Christmas in Bologna

This is the first year in all of my life to spend Christmas away from "home" in Minnesota. And for not being back in Minneapolis for the holidays, I couldn't have imagined or asked for a better way to spend this time. It had been a crazy time of year with the school semester coming to an end, seeing friends and family, and getting ready for my parents to come to Bologna! 

A few weekends ago we went to Poggibonsi to visit Lucas parents. On the way back we went to the Fiorentina vs. Bologna soccer game at the stadium. We chose to see this match because Luca has been a long time fan of La Fiorentina and some of our friends from Bologna were supposed to come too and cheer on our city. As much as I really don't like the obsession with soccer here, there is just something exciting about being surrounded by fans. There is an atmosphere in sports stadiums that you can't find anywhere else. Luca bought me a purple and white striped scarf to show off my support for La Fiorentina and we enjoyed watching Bologna get defeated. 

 Afterwards we wandered around Florence until I had to catch the train back to Bologna. Any city in Italy around Christmas time is beautiful. The christmas lights make the already charming city even more romantic. 

And the following week my parents arrived to spend Christmas with us! It was so incredibly wonderful to have them here. For them it was also their first Christmas away from home, and also the first time for Lucas parents to spend Christmas away from their home in Poggibonsi. 

Of course as soon as my mom arrived, we got to baking, and made some of my favorite Christmas time treats like Russian Tea Cakes, Lemon Spritz cookies, Peanut Butter Ritz dipped in chocolate, and chocolate covered pretzels-- yum yum yum!

We headed back down into Tuscany for the weekend for a friend's wedding in Lucca, and we couldn't help but stop in Florence again and show my parents this enchanting city in winter. We practically had the whole city to ourselves. We were able to walk from Chiesa Santa Croce up to Ponte Vecchio, through Gli Uffizi, and into Piazza della Signoria without hardly seeing a single person. It's definitely breathtaking compared to the overcrowded streets overflowing with tourists in the summer months. 

Of course we made it back to celebrate Christmas on the 24th with both of our families in our tiny apartment in Bologna. Luca prepared a delicious dinner and we spent the evening opening presents, listening to christmas music, drinking wine, and enjoying each others company. The day after we walked around the city enjoying the festive atmosphere. To our surprise the tower was open to climb, and so walked the 498 steps to the top. 

Unfortunately the video is turned, but we definitely had to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from high up above Bologna.  

As always, time spent with family is never enough, and the time with my mom and dad here flew by. And I can say without a doubt that this was a fantastic way to end the year.