Buongiono

Well, right this moment I am sitting in the computer lab in the Peppedine villa in Florence, Italy, having walked so much in the last 3 days that my calves feel like they are going to snap off my bones any minute, my belly so full of pasta I honestly don't know how I am going to climb the 4 flights of stairs to the little dorm room where John and I are bunked this week, squinting at the screen hoping I get this right because the website's directions are inexplicably in Italian! And I am having a wonderful time.

I have been in Florence once before, almost 10 years ago. Our little group stopped here for 4 hours to see Michelangelo's David and the church where Galileo and Michelangelo are buried. I cannot believe how much else there is to see here, and do, and eat! Today we took a side trip to a little town in Tuscany called San Gimignano, which was beautiful. It was a small town that overlooked the Italian countryside, all patches of vineyards and green fields and trees. And the church had the most spectacular frescoes. Check out this site to see what I am talking about. http://www.sangimignano.com/sstoriai.htm

I am missing Will fiercely by now, which is partly because I have been away from him for a few days now, and it feels WRONG to be away from him, and partly because there were oodles of little Italian babies all over that town today. But my mom and Jack report that he is doing very well and keeping them on their toes, and I will be home again on Sunday.

I will have a lot of pictures to share then. But for now, ciao!