Day 52: Stories from a Red Book: Jan 17, 2010: Fiesole & Monteriggioni

The first weekend with my host family was an exciting one. 

When I first chose the host family option, I was told that the first weekend was for getting to know the host family. This meant that you had to spend your time with them.

I didn't know what i'd be doing with them and I was too shy to ask. I woke up and sat in my room writing, when all of a sudden I heard a knock at my door. 

It was Isabella, telling me to get ready to go out. 

She took me to a local cafe near her house. This cafe, she explained, was her favorite place to go for a cappuccino and a newspaper. I sat there, feeling really nervous and tense around her. She bought me my first cappuccino and it was amazing. 

I took in all that was around me. I was sitting next to a large English Sheepdog who got into the booth next to me. I watched old men converse with their hands in great dramatic gestures, the bartender laughing with the customers. I felt like I was part of this world.

She then took me to a small town near Florence called Fiesole. The drive up was short but so beautiful. We passed by country homes, olive farms and rich homes. 

The town had a small square with a statue of two men on horseback shaking hands with one another. Isabella parked the car and led me to path that went up a very steep hill. 

Isabella & Caligostro

At the top of the hill was a monastery, which offered a great view of Florence.
Isabella laughed at the stunned expression on my face as I took in all that I was seeing.

We went back home and she made me a rice dish. I was really surprised, I didn't know that Italians eat rice. It was delicious and reminded me of home. I sat in the kitchen for awhile talking to Isabella, until her son, Lorenzo came in.

I should tell you more about her two sons.

The youngest son, Alessandro, is very soft spoken and kind.

The elder son, Lorenzo, is loud and tough. I was rather scared of him at first.

After they spoke/yelled at eachother. Lorenzo turned to me and said

He took me up to the roof of the apartment. Even from this part of Florence, there was a great view of the Duomo.

I wanted to stay up there for a long time, but I kept looking back at Lorenzo, and I didn't want to piss him off. I took as many photos as I could.

Then I heard

and I wasn't so scared of him anymore.

I stayed in my room, writing some more, when I saw Isabella at the door again, telling me to get ready. I was surprised. I wasn't expecting to go anywhere else again. She told me that she was going to take me to another town a bit farther from Florence called Monteriggioni.

I was excited to see how a highway system worked in Italy and I saw that it wasn't different from America's. The scenery reminded me of the drives up to Roscoe ( For more about that click here)

It took about 45 minutes to get there, I dozed off until Isabella woke me to show me the town. It looked like a crown on top of a hill, because its walls had several towers on it.

The town was almost deserted, but I had a good time walking around looking at the architecture.

She took me into another cafe and bought me hot chocolate, which had the consistency of pudding..oh man.

I thought that we were going home, but once again, she surprised me by talking me to Piazzole del Michaelangelo. A plaza overlooking the city next to the Arno River. I stood there with an indescribable feeling in my chest.