Good wine, great food, and even better company

Monte Bernardi Vineyard

If you couldn't tell from the title, my parents came to visit last week!  Even though it seems like all we did was eat and drink, it was nice to have them around for the week.  On days that I didn't have class, we explored Tuscany by visiting some of the smaller regions that were not originally on my must-see list: Chianti and Montalcino.  In both places we tried some amazing wines at famous wineries  (at Monte Bernardi in Chianti, and Poggio Antico in Montalcino).  We then had lunch and walked around a bit.  Our guide was the nicest Roman, Giuliano, who spoke English very well.  He joined us for lunch both days and we learned of many nuances between English and Italian culture.

Just one of the stops on our Taste Florence tour
- sampling cheeses at the market

My favorite day with the rents was their first full day where we went on a 'taste of Florence' tour.  It was  a four hour walking tour where we stopped to sample different cheeses, oils, pastries, wines, chocolates, and of course, gelato.  Apparently the Jersey Shore cast had our same guide, Toni, and the clip that aired on MTV was Snooki interrupting her at a winery (great PR for her business, right?)









Another highlight from their visit: my parents treated me and my friends to a fabulous Italian dinner!  My friends and I don't get to eat out a lot, so this was a great change of pace for us.

The whole gang at Buca Lapi

Some other highlights:

• Spending the week being spoiled in the hotel
• Getting to workout on a treadmill
• Finally buying some nice Italian boots thanks to my mother :)
• A three hour dinner at a seafood restaurant where I think I actually fell asleep between the 5th appetizer and the main course
• Being able to study for midterms in the peace and quiet of the hotel (just kidding)

But actually, midterms were this week and I'm proud to say I put the 'study' in 'study-abroad'.  Five midterms in just over 48 hours was not an easy task!  Now I am officially on Spring Break 2012, where I will be visiting two of my best friends in their current hometowns: first Alex in Paris, and then Maryann in Barcelona.  I'm excited to see what their lives have been like for the past two months.  Maybe there will be a compare-and-contrast blog post in the near future, who knows.  Stay tuned!

Me and Mom in Piazzalle Michelangelo

Pop and me!

Aren't they cute? How soon can you guys come back?