MY FAMILY VISITED ME IN ROME AND IT WAS THE BEST WEEKEND OF THE ENTIRE SEMESTER!!! Mom and Dad arrived early on Thursday morning and I took them right to my apartment so that they could drop their bags off and then we could go exploring. Well I forgot that they were going to be a little jet lagged and they fell asleep for a few hours! haha So our exploring didn't start until a little later in the afternoon. We went to a lovely restaurant and then to the Coliseum and Trevi Fountain that night! I had a huge smile on my face the entire time because I was so happy to see my parents!
We woke up early on Friday and decided to go to Naples and Capri for the day. I bought train tickets for us and we headed south for a sunny day filled with pizza from Naples and a ferry ride to the Island of Capri. We walked around the city of Naples for a while and sat down at a lovely cafe for some margharita pizza. Then we took at 40 minute ferry to the Island of Capri. Let me tell you it was beautiful! We walked around explored the tiny town and then sat in a cafe for a little while.
Julian came Saturday afternoon, he was not jet lagged at all so we kept going all day. We picked him up from the airport and then started exploring Rome with him. We went to the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain again as well as the Spanish Steps and to Piazza del Popolo to see incredible views of the city! Saturday was very crowded due to the Rome Marathon that was taking place but we still got to see incredible sights and then ended up back in Trastevere for a lovely dinner outside at a local restaurant.
Sunday we woke up early and got to the Vatican just in time to see the Pope speak! They got to see St. Peter's Square as well when we were at the Vatican. We then left to get to the Coliseum for out tour. This was my first time doing this as well. Mom set up a great guided tour and we were able to go inside the Coliseum to see what took place thousands of years ago! This was amazing! What blew my mind is that the monument used to be white! The pollution in the city has turned the Coliseum brown, and now they are currently trying to restore the monument! This was a great tour with very educational facts that the whole family enjoyed!
Monday we had a driver meet us and take us on an 12 hour trip south to the Amalfi Coast, Positano and Pompeii. We first stopped at Pompeii to get a guided tour of the ancient ruins. Then we drove along the winding road and stopped to take pictures but we ended up in Positano. This was my favorite place out of the entire week. The views were amazingly breath taking! We walked along the black sand beaches and had lunch right on the Mediterranean Sea. I wish we could have stayed longer but once we had lunch and did a little shopping our driver picked us back up to go back home to Rome.
Tuesday we hopped on a train and headed north to Florence. We spent time wandering around the city and stopping at the leather markets. We climbed to the top of the Duomo for some amazing views of the city and Tuscany. It was 463 steps but the entire family made it to the top in one piece. We stayed at the top of the Duomo for a while and just took in all the sights. We then went to the other side of the city to the piazzale michelanglo! This was another amazing view of the city. We got a bottle of wine and listened to music while looking over the entire city. On Wednesday mom organized a "Best of Tuscany" bus tour for the whole family. We got on a bus and headed to Siena. There we took a guided tour of the city learning about all the major sites there. We also learned a lot about the annual horse races that take place twice throughout the summer. We then headed to an organic farm where we were going to do a wine tasting and have an Italian lunch. We were able to go on a tour of the farm, and then sat down overlooking the hills of Tuscany for lunch! We tasted 4 different types of wine that were made right there on this farm. It was a delicious lunch and a wonderful tour! I was so glad that my family was able to experience an Italian lunch and a vineyard tour. The last stop on this tour was to Pisa. I have already been here but I convinced dad, mom and Julian to climb to the top of the leaning tower for incredible views!
the view from piazzale michelangelo
The hills of Tuscany
Venice was our next trip! We took the train to Venice early in the morning, checked into our hotels and then was able to "get lost" in the city. This city was amazing (I know I say that a lot, but its true!) There were no cars on the island! We looked at all of the murano glass and took a gondola ride through all the canals. We had a great tour guide name Lorenzo who became Dad's new best friend! haha Dinner in Venice was also delicious (just like every meal and every liter of vino) but the seafood in Venice was very good!
Julian left early Saturday morning. I was sad to see the week come to an end but I know this was the best vacation ever. Saturday night my roommate Erin's family came into town. Erin was also turning 21 that night so we went out for a big birthday celebration! We went to dinner at a local restaurant and then went out to some local bars for some fun! Overall we had a great night and it was so fun to have both of our families here at the same time! I am so glad that their trips overlapped.
This was by far the best week of my life! I could not have been happier to have my whole family come visit me in Rome and travel around Italy! I wish they could have stayed for the rest of the semester with me! I am so blessed that they were able to experience some of Italy with me. It will be a memory that I will never forget!
This weekend I am going back to Capri and Positano!
Ciao
xoxo
