Sciopero!

I met my first sciopero this trip. Well, not exactly. Sciopero means "strike", as in a worker's strike, and anyone traveling to Italy must be careful, just in case the train workers or library personnel go on strike, just when you plan on getting there. Last Monday, my 10am train from Biella to Torino was 15 minutes late - an extremely rare occurence, according to the elderly gentleman awaiting the same one. Finally, after 20 minutes, we heard an announcement that said the train had been "suppressed", or cancelled. Just like that. Forget your schedule, or the people waiting to pick you up... He invited me for a cappuccino while we waited for the next train at 12:30, and I sadly declined. You know, because I'm married and all. Anyway, that's Italia!

Smart cars?

Most Italian cars are VERY tiny, as it were, but the Smart car is tinier than them all! So, you'd think they'd cost less, right? My Italian friend Ruben bought a brand new Smart car 3 weeks ago and it cost him €15,000, which is nearly $23,000! Only two people can ride at a time, but inside, its surprisingly spacious. As for gas consumption, they do consume much less, so it might save money in the end. He reports that a smart car on diesel fuel gets about 60 miles to the gallon. Obviously, parking the smart car is a DREAM, its facilissimo!

Cinque Terre

Five years ago, my sister Meredith and I went to Cinque Terre (five little lands connected by the sea), but we lost many of our pictures. Here are a few from Ruben and Cecilia's visit there last month. It is GORGEOUS!

A layover in Phoenix!?

A great big GRAZIE to my family members who came to see me at the airport on my 2.5 hour layover at the Phoenix airport earlier this month. I love you guys soooooo much! Di, thanks especially for making the effort to bring your three small, lively children to see me at 6:30 in the morning. It was fun to see everybody and catch up. When we arrived on the 2nd floor, Livvy exclaimed, "This is BUUUU-TIFUL!" I almost missed my connecting flight because I underestimated the security lines at Sky Harbor. A big shout out to the FABULOUSNESS of the Omaha airport where you're in and out.

Marcy's wedding

Marcy Player got married to Brandon Skinner on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 in the Salt Lake City Temple. Here are some pics from that trip.

Italian housing

Here are some pictures of Italian housing, all very colorful and different from each other. No cookie-cutter houses here! These shots are from just outside Biella, where Ruben and Cecilia live. The ONLY dry, sunny day in a week.

A practice proposal

My Italian friend Sara Tonon, with whom I am staying in Torino, is dating a fantastic guy named Marco Massano. Here, they are practicing a proposal using my wedding ring, after their priesthood leader kindly and strongly encouraged them to tie the knot. Priesthood leaders are the same everywhere.