Gelato at breakfast

Today was our last meal together with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. After eating almost every lunch and dinner together, we decided to have one last meal together before they took off. We met at their apartment and walked over to find a place to have breakfast in Piazza della Signoria at an outdoor café.

We went inside and picked out our pastries and my niece picked out a pastry and a gelato (ice cream). Her last one before she went back to California. She had one almost every night after dinner and sometimes after lunch as well. She loved the food in Italy, but mostly pasta with butter and cheese, schiacciata (Florentine bread), polpette (meat balls), pizza, and, of course, gelato.

As we sat in the sun, sipping our coffees and eating our pastries, I thought about how great it was to be able to spend so much time together. We enjoyed so many great meals together and experienced so much together during their stay. It was fun to show them around my new home and share it with them.

After awhile, it felt like we were always together and these eight days together felt a lot longer, but also felt almost normal to see each other all the time. We taught my niece a few words in Italian and she liked saying, "Buona sera" when we would leave the restaurant.

I bought my niece a big teddy bear that she got to pick out herself. I told her that if she ever feels sad, she can hug the teddy bear. She told me that she's going to miss me and Dave and I told her, "You can miss us, just don't be sad. We're always here thinking of you."

For once, I wasn't on the verge of tears as she jumped in the taxi cab and drove off. It didn't hit me until much later when I was about to fall asleep. I guess maybe I too need a teddy bear.

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