A Wonderful Visit from my Wonderful Family

Had the best weekend with my parents. We did so much walking that mom could not feel her feet anymore and lots of blisters. So incredibly worth it. We were able to see so much and took lots of pictures together! Here are a few that Dad took on his camera and I uploaded onto my blog for everyone to see. 

This was right after my parents got to Florence. They walked me to school after we had a quick bite so that I could go to class. Dad wanted a picture of me in front of the Kent State sign when you first enter the building.

This was the first night in Florence with mom and dad. We took Hannah out to La Martinicca for a real Tuscan dinner. I enjoyed a bisteca florentine. It was ginormous. Managed to finish the whole thing. Mom got a mushroom and spaghetti meal, Dad got a seabass (I think it was seabass) and Hannah got a tortellini with lemon sauce that was a house favorite and recommended by our waitor. It was a great meal and a great find for a real authentic restaurant.

Dad and I on our second night together at Aqua Al 2. It was a delicious restaurant geared towards teenagers. We got there around I think it was 7:30. Dad got a blueberry steak (recommended to us by many), I got some sort of penne pasta but it was not called that with alla vodka sauce, Mom got a cannelloni with ricotta and spinach. Then we of course had wine and the dessert sampler. The sampler included a fruit tart, cheesecake with a strawberry sauce, a chocolate cake and tiramisu. We seemed to have plenty of room for all of that after our large meals!

Mom and Dad in the hotel lobby on the second day together. They are just too cute :)

Mom and Dad again I think this was at a restaurant but I cannot remember where this was taken exactly.

We decided to go up to the designer outlet mall about a half hour outside of Florence. BIIIIG mistake. Everything was so overpriced still and with the conversion rate lately, everything was so far too expensive. We managed to get a little cranky but I got a gorgeous Burberry little coat. I also found a nice scarf the next day in the open market that matches it perfectly. I cannot wait to wear it!

Mom and I in front of the Aqua Al 2 after our delicious dinner.

Mom and I in front of the courthouse of Florence. It is quite a massive building and did not realize what it was until we got close enough to read the sign.

Mom and I in front of the Duomo on our second day in Florence together. 

Mom and I in the hotel lobby on our second day together. We loved the furniture so much we had to take lots of pictures of us on it and it by itself.

Mom and I on the pontevecchio yesterday. We went across it to look at the gorgeous jewelry. I had been looking for Mom's favorite designer the entire time I have been  here and have had no luck. Go figure that as soon as I walk onto the pontevecchio with them I find the designer in the first window. What are the chances! I was excited though, and happy that they got to see the jewelery. 

Mom looking beautiful on the pontevecchio the first day they were here. This was while I was in class and they were roaming the city alone! 

This is the inside of the studio space. I sit on the right hand side the third desk down. It is pretty hard to see it in this photograph but it gives you the general idea.

Yesterday was our big shopping day. We went down to the open market near San Lorenzo. I ended up buying some scarves for my friends back home and a couple of other small things. Mom got a great journal and we haggled down a purse for her. I think I am starting to get good at this! As we were leaving the open market there was this really nice mens store. We decided to stop in because Dad noticed a sports jacket that he really liked. Well he did not end up getting the one we saw in the window but one in the store that I picked out for him. It is such a great jacket I love it! (He is wearing it today on his way to Paris with Mom)

Last night we went to a restaurant (another that the hotel recommended and made reservations for us) called Conte Mascetti. It is a brand new restaurant to Florence. We walked in and it was absolutely stunning. We were so intrigued by everything we saw. The menu was a bit difficult being that it was 100% in Italian and it was really hard to remember everything our waitor was saying in English. We each ended up getting delicious meals. I got a butter cream and cheese sauce with spaghetti. The spaghetti was a lot larger in roundness than the typical kind we eat at home. Mom got spaghetti as well with red sauce and dad got ravioli with boar sauce. We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine and some orange creme brullee. So yummy.

Today right before they left we went to the synagogue to visit and tour the museum. It is gorgeous from the outside and even more beautiful on the inside. We were not allowed to take any photographs so that was a bummer but that is okay. We got mom and dad a mezuzah for the new house once it is built from the synagogue which was super exciting and it is gorgeous. It is made from all of the stones that are known in Florence. What a great token to come home with.