Rome & Florence

*outside Stefano's house

December 21 to 30th I spent 9 days staying with my friend Stefano and his family in there home about 10 miles outside of Rome's city center. I met Stefano while studying abroad in Coruna last semester. He moved back to Rome during the summer, while I was in Germany. He is one of many friends who I hadn't seen since the beginning of summer when we all left (myself for Germany and others to return home to their countries).

We have become good friends and the hospitality shown to me by his family was really great. He and his family (although they didn't know me at all and him not all too well) invited me to spend a week and a half with them during Christmas time. I can't really express my appreciation in words. His mom made lunch and dinner for us every single day except for the 1 time we spent a day in Florence and a couple times we spent out to dinner with friends of Stefano's. Let me tell you the food was incredible. Even more incredible....is the amount of food the Italians eat....they have like 6 course meals on the daily during lunch and maybe a 5 course for dinner. Lunch is the main meal of the day. Both meals are eaten together with the whole family.

A day's lunch in order: homemade wine (made by his Dad), a plate of mushroom pasta, chicken (raised by his grandfather), fruit & nuts, tiramisu and espresso. All the food made by his mom. They eat some damn good food and a lot of it. I love to eat good food so it wasn't a problem. :)

I spent my Christmas with a truly amazing, warm, loving and welcoming family. It made me feel good to be in an environment like that during a time normally spent with my own amzing, warm, loving and welcoming family :). His mom was amazing and even cried when I left. I couldn't believe it. They have an apartment building basically but each section is inhabited by the different parts of his family. I stayed downstairs (a studio for guests). Middle floor- his grandparents. Top story himself, his brother Luca and his parents. In an adjacent section on the bottom floor live his uncle, his 2 kids and his wife. Everyone was together or Christmas dinner.

We did some sightseeing around Rome but not in too much depth because I was in Rome previously in May with Waleska and we did a lot of the sightseeing then. Mainly I enjoyed seeing firsthand what it's like to live in an Italian family.

The day in Florence is another adventure I'll have to expand upon as well :)

To be expanded upon with pictures added....