An international student studying in Italy has struck up an unlikely bond with a local grandma - known as a 'nonna'.<br /><br />Gheed Hussam, 22, traveled to Siena in July last year to complete a course in Italian as part of her degree.<br /><br />To her great surprise she left with an unlikely friend and an honorary grandmother.<br /><br />Gheed met the Italian nonna Nicoletta, who is her 70s, during Palio, a horse race held twice a year in the city of Siena.<br /><br />The two hit it off straight away and over the next few weeks developed a close bond.<br /><br />Nicoletta cooked homemade meals for Gheed, helped her with her Italian and even showed her around the city.<br /><br />When Gheed's month in Italy came to end and she returned to her hometown Abu Dhabi, UAE. <br /><br />Despite the distance, the two kept in touch and Nicoletta even went to visit Gheed in the UAE.<br /><br />Gheed was studying at the Sorbonne University in Paris when she was sent to Siena to study Italian as part of her degree in applied foreign languages and business.<br /><br />The student arrived in Siena during the famous Palio horse race, which attracts tourists from around the world. <br /><br />When Gheed arrived, the city was very crowded, which made the student nervous.<br /><br />Gheed, a Palestinian who lives in Abu Dhabi, said: "I arrived during Palio and there was a huge amount of people, so I was alone and a bit scared.<br /><br />"She [Nicoletta] looked at me and smiled so I asked her what was going on and she was so kind to me."<br /><br />Nicoletta, a retired teacher, immediately took her under her wing <br /><br />She explained the festival to Gheed and took her on a tour of the city before driving her back to her hotel.<br /><br />Nicoletta looked after Gheed for the rest of her month Italy. <br /><br />She made her homemade meals, helped her with her Italian and showed her the historical sites.<br /><br />Gheed said: "Siena is a very welcoming city, but she [Nicoletta] made me feel safer there. On the last day before my final exam, she took me out for Pizza to wish me good luck.<br /><br />"I'm a very social person, but I was scared in Italy and she made me feel at home"<br /><br />On her last day, Gheed asked Nicoletta to visit her in Abu Dhabi so she could return the favour, show her around the city and meet her family.<br /><br />Four month later, Nicoletta was on the plane to the UAE to visit her new friend. <br /><br />Gheed's family took Nicoletta in, just as she had done with Gheed, and made her feel right at home.<br /><br />Gheed said: "She tried a bit of everything. I took her to my grandma's house and she made her tabbouleh. She said it was great and even asked for a recipe.<br /><br />"Nicoletta really enjoyed Abu Dhabi. She met my mum, my grandparents and my siblings. She felt really at home. My mum made her lots of Palestinian food."<br /><br />The pair's unlikely friendship didn't end there, the two have been in touch ever since. <br /><br />They send each other updates every couple of weeks and still talk on the phone.<br /><br />Gheed, who is now in culinary school, said: "We update each other every few weeks. She just sends me pictures when she goes on trips, literally just like my grandma.<br /><br />"The nicest thing she did for me was staying on a call for an hour to help me with my Italian dissertation.<br /><br />"I always tell her that she had the biggest impact on me, she made me leave my little bubble.<br /><br />"Now that I'm at culinary school I make lots of Italian food. I make focaccia, pizza and even panettone and send her pictures. She's my honorary grandma big time."
