Before I even get started on our trip to Florence I will start off by saying when we got in the minivan and the roads to my uncles house are tiny and not fit for a car of this size. Anyway we came to a point where another car was coming up at the same time - bare in mind their house is up the mountains- so my uncle pulled in to let him past. However, while doing it we managed to be hanging off the side of the edge and with our doors all on the side what we were hanging off everyone had to climb out of the back of the minivan - even our seventy something grandparents- with the car tilting. But thankfully, no one was hurt and a kind farmer pulled us out. Anyhow, back to the rest of the day, on our first full day we ended up taking a wrong turn and going to Florence, never in my life have a witnessed such crazy drivers. Seriously, Italians that's not remotely safe. We'd parked quite a far way from Florence centre, so which meant more walking. However, we stopped for a pizza first thing as it was mid afternoon and everyone appeared to be famished. I ordered a pizza and my expectations of Italian pizza weren't matched; ours are way way way better. Anyway soon enough we started walking for the centre, with the weather at fifty-one degrees and everyone felt as if they were going to pass out we stayed around for about an hour and then got a taxi back to the car.
On the second day, my aunty, uncle, cousin and I all traveled down to Massa beach, it was so idyllic and beautiful with such a calm sea, golden sand and white rocks. We didn't stay for the whole day, we just enjoyed a few hours in the sun. This is the point where my left shoulder entirely burned. Rosita and I just spent our time running in and out of the sea with our dressed pulled up, picking up sticks calling them 'Wilson' and trying to capture us star jumping on camera - which of course failed. Nothing disastrous happened this day except Rosita and I in a supermarket decided instead of walking the whole stretch of the supermarket to just climb over the small barriers. Until we got stopped by this man who then pulled out a police badge at us and started shouting at us in Italian, baring in mind we were already over the barrier he made us climb back over and the long way out.
Thursday, Thursday, Thursday. The most stressful day ever. My nan wanted some money out of the safe and so as they went to get it no one could get into it and so much was happening and we weren't doing anything and everyone was getting stressed because inside were our passports and money and we were going home the next day. So, Rosita and I decided to escape the hassle and decided to walk up the mountain to the next town - from versola to topleca - about three miles away. It was an hilarious walk with us stopping every second to talk photos and also wanting to dive into the stream and pool that was further down the cliff of the mountain. It's such a peaceful way of living and I fell in love with it; I fell in love with how the Italians go about in their daily lives, the houses which are so quaint and beautiful and I especially fell in love with the picturesque views.
When Rosita and I returned from our trek it turned out that a man had come and used a grinder to remove the safe door. So luckily we had all our items back and ironically safe. But just before we went to sent off for Pissa we then to top everything off had a brilliant earthquake. So, once that was over we spent the rest of our day in Pissa. Once again another beautiful, beautiful place with such iconic features. And I enjoyed seeing people acting out the thriller dance to have their photo supporting the leaning tower.
On our final day we spent the morning walking around Pontremoli market and on our way back my uncle dropped my aunty, Rosita and I off at the bottom the twisted mountain tops, so we could enjoy the warmth walk and snap some photographs. So when we returned it was almost time to fly back home. I can honestly say I had the greatest time staying at my families house up in Italy it was such a beautiful experience I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to do if it wasn't for them.
