My weekend in Padova and Venice with Giadita!

Friday morning I woke up super early and got a ride to the airport of Bari. From there I got a direct flight to the Venice airport, where Giada was waiting for me. It was so great to see her again! She even let me drive the car back to her house haha. When we got home, we had lunch with her family, and I got to meet her parents and siblings. She has two younger brothers, age 11 and 13, plus another one who's on a mission right now, and a 16 year old sister. I was super impressed by what a close-knit family they are. They do everything together! I can tell that they all love each other very much, and that they spend a lot of quality time together. Her entire street is pretty much extended family, because all of her aunts, uncles, and grandparents bought houses right next to theirs in true Italian fashion. Her brothers freaking love me, and we had a ton of fun together playing soccer, sword fighting, fist fighting, and wrestling. On Friday evening Giada took me to Padova (because they live in a small village outside of Padova). We walked around, and she showed me all of Padova's beautiful plazas, churches, and historic buildings. I love that city! Check out the pictures of Padova here.

Then, Saturday morning, I woke up to find that Giada's mom had prepared a freaking banquet for breakfast. We ate all together outside in the backyard, and read the scriptures together. Let me take this moment to make it perfectly clear how humid it was there. It was so humid that halfway through breakfast we got a call from God apologizing that there had been some plumbing problems in Heaven, and some of it soaked through over the city of Padova the night before. I have never in my life been in a place that was so hot and humid. But it was super beautiful, even so! Anyways, after breakfast Giada and I went on a date to Venice. I love Venice! The entire city was packed to the bursting point with tourists, and I felt really bad for the locals who have to leave their house and wade through an ocean of tourists just to go to the grocery store. But it was so incredible to see how some of the streets just abruptly end in canals, or else turn into canals halfway down. You need a gondola to get to lots of the houses and stores, because their front doorstep hangs over the canal. More than the architecture and the touristy parts, I most enjoyed watching the locals and seeing their lifestyle. It's amazing to think that there are people for whom rowing down the street in a gondola is a daily natural thing. Check out the pictures of Venice here.

Then, Saturday night, we went back to Giada's house for her family's weekly Saturday night tradition. We made pizzas together by hand and ate them while we watched a movie. I felt so welcomed by her family, and by the end of the second day I already felt like I was part of the family. They're so great.

Sunday morning we all went to church together. Here's where I have to introduce a special person: Gianluca. He's a 5 year old boy in the ward who is completely and madly in love with Giada. He always steals his mom's phone when she's not looking and sends Giada voice messages. She showed me some of these voice messages, where he says things like: "Giada, you're so beautiful!", "Hello, my love," and "Giada, I like you a lot. Even though I love you." Gianluca's mom started to prepare him sunday morning, by explaining to him that Giada was going to be bringing a special friend to church with her. She asked him if he was going to be jealous, and he said that yes he would. When we showed up to church, Gianluca was completely destroyed! He wouldn't look Giada or me in the eye, and he hung his head and was totally sad during all of church. After church, he sent Giada a message saying "Giada, when I saw that you have another special friend, my feelings were really hurt. But I'm happy that you have a lover. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." We couldn't stop laughing at how freaking cute that little guy is!

Sunday night, I made Empanadas with Giada and her family. I wanted to cook something typical Argentine for them, but I couldn't think of a single thing that we have in Argentina that they don't also have here in Italy, since Argentine food is identical to Italian food anyways. Empanadas were the best thing I could think of, so I taught them how to make them. They turned out amazing. Giada's entire extended family came over for dinner, and her house was totally packed with cousins, aunts, and uncles. We ate the empanadas and a few other things that they had brought, and everyone loved them. 

Monday morning we had breakfast together, I had a rocking improv piano duet with her brother, then she took me to the airport and I flew back here to Bari. Man, I miss them so much already! This weekend has been so great!