San Vitale on Thursday afternoon and I met up with them after my BIT class. That afternoon, I showed them my apartment, the villa, and then we just walked around Riva. Before they left to go to Lugano for the evening, we went to the infamous Mini bar for a drink. For the rest of the night, I studied for my first BIT exam which was the next morning.

Around 11 in the morning on Friday, my parents picked me up from the villa and we headed to Florence for the weekend. The drive was beautiful and it did not take too long either. On the way, we stopped by the city of Prato, which is right outside of Florence. My mum’s great grandfather was a count in Prato and owned a villa, where her grandfather grew up as a child. The villa, Villa Fiorita, is now a hospital and it took a very long time to find. We had no idea where we were going, so we drove around and tried to follow signs to the hospital. Whenever my mum got out of the car to ask directions, people would always say just go straight, make a few turns, and then ask someone else. I find it funny that the majority of Italians answer directional questions in this manner. After driving around for an hour, we finally found the villa and it was beautiful.  I could imagine the wonderful gardens that it used to have back in the day. On our way out of Prato, we stopped by the Duomo and asked the Priest if he was able to find any of our family records. He was extremely kind and gave my mum his email address, so she is going to be in contact with him about it. I expected Prato to just be a small town, but it ended up being a lot larger than I thought it would be. From Prato, it took about 30 minutes to get to our hotel in the outskirts of Florence.  Hotel Mulino di Firenze was right on the Arno River and it was absolutely gorgeous. That night my parents and I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant and it took three hours. The food was delicious and it was nice to just spend time talking with my parents. It had been so long since I was able to really catch up with them. After supper, I went straight to bed, because the day was exhausting. 

The sign for the villa!

Our family villa!

Duomo in Prato!

Our hotel!

It was right on the river!

On Saturday, I ate a buffet style breakfast at the hotel with eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, yogurt, and so much more! I have not had a breakfast as delicious since I was in America. At 9 o’clock, we caught the shuttle into Florence. My parents and I started out walking to the Ponte Vecchio just as the shops were opening. All of the jewelry was absolutely beautiful. Shortly after we just decided to walk into the city and find somewhere to get coffee. We ended up in Piazza Della Signoria and saw all of the remakes of famous statues and then worked our way over to the Duomo and got coffee at a café in the piazza. It was a busy day in Florence and there were fairly long lines to get into the Duomo. Regardless, my parents and I lined up and went into the Duomo itself and then climbed the 460 steps to the top. The view was phenomenal, because I could see the entirety of Florence. No matter where you go in Florence, I feel as though there is something amazing to see. On our way over to the Accademia, we stopped in Piazza San Lorenzo where the main leather market is. Walking through there were so many beautiful purses and jackets, it was hard to resist buying one. No wonder Florence is known for its leather. Eventually, we made our way over to the Accademia and stood in line for a decent amount of time to get in. The previous day, some of the museums, including the Accademia and Galleria della Uffizi, were on strike. For us that meant that entry was free! The Statue of David was more breathtaking in person that I thought it would be. The detail that went into it is absolutely unreal. I think I found the veins in his hand and the definition of even his small muscles the most unexpected part. 

Ponte Vecchio

My dad and I on the Ponte Vecchio

The inside of the Duomo

On top of the Duomo

Mum and I on the top of the Duomo

Leather markets

Statue of David

As a break from all of the art, we went to Grum gelato, which is apparently recommended in travel books about Venice. It was just what I needed! Our next stop was the Galleria della Uffizi where we also had to wait in line, but it was free entry as well. I was glad to be with my parents in this museum, because they made me appreciate it more so than I would have, had I been there with my friends.  Two of Botticelli’s famous pieces were my favorite in the museum: Primavera and The Birth of Venus. By the time we got out of the museum it was around 6:30 and we were all ready to eat supper. We found this random little restaurant to eat at. The food was nice, but not as delicious as my meal the previous night. Finding a cab that would take us back to the hotel was not too difficult. Once we got back, I went to the bar with my parents for a little bit and then we all headed to bed. 

Delicious gelato!

After another delicious breakfast, my parents and I checked out of the hotel and drove to Pisa. We did not spend long there, because we only went as a stop on the way back to Riva San Vitale. After seeing the tower and taking the typical pictures, we got back on the road. My parents love to go on random adventures, so as we were driving we decided to stop off in this random city called Massa. It was on the coast, so we drove to the beach and parked outside of this small beach bar. Clearly all of locals were shocked to see us and probably confused as to why we were there. While trying to order food and coffee, the bartender did not speak any English. Luckily I was able to remember some of my Italian and successfully order what we wanted. Once we ate, my mum and I walked along the beach and dipped our feet in the water. It was a very relaxing way to end a fun weekend with my parents. I got back to Riva around 8:30 in the evening and said goodbye to my parents, as they were heading to Venice the next day.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Massa