See the World through my Eyes: Ciao Italia!

My dream came true, I am studying abroad in Italy! I arrived on January 25th in Malpensa, Milan, just in time to celebrate my mom's birthday on Italian soil. We decided to rent a car for a very affordable rate and drive down to Florence. Since we had already visited Milan on a prior trip, we hit the road straight down to Parma… a city known for their delicious prosciutto! After the hour and a half drive we arrived in the center of Parma looking for a parking spot, which I must say is extremely difficult in any city center. We found a hotel, parked the car and decided to go tour the city and grab a bite to eat.
*For those who plan to travel to Italy and always wonder what hotel to stay at with a great location and rate, stay posted, I'll make a blog about the names and reviews of each one later on.
Parma was a nice city but compared to some others we visit later on, nothing truly special caught my eye… Maybe it was because we were running on zero sleep from the plane ride and the jet lag caught up to us. So it was time to eat and get to sleep! Unfortunately, in Italy every restaurant closes between lunch and dinner time (typically 8-10 pm) and since it was barely five, we were out of luck. We went into a little deli that sold some home made food, the man heated it up in the microwave and opened a little bottle of wine then cleared off a table for us and Wah-lah, dinner was served!
*The six hour difference really takes a toll on your body but I would recommend staying awake as long as possible because i fell asleep at six or seven and was up at five am anxiously awaiting the next city.
Mantova! or as we like to call it in the states Mantua, a little historic city surrounded by a lake was our next destination. If you remember reading the story of Romeo and Juliet this is the city Romeo escaped to after being exiled from Verona. It also happens to be the city where I was when I spend July here in Italy. So of course, we had to visit my Italian Family, the Giovannini's! The drive was beautiful because we were surrounded by farms and rustic houses. Since it was small roads with little traffic, my stepdad even let my drive and now i can say I have driven my first car outside of the U.S =) What should of taken us just about an hour probably took us three because we found a little outdoor market and a house filled with three floors of all sorts of antiques. At the market we had to buy fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese because the region of Emilia-Romagna is known for producing this delicious and addicting formaggio. After quickly walking through Mantova we headed to the little outer city of Palidano to eat a feast prepared for us by my loving Italian Nonna.
After sharing memories and laughter we continued on to our next city, Bologna! Just an hour away, the beautiful city is lined with 40 km of arches and covered walk ways which make it up to the Basilica di San Luca, at the top of the city. Definitely make the journey there because the inside architecture and paintings are worth it! However, Before we explored Bologna we made a trip to the city of Maranello, a small city near Modena, known only for the museum and factories of Ferrari. It's a small city and Ferrari is the only attraction, but it is absolutely worth the visit. The museum includes past and future models, cars that have won races and a hall of fame of all the past drivers. I believe prices were 13 euros for students and 15 for adults. If you are daring enough (or have a little extra money to spend) you can even drive one of the ferraris.
*I know I haven't mentioned food much, which is shocking because Italy revolves around delicious food, but being on the road we wanted to save time and money. So we were really practical and would buy fresh bread and cold cuts at the supermarket and have lunch in the car. And of course, no complaints because prosciutto crudo is one of my favorite things and I really missed it after eating it everyday last July.
If you have lost track, it is now Tuesday and we have just spend the night in Prato, which is an adorable small little town right outside of Florence. We walked around the historic center for about two hours and we are now making our way down to Siena, to have lunch in the heart of Tuscany before arriving in Florence. It's an hour south passed Florence and city has a very Medieval and historic feel. If you walk around you can easily find small trattorias with good prices and great food.
*A tip to remember, many places charge a 1.50 or 2 euro charge per person to sit down and eat. But on the flip side here it is not necessary to leave a tip unless you are with a group of people.
The Duomo di Siena is a must see! I believe it is one of the reasons Siena became a UNESCO world heritage site and it is completely breathtaking. Also, if you are driving, go to a hill overlooking the city and capture a picture of the cathedral and Torre del Mangia from afar.
*The tolls on the highway are a bit expensive, but if you aren't nervous to drive in a different country I highly recommend renting a car and driving through Italy to see all the beauty the county has to offer!

The view of the Alps from the Plane arriving in Milan.