Hosting the in laws

This past weekend my girlfriend's parents came to stay.  They don't live too far away but for one reason or another it's almost always us visiting them.  Although they have known the city at different times throughout their lives, they are not very familiar with it's current form and character, so it's always interesting to see their reactions, and then in return my girlfriend's and my own.  We had a wonderful time, and they genuinely seemed to enjoy it.  A boat tour around the islands demonstrated that we're never too far from that big open space, picnics and water, a walk through the neighbourhood showed that people from all over the world can live and shop together, and a steak in an old stately home provided a great ambiance that isn't always available in smaller towns.  For us, and my girlfriend in particular, although we see them fairly regularly, it's an important and different experience to host them.  Of course they know us, but to visit us in our own home, visit our local shops, walk the same streets we do every week, they get to know us- and their daughter specifically- a little more- what she sees and does everyday is important in constructing her identity and she takes visible satisfaction in sharing these experiences with her parents.