Tuscany

 We are back from a magical week in Lucca, Italy, where we stayed at an enormous 5-star villa to attend a dear friend's wedding.  I babysat David and his sibs from the time he was a toddler, and have been blessed with  a 25-year friendship with his parents John and Mary Jane (my colleague whom B. refers to as "Jay Jay). The week was picture perfect in every way:  weather, travel, surroundings, food, company. Beatrice remains an incredible traveler.  Her ability to stay up until nearly midnight, catnap in our arms, try new foods, be pleasant with various adults, and to spontaneously compose/direct/cast and choreograph a 4-scene play with the crowd (long, but true story) astounded us.  Here are some of the shots that highlight the week:

Playing hide-and-see during a 6-hour layover in Heathrow airport

Daddy downloaded an Angelina Ballerina movie onto the iPad for the trip

On our first full day we took a 90-minute train ride into Florence.  Uncle John captured B's imagination (or rather joined it) by playing "Rock."  This game where various characters are formed with an talk to fingers lasted on and off all week.  By the end, we had ROCK, ROCK'S SISTER, MOLLY ROCK, HENRY ROCK, and SARAH ROCK.

B's sketches have become fabulously detailed in the past few weeks.  She often asks for her sketch pad and she and Anthony sat down numerous times during the week, inspired by the sights.  Here they are at a piazza in Florence.

Anthony and I had been to Florence to visit the groom David there 7 years ago, when he spent a year there as part of a Master's program.  What a beautiful city.  I should note that we forgot the stroller back at the villa that morning and B. hiked a good 3-4 miles that day.  She is a trooper!

The original DAVID cannot be photographed (although we snuck one 7 years ago and it hangs in our bathroom).  This art deco version now sits outside the gift shop.  Beatrice, here with Joseph, the groom's baby brother, thought "pink David" was a hoot!

                                                The coach on this carousel couldn't be missed!

The weather was just perfect.  Just when it got a little too hot, a beautiful breeze came up for a few minutes.

Here's one picture of one of the courtyards in this 12-bedroom villa.  We told Beatrice it was a "castle" ahead of time, and it was easy for all of us to believe that.  It was built as a hunting lodge for the Tuscan elite in the 17th century.  Amazing place.

There were various metal animals in the yard, including this elephant which provided many "rides" during the week.

In downtown Lucca, a walled city, Beatrice enjoyed a gelato or 2 ( or 3, or 4.)

                          Here she is down in the nearby sitting room, getting ready to go out for "ladies night"

                                          This girl sure loves her Jay-Jay!

One other child was among the guests, 18-month old Luisa, whom Beatrice decided needed to learn ballet.

This 24-chair dining room was not ever used by the gang this week (35 people attended the wedding) but Bea had fun sitting at the head of the table and pretending.

This was taken on a stroll outside the villa. The background at any time looked like a movie set.

One afternoon we enjoyed some "quiet time" in our room and B. sat quietly on the extra bed and sketched.

The rehearsal dinner was held at a nearby restaurant.  We sat outside and it was sunset so the views were incredible.

                                             The light was a photographer's dream!

Happy, happy couple Meaghan and David:

Did I mention that the villa had an ENORMOUS pool on the grounds? That was one of highlights for this girl almost every day. With her floaties on, she swam all over the place, as well as attended "mermaid school."  Depending on the moment, she was either teacher or student.

 Downtown Lucca had another colorful carousel. What a difference from 2 years ago in Paris when she tried 3 carousel and had to be removed from 2 due to screaming her lungs out.

                                    Lucca's play grounded provided a quick play break:

                We rented bicycles and rode up on top of the wall of Lucca one day.  Beatrice has claimed that this was her favorite part of the trip.

              We ate our fill of Tuscan bread.  Here we are doing "cheers" at a Trattoria.

                      A Tuscan bean soup tasted better on top of the bread, B. decided.

 My girl is a sucker for a bookstore.  She bought 2 sticker books with her own money and you would have thought she got herself a new car.  We had trouble getting her out of bookstores in London (at the airport), and Lucca. Also, during the "ladies night" which I mentioned above, the restaurant had fake bookshelves filled with fake books painted on the walls and Beatrice thought that was about the best idea in the world.  She spent the evening, after eating, running back and forth to the wall, choosing a pretend book and bringing it back for me to read.  "This one's a mystery" she would say, or she would walk back clumsily, pretending to hold a pile, uttering with effort "I have a ton of books and...they're very....very...heavvvvyyyyyyy!"

Finally the big day, or evening, arrived, and Beatrice played her part very nicely.  If you click on this and see it larger, you'll see her "embarrassed/proud" smile that we get from her during performances of any kind:

I cannot believe that these three "babies," who I babysat, vacationed with, and attended college orientations with, are all grown up.  The part that is NOT a surprise is what kind, brilliant, fun, successful adults they have become. That I can now share my daughter with them, and that each of them has a special bond with her, is beyond my wildest dreams.

 I think Anthony snapped this picture from the outdoor bar.  Beatrice enjoyed the orange juice and mama enjoyed the green one which was apple juice with some alcohol in it that I don't remember the taste of but which went down very, very easily....

Bread and cheese (and pasta of course) are among B's favorites, so it makes European eating no problem whatsoever:

 I couldn't get a great shot of the bride and flower girl, but this one isn't bad.  Meaghan is a dream!

 Here we are in Lucca on the last night, just before heading to a concert of Mozart and Puccini opera (Lucca is Puccini's birthplace).  While waiting for our pizza and gnocchi, the sketchpad came out once again.

                         It was a sad goodbye the morning we had to leave!

Here's the world traveler, who secured her blanket down and pulled her suitcase herself the whole time.