The family comes to Rome: Part 1

My parents and my sister have joined me in Rome for the week and then some. It is only possible for me to write about our time together in chunks because we will all be up all night reading/writing. They got in on Thursday morning and unfortunately I wasn't able to meet them at the airport or even at their rented apartment due to italian bureaucracy. Side note: In order to stay in Rome for any sort of extended amount of time, you have to have a permesso soggiorno, permission to stay. We already went to the post office and filled out some paper work right after we got to Italy but this time we were lucky enough to take the metro to the end and then a bus for 20 min to the middle of nowhere to their department of immigration. So for our 1130 appointment, we didn't get back til after 1/130. I stopped to get McDonald's for lunch on my home. This is only significant because it is the first time that I have had McDonald's since I got here (I got fries once but they were from the euro menu so I don't count that.) It was pretty freaking good. Tasted alot like America. Except you have to pay for ketchup and you can't have as much as you want and I'm not sure that they put any on the burger. Fortunately I struggled through it. 

I went up to my parents' apartment, which lucky for me, is a quick ride on the tram (the most reliable for of transportation, though the metro is at 1 1/2. the 766 is the worst bus ever.) I brought the wine i bought for them at the agorturismo in the beginning and the massive chocolate ball that I bought them in Florence. THey were obvi thrilled. We had a lovely long chat and caught up on everything that had not been said through skype in previous chats. We went to dinner at a place that is outside of their apartment in Trastevere. It wasn't that good; I was bummed, they weren't. It wasn't homemade gnocchi and the wine wasn't that great. But that's ok, they enjoyed themselves and I was happy to have their company, even if we were all tired. 

Friday we took it easy so as to not tire them out too much in the beginning, on top of their jet lag. We took the bus to Piramide and they were able to see some of the Aurelian walls that are there (they were built in the 200's ish around the city of Rome to protect them, most of the wall still stands throughout the city.) We took the bus to my school and we saw the cafe we go before and after italian class all the time. They had their first italian cappucino, obviously it was great. Andrea makes a great cappucino. I showed them the building where all my classes are and the side of the main campus. We walked up the way to Garbatella. It's cool because it's so different from the busy part of the city where I live or even right by school on Via Ostiense. We had a fantasticccc lunch at Stellina, a small restaurant. The best was the carciofo di Giudia, which is a fried artichoke. SOGOOD. I had had one earlier on here but this was phenomenal. Anne also loved her seafood pasta dish and Mom got real gnocchi. Dad stuck to his mushroom pasta with a white wine sauce. Also fantastic. It's just all so good. sogood. 

I took them to go see San Paolo's Basilica, located conveniently down the street. The last time I was there I learned one of my most valuable lessons on always having a camera. I was prepared this time. 

We spent some time inside and I enjoyed seeing it again and being able to explain what I had learned from Francesca. It's still just as breath taking. I would love to hear the organ play one time. Maybe I should look into mass. I don't know how I would do in a full mass. I don't really know what to expect. More research needs to be done. Per usual. We made our way back to my apartment and strolled down Marconi. It was a little busy. I had to keep tabs on my little ducklings. We went to dinner with Francesca, Lauren and Kahla at the wonderous Piramide Pizza (that's not the real name but because we all go there so often, we've dubbed it piramide pizza because of its proximity to the Piramide and their great pizza. duh). I failed to mention Lauren Gardner was visiting this weekend, with Kahla, who goes to school in Florence with Lauren and AU with us as well. Little did I know. We went for the greatest pizza everrrr near piramide. And because we go so often, we ran into 3 of the boys in our program who took some of their friends who were visiting there. Typical. We walked home across the industrial (read: sketchy-ish) bridge. Gave them all the taste of all parts of Roma. ha! 

Saturday morning we left for Florence. But Florence commences parte due a mi blog. So you'll have to wait. Mi dispiace sono non mi dispiace!