Finals finally finished Friday (alliterations. teehee.) in Rome. After packing up my bags, I hit the road to meet my Mom and brother. Here's the journal entry I wrote that day:
10-19-2012
I now sit in Hotel Stella anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mom and Mike. I sit here planning out what we will do when they arrive. It's already coming on night-time, so we shall see beautiful Rome at night! Ah! I just heard Mom's voice! Ahhh! Now I wait for her and Mike to enter!!! This is so unreal!!! So unreal!!! OK Laura, get a hold of yourself, It's only your mom and brother. In Italy. It isn't that big of a deal or anything. Bah! Who am I kidding!?
Then they entered the door.
Yeah, I wasn't excited at all as you can tell....
The next journal entry:
10-26-2012
Now I am in a plane about to take off for Athens. Mom and Mike's visit was so so so great. It really could not have been better. We spent the first couple of days in Rome. They arrived at the hotel a little late, after getting lost from the station to the hotel. I don't blame them. It's an easy thing to do in Roma. But hey! It's something you just gotta do. You gotta get lost in Roma. I mean it was one of my favorite activities-I always got lost! So Mom and Mike started off with a bang! :P (I should have told them that in Rome the street signs are not on signs but on the corners of buildings. Oops. They learned that the hard way.)
They walked into the hotel room pooped after walking around for a long time lugging around their luggage. It was definitely time for some wine and relaxation. After taking a load off,we took off from the hotel to do a little nighttime sightseeing. We started at the Spanish Steps and mingled for a bit. From there we went to find food. We ended up at a restaurant I'd been dying to try. I had passed it many times before and was drawn by how cute it was-tucked away on a hidden street with sparkling strings of lights around the tiny outdoor seating area. I ordered Spaghetti A'lmentracia, which is a spaghetti with a spicy tomato sauce and bacon. Yumm. It was just so good to enjoy good food and enjoy it with family.
From there we wandered around Rome a bit and ordered uno piccolo coni di Gelato from one of my favorite Gelaterias selling 150 flavors of gelato. My favorite mix of flavors are pistacchio (pronounced as piss-tack-yo)and hazelnut (Nocciola). We took our gelato and savored it in front of the Pantheon. 
There really is nothing like seeing Rome at night. The Pantheon was one of my favorite places to spend my nights in Rome. There are plenty of places to sit and people-watch. You can grab a seat at one of the many restaurants or simply sit on the stairs surrounding the fountain in the center of the Piazza, or square.The next morning we went downstairs to enjoy a typical Italian breakfast of rolls and croissants, nutella, cappuccino, and yogurt. Italians aren't big on breakfasts, but it was still nummy none-the-less. I called over my friend Max to join us and help me show them around. I am so glad he did, because I was then able to find places without a map. Believe it or not, I still had to pull out my map towards the end of my time in Italy. There are just too many streets!
We then took off. We started off with a view from the top of the building known as the "Wedding Cake." From the top it offers spectacular views of the city. From there we toured through the Roman Forum and saw the Colosseum.
Max and I took on the voice of our history professor Jan as we played tour guide through the Forum.
We then went to the Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel. The chapel was closed, so we instead wandered through St. Peter's Basilica. Gorgeous! I personally like seeing the Basilica more than the Sistine Chapel, so I am glad we got to see that.
After the Vatican, we went back to the hotel to freshen up before another night walk. We started off at the Trevi Fountain.
---I had to make sure Mom and Mike's eyes were closed before they were right in front of it. Ya just gotta get the full woah!-effect:-)---
Then we walked to Piazza Navona, the art square. This is where artists gather during the day and sell paintings and drawings and the like. In Piazza Navona we ate dinner outside. From there we walked to the Pantheon to sip wine at another little outdoor restaurant.
After the Pantheon Mom and Mike experienced bus 62 which was crammed just as it usually is and just how it should be. I took them to my neck of the woods where I lived in Rome and where I shopped for groceries. Then it was "Buonanotta Roma!" To bed we went.
The next day we were off to Cinque Terre! (I should mention that Cnque Terre is a town of five fishing villages and hey are famous for their fantastic fish)
We stayed in Levanto, a little town right outside Cinque Terre, at Villa Margherita B&B. Super cute! It was high on a hill in the midst of colorful buildings and a castle, and it was surrounded with gardens and beach chairs. It was enchanting! We arrived a little late in Villa Margherita after getting locked in an elevator and other typical set-backs that us Jellingers like to have. When we got there, we went to the beach. But first, vino! We stopped at an "Enoteca," or wine shop, where we picked up some tasty Tuscan wine. I brought with me some wine glasses as well as Max's wine aerator. Believe it or not, it actually does make the wine taste better! We carried the wine down to "my spot," where I had spent some time during my pre-travel in Levanto. We sipped, we savored, we joked, we sat silently in awe of the view- the lights which glowed on the other side of the beach and twinkled off the water. We talked about how fantastic life would be to live here. We called Max on the phone, because he was out and about at his hostel and was trying to find us. He came back with a recommendation from some people he met at the hostel for a great restaurant for fish and for pesto. Cinque Terre is known for their pesto and fresh fish. Mom and I shared a pasta with pesto and some sort of fresh-from-the-ocean fish. Both so yummy.
The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast (of freshly baked croissants and pastries, cappuccini [the plural for cappuccino], meats and cheeses, fruit, and yogurt), and headed back to our room to pack. It was bittersweet leaving the place-it had a super comfy and luxurious bed, a large bathroom with the best shower I think I have ever taken, a vanity table, and a bidet (sp?). Of course it had a bidet. Everywhere in Europe has bidets! Then we went out to explore the lands! off to Monterosso we go! We planned on hiking the "lover's walk" from Monterosso to Riomaggiore.
We arrived in the town, hopped off the train, and Mom of course made friends with an American woman we ran into. My mom has a way of making everyone her friend, of making everyone fall in love with her and feel so loved that I so admire. I can't go anywhere without this happening I swear! When we go to Ely, men hit on her. When we go to coffee shops, we always seem to run into someone she knows and seems to be best friends with.
Anyhoots, we were then given word by this American that the "lover's walk" was closed due to landslides. We walked to the start of the walk just to be sure, but sure enough the trail was closed. Luckily we happened upon a little cafe wine bar which overlooked the coast and colorful buildings of the town. Of course we stopped. Of course Mom and I split a half liter of wine. Of course Mike ordered a beer, and of course all of us had an amazing time relaxing, sipping wine, and taking in yet another breathtaking view. Mike and I even played Foosball and I got my patooty handed to me.
From there, we hopped back onto a train to Levanto to pick up our things and head out. Off to Firenze (Florence)!
We got there quick and easy. It was smooth sailing.....Ha! If only that were true. When we arrived in Florence it was around 8:15 or so. The place where we'd pick up our rental car closed at 8. We were too late, so we had to go to another car rental place where we picked up a car. Luckily, this place gave us an automatic car. It would have certainly been interesting had we gotten the manual. Oh boy! I can't even imagine! We picked up the car and plugged into the GPS the address of the agriturismo we would stay at. Finally we got to the agriturismo and lived happily ever after.
Not so much. First, we drove toward a town we thought would get us to the place, but then we realized we actually had no idea where the place was. We had an address plugged in, but was it the right one? Oh Boy! There we were, driving in a foreign land. In Florence for pete's sake! Rick Steve's says Florence is a city where no one should ever drive, since Florence drivers are nuts! Go Mama! We pulled over after having driven through some crazy streets with crazy drivers and found the "correct" address. We followed our GPS which led us to a loooong gravel road. It was bumpy which made our rental car bottom out multiple times over again. We kept going and going along this gravel road. We were in nowhereland among vineyards when we decided to turn around and just find a place to sleep. By this time it is about midnight.
We hadn't eaten since breakfast, so while I was zonked out and sleeping in the back of the car, Mom and Mike searched for an open restaurant but to no avail. Now it was time to find a place to sleep. We finally happened upon a hotel near Florence. They were able to take us last minute and were so kind and accommodating. We asked the concierge if there were any open restaurants and he told us no. He offered to us instead some of the breakfast food that they serve at breakfast time. He brought out to us our own little breakfast buffet - an entire fruit tart, crackers and nutella, yogurt, apples. We brought it all to our hotel room where we could finally stretch our legs and toast to the long and adventurous day. We researched the agriturismo only to discover that the address on their website was wrong. When we researched it we were so excited to go since the pictures online made the place look like another Heaven on Earth.
The next day, we made our way to the agriturismo. We found it! When we turned our car into it, we saw that the place was deserted. The only face to see was a little old man peering through the window staring at us. We got out of the car, and this man came out to greet us, only he did not speak a lick of English. We told him our names and he showed us our room, however he kept trying to tell us something which we just couldn't respond to. It was...an experience to say the least. Even with my little Italian language knowledge I had absolutely no clue what he was trying to tell us. We brought our things to the room. We were a bit discombobulated and surprised by the place. We did not have an amazing view like we thought we would. Our room faced another building. The pool was covered and closed. The place just didn't feel right. We dropped off our things and decided to head into town to discuss what to do. We drove and decided that this place just wasn't quite right. It was time to find a new place. A place with a view. Easy peasy, right? I mean this place is packed with amazing views! Well....it was not so easy. We stopped at one place-a restaurant with a hotel that had a nice view, but it wasn't amazing. It was just okay. We were in Italy, and frankly we weren't going to settle with so-so. We drove towards the city of Florence and passed by a sign for Agriturismo Montereggi. I told Mom to turn around so we could check it out. We did just that.
We turned around and entered Tuscan wonderland. Olive groves surrounded the car as we drove up. An elderly couple came to greet us when we arrived at the entrance.
We asked if they had openings and they said that they did. They were just about to give a tour to another group of travelers of the agriturismo when they said to follow them for the tour as well. We hopped back in the car, and followed behind. We drove uphill through many olive trees- gorgeous- and ended up at the place. Wow. The view. Mind blowing. It was more than anyone could ask for. It overlooked the hillside of Tuscany- complete with the tall pointy evergreens which I have dreamed about. We overlooked vineyards and olive groves. We overlooked small villages and tiny tuscan homes. This place was Heaven. This place was the place.
We stayed here for the next two nights. It was enchanting. Italy is enchanting and more than I could have ever dreamed.
This time with Mom and Mike is more than I could have ever dreamed.
A dream come true. I have always dreamed of coming to Tuscany- I've read about it, I've cooked the dishes from it, and I've dreamed about it over coffee with Mom. Only now that dream has become a reality. We traveled into Fiesole that night and ate at a restaurant called Perseus. Awesome restaurant! It had both a rustic and warm feeling.
The next day to Florence we go!
Mom and Mike experienced haggling in the main market which sells leather goods for cheap prices, that is if you know how to play with prices. Mike was already a pro after buying sunglasses from a vendor in Rome. The vendor wanted 25 Euro for a pair of sunglasses, but Mike brought it down to 3 Euro and 10 cents. We had fun shopping and sightseeing, and eating the best panino (sandwich) in the world in Florence. Florence is the town famous for meat, so I hope Mike got his fix :-) We stopped at a store to pick up wine and cheese and meat to bring back to the agriturismo with us which we enjoyed under the stars. Under the Tuscan moon- what a place to be!
Again it was very bittersweet to leave Tuscany, but Rome called us back home. We arrived back in Rome fairly early on Thursday in hopes to see the Sistine Chapel before it closed. When we got there, however, it was closed. I guess it was just not meant to be that we see the chapel. I guess it just means that we will have to go back to Roma Mama. Darn.
It was time to treat ourselves to gelato- this time at my other favorite Gelateria called Giolitti. Yummy yum yum.
That night we concluded our stay in Rome with a glass of wine and a toast to our time together. Thanks Mom and Mike for the best time. It was a dream come true.
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