Babies to the Max: Mambo Italiano

When we last left the three intrepid travelers were still reveling in Rome. One and a half hours on a Eurostar train and we were in Florence! We dropped off our bags at our hotel which was the opposite of the midget hotel in Rome. Obviously it was a former palazzo for giants - the ceilings, doors, and windows were super sized!

Of all the places we visited on foreign study, Florence felt the most familiar to me because we stayed there the longest. And my favorite thing about Florence is how easy it is to navigate because you can almost always see the Duomo hovering over the rooftops like a signpost. Thus, I felt immediately at home again in this city. We spent our first day wandering through the streets, examining the beautiful cathedrals, inhaling the perfumes at one of Europe's oldest apothecaries, and marveling at the Renaissance artwork. My mother described the frescos as "jumping off the wall" and I awarded her a gold star for correctly identifying one of the central themes of the Renaissance.

Scarcely had we arrived in Florence when we left again; this time on a bus to Siena. I am quite proud of us for mastering almost every form of transportation while we were in Italy: plane, metro, train, and bus. We only missed out on driving! Siena is the home of Il Palio, a mad dash horse race around their central "square" (only it is really a half circle). Siena was also one of the main locations in the series "Winds of War", a book and miniseries that my entire family was engrossed in last fall. We treated ourselves to a nice lunch on the square, watched a crazy group of young men climb on concrete pedestals and drop their pants repeatedly, found the perfect broom for Max, and walked leisurely through the town. This was Italy at its best, with no schedule and in no hurry.

Arriving back in Florence that evening, my mom wanted to attend the English language Mass at Santa Maria Novella, one of my favorite churches in the world. Stephanie and I were happy to attend, however neither of us realized that it was Palm Sunday. For you non-Catholics, Palm Sunday is the longest Mass of the year because the entire Passion is read during the liturgy. While you are standing. In a cold marble church with no heat. And it was in Italian, not English. Although not quite what we bargained for, it was a beautiful experience.

After some art and culture at the Uffizi Gallery, we were ready for another important part of the trip: Shopping. Between the clothing and shoe stores and the outdoor market, Stephanie managed to stimulate the entire Italian economy. Unfortunately, she did not take into account how to get all her treasures back home. Lucky for her that she had two other travelers whose suitcases were not quite as full!

We capped off our trip with more churches, more art, more shopping, more pasta and gelato (and yummy waffle snacks), and an amazing climb to the top of the Duomo.

This trip was enlightening in many different ways. It was my first visit back to a place I had been on foreign study and it made me incredibly grateful and nostalgic for our study group and trip. I was also viewing things with different eyes. The first time I recall envying the easy, graceful style of Italian women who look like supermodels walking down the street. This time, I noticed all the adorable dark haired bambinos and the various brands of strollers. I'm also much more well traveled since the first trip. I loved having the time with my mom and my sister, but I missed traveling with Jason. It was strange not to have him close by to strike up conversations with random strangers and ask insightful questions that make me gain a deeper appreciation of a place. But, most importantly, my mom and I shared a new type of experience. Although we talk on a daily basis, it is rare that we do something alone together or are not discussing Max. It was an incredibly special opportunity to share with her and Stephanie. Other than their snoring, I would not change a thing!