It was a beautiful church, monitored by monks ensuring that there was no violation of the no shorts rule.

The gardens of the monastery were beautiful. From inside you can see where the monks reside. Not a bad place to spend your time. If I were a monk, I think I would be happy there... well other than the heat =)

Just a quick post before leaving for Kate and Russell's Wedding for the weekend. Life has gone a little crazy. Charlie is back to South Africa for five weeks and I am staying in the Bay Area to find us a place to live. That's right... we are staying in the Bay Area!!! Charlie decided against going back to school for now and that means I get to stay close to friends, family and of course my lovely clients!!! So much is happening, but it is all good stuff. So this weekend means lots of shooting with a bit of house hunting in between! 

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine. I know I will!

I am back in California now and I still have a ton of images to get up from the trip, I will keep putting them up, but probably not quite as frequently now. It is time to get back to work! My first wedding is this weekend and I thought I would start getting my gear together while I have a few days to get acclimated. The funny thing is, when I opened my bag I noticed that there was a big empty space where my camera and long lens used to be. My heart just about fell out of my chest.

The story: When we were in Zurich about to board the plane the air hostess made me open my bag and re-arrange things because my gear bag was too heavy. Hmm. I did as she said, I put one camera in my camera backpack and the other I left in the gear bag. Now, I am back in San Francisco and my camera and a few other little things are missing from my bag. That means that at some point between Zurich and San Francisco someone must have gotten into my bag (my carry on bag) and taken out my camera. What a cheeky bugger. I know he (or she) probably didn't realize that that camera is like an extension of arm (and my heart) but still. Punk.

So today, I had to go out and buy a new camera and lens. I know I should be happy about new gear but I am mostly just devastated and a little bit shocked at what it did to my bank account. So, a word to the wise: please please have insurance. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have a lock on your gear bag at all times when traveling. sigh.

The little one on the left is Emma (cute as a button). In the middle is Rubina, she is the oldest of the three girls. She was sweet and very patient with me (smile). Alice is the one on the right, such a cute skinny little one. These girls were such good sports and played along surprisingly well considering our complete inability to communicate with one another.

Girls, thank you so much for a wonderful day at the beach!

This cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth largest in the world. The outside is made completely of marble and is so intricate that one could spend hours pondering just one corner of the church.

A small red light bulb in the dome marks the spot where one of the nails reputedly from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed.

This is what I found to be the most interesting piece in the Duomo. This is a statue representing St Bartholomew. Draped around him is not a robe, but his own skin. He was apparently skinned alive and beheaded. Disturbing.

Charlie sees the light.

One of my favorite ladies, Mita, stole me from Dan and Charlie when they were watching the world cup at a local pub. We went on a little shopping adventure and I got these shoes, which I love. Above all else, comfort!

Charlie and Dan solving all of the worlds problems.

Sara: I wonder if the Italians would find it weird if I decided to go for a swim in this fountain?

Late night gelato run. Dan took us to a great haunt that where many students gather in the evenings. Thank you for a wonderful several days Dan! Now it is your turn to come visit us!