Ciao, Italia!

Gregory and I had our first European mini-break this weekend, flying into Florence for a few days to meet up with some beloved friends. Becky, the woman I'm named after, is a University of Kentucky biochemist who presented at a conference in Siena last week. She took some time on either side to do a bit of Germany and Italy with her husband and son. Nate is now sixteen, but he's the first baby I properly baby-sat...quite the wild ride, seeing him again!
This was my first trip to Italy, and it was lovely to have a good excuse to get here. Michelangelo's David really is even more incredible in person - with most art, I have a tendency to shrug a bit and say "yep, that looks like the picture". But some of these pieces really are quite amazing. Wandering the streets in perfect temperatures with gelato, live music, and glorious lights everywhere is also rather magical.
I've also eaten just a wee bit of caprese and bruschetta while here. Hello from and goodbye to the country of tomatoes and wine and art!