this time as a tourist

A couple of weeks ago, my Dad came to visit me - about a week after I'd arrived in Parma. I was feeling relatively un-settled in, and despite already having made a small collection of friends in the city with whom I could talk to and meet up with and wander round with, I'd done very little sight-seeing in Parma itself, saving it all for when my Dad came to stay.

The weather had been dreary, grey and very wet and the "torrent" (because it doesn't dignify the name "river") that ran through Parma looked positively as high as the knee! But Dad's arrival into Bologna airport seemed to bring some much-needed sunshine and I thanked the weather for showing off the beauty of Italy out of the rain to my Father on my behalf.

Dad's three favourite things are reading, food and culture - the latter seeming to span over history, art, architecture and a general enthusiasm for all things new. He's inspired me to be courageous when it comes to doing things here in Italy (though at the moment, my enthusiasm is dwindling as the weather gets colder and I still haven't got a fully-functioning timetable yet), so when he arrived, we aimed to fit in as much as we possibly could in his short stay.

- Wandering round the gorgeous Parco Ducale, stopping for a fresh orange juice and spotting an old man in a shell-suit and working out the best way to get a photo without him noticing.

- Being bowled away by the beautiful Cathedral. Enjoying the silence and the stunningly-painted ceilings.

- Taking a caffé and cake in a cute little 'bar'.

- Feeling awkward as we realise we've unintentionally sat down in a cinema showing a film which is essentially pro-Nazi propaganda...

- Visiting museums galore. And seeing Teatro Farnese in all its beauty.

- A whole day-trip to Florence (this time as a tourist), and soaking up the culture as well as spending three hours in the Uffizzi and eating ice cream, waffles and meat sandwiches.

- Watching Opera Arias being performed by soloists and the orchestra of my conservatorio in the Teatro Regio and feeling amazed that I get the privilege of working with some of those students this year.

And then, before we knew it, it was time for my Dad to go home. We'd exhausted ourselves from walking miles and miles and taking in as much as we possibly could, and I thoroughly enjoyed his visit. He also encouraged me to talk to a lot of people in Italian and that week my language level actually improved, despite spending the majority of the day speaking only in English. But it totally helps having someone to show off a new skill to!