We arrived at the Santa Lucia train station in Venice a little before noon today. This is the first time I had ever come to Venice and I wasn't sure what to expect. I've seen many photos of Venice, of the canals, and of the Carnevale. And everyone I know said it was beautiful, but too touristy. But I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

Friends of ours, like Marta, Yoshie and Luigi, asked to see pictures of our house in the US. They wanted to know if our house was anything like what they see in American TV series that they are inundated with here. We had a few on our computer, so we showed them.

For those people who would be interested in seeing a few interesting areas in Florence, like the Ponte Vecchio, the Arno, and a view of Florence from the hills that surround the city. I found two websites that allow you to do just that.

It only takes one little change to bring about greater changes, they say. Today, I went to the market and I wasn't my usual passive self. At times, I feel a bit intimidated (or maybe judged by some), so I keep quiet, remain polite, and go about my day.

I have always thought my niece JJ was born lucky. A few days before she and her parents arrived, it rained even though the weather had been pretty nice for a week. The day they arrived, it was sunny with clear skies. And that was how each day was during their trip here.

I wish I could've seen Florence through my niece's six-year-old eyes. She has travelled quite a bit, going to different states like Hawaii, Florida, and Utah. But, this was her first visit to Europe. And Florence as her first European city to visit.

It was odd going back to the market to buy food today. Dave and I had been eating out so much that we almost forgot what it was like before our guests arrived. We ate almost every lunch and every dinner in a different restaurant. Now, we have a short list of our favorites.

Today was our last meal together with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. After eating almost every lunch and dinner together, we decided to have one last meal together before they took off. We met at their apartment and walked over to find a place to have breakfast in Piazza della Signoria at an outdoor café.

After two glorious days in Monterosso, we checked out of the hotel and went to the train station to find out the train schedule. I went up to the counter to talk to the woman about when we could get on a train back to Florence. She said it'd be faster to take one train to La Spezia, then an "Intercity" train (instead of a regional one that stops at every station) from La Spezia to Pisa, and finally one direct to Florence.

Our first trip outside of Florence began early in the morning. We went to Monterosso, the farthest north town in the Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast. Dave and I haven't been out of Florence since we moved here last November. We couldn't wait to go.

My sister, her husband, and my niece JJ arrived on Tuesday afternoon. We sat outside on the terrace of a bar, waiting for them. It's the first time they've been to Florence while I'm living here. Only my mom ever came to Florence to visit me when I was living here in 1997-1999.

I love to read, but I'm very picky about what I read. It's hard for me to find good Italian books by Italian authors that I love. I don't normally read in Italian unless I'm in Italy. For some reason, the words seem to make more sense when I'm here. As if I can hear them more in my head.

It rained almost all day yesterday. So we didn't even venture out. Today is Pasquetta, which is Easter Monday. Everything is closed except a few bars and restaurants. I was hoping that the market or my favorite bakery would be open, but I walked around the entire area and everything was closed.

As predicted, the bells on the church rang at midnight right when we got home tonight. They haven't rung since Friday morning although I haven't really noticed. I hear them so often that I tune them out now.

Well, after a few days of staying home, taking lots of vitamins, sleeping long hours, and taking naps, I'm finally feeling much better. What started out as allergies, and then appeared more like the flu, ended up being a cold....we think.