This and that.

"'...I am far younger than you, and I could not bear it.'

'Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear.'"

Jane Eyre

One thing I've found on this trip is that no matter how many times I thought I just couldn't talk to one more Italian, or I just couldn't handle going to work for one more day, I did. And I survived. And in fact, I've done quite decently.

Now, about my other activities last week: I went to Firenze again. However, I was on a mission to get certain errands done. Consequently, it was not nearly as enjoyable as last time. I'm glad I got to go back though.

I swear there's a church on every corner here. It's like Utah, but these are a lot cooler. Architecturally.

This is Moe. He owns a leather shop in the market, and he gives 'special prices for nice people'. That sign doesn't lie.

The cute but confusing wedding we watched- there seemed to be two brides and two grooms, all the guests were wearing jeans and there was an abominable amount of glitter and silly string showering the poor couples.

A replica of the Davide at Piazza del Michelangelo.

The Duomo from Piazza del Michelangelo.

To the left you can see Ponte Vecchio.

I also went to Arezzo and Montepulciano again. We had a picnic.

And looked at the view from the top of the city that never becomes less stunning.

Laughed at the Twighlight menu at a bar in Montepulciano.

I found myself a real fixer-upper.

Got caught in a beautiful rainstorm.

Convinced Simone to say, "Buongiorno, Principessa!" in the square in Arezzo where they filmed La Vita Bella.

Fantasized about climbing this bell tower.

We ate. (Layne and Simone)

We talked. (Jamie, Camille and Layne)

And I, of course, took a picture of our fellow picnic enthusiasts. It was a good trip, made better by the fact that we got to drive in a car through Tuscan villages, sunflower fields and vineyards bursting with ripe grapes.

Layne and I also went to visit our branch president. His name is Mario. He's 70 years old but looks 50, he trains hundreds of runners, he acts like Roberto Benigni and lives in a spot where you can see the islands of Montecristo and Elba. Nifty, eh?

Montecristo is on the right. Over the years, hardly anyone has stepped foot on this little, four square mile island. Alexandre Dumas, after a trip to Montecristo with the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1842 wrote The Count of Monte Cristo, a book that has forever glorified this little island. Elba, the exile sight of Napoleon I, would be to the right of Montecristo in this picture if it wasn't for the obnoxious amount of clouds.

I could get used to living someplace like this.

The epitome of an Italian beach: Overweight women in bikinis, a little boy being trained at a young age to love speedos and a man, standing in front of everyone rubbing his stomach. Yup. It's quite the treat.

I felt like we were in a garden of umbrellas.

And that, folks, is the end of my adventures last week. Besides the every day adventure of smelling curry until 1 in the morning, listening to our neighbors Bollywood music, smelling and hearing the restaurant outside our bedroom window every hour of the day, meeting quirky people at my work (I suppose I should do a blog about that, eh?), learning to cook delicious Italian food- constantly learning, learning about life, about Italy, about Italian, about people.