Em-i-lis in Ita-lis

All of a sudden, the end of our trip is rushing up towards us, a wave soon to return my brood to gli Stati Uniti.

But before then, we're spending tomorrow in the tuscan hill town of Arezzo, having a birthday dinner over here for my mom (and today celebrated Michele's), and fitting in a few final outings and trip to a beloved restaurant. All in all, despite the challenges inherent in traveling with two small yet energetic dervishes, I know we'll come away from this trip terribly grateful for it and for all we experienced and everyone we met during it. Jack enjoyed his first ever Coke, and Oliver got to eat a life-sized hammer crafted from chocolate.