Marie and Her Flower Passion

Marie was the name of the attractive and tiny girl I met a few days ago in a garden in Florence. Although Italy is not exactly famous as a country popular for their flowers or plants, the venue certainly was a haven for fashion and Marie was definitely one of those girls who have their own way of expressing themselves; it just so happened that her style is more into flowers, which, I must say, perfectly complements her striking features. What I am reminded about her the most is the elegant lacey flowers veiled on her blonde curly hair.

"Ma'am, those are daisies, which my mother used to pin on my mane," she delightedly exclaims as I stroke her hair and ask where she got those.

"Where is your mother now, sweetie?," I asked her since I wanted to discover how to prepare one for myself.

"She's gone to wonderland," Marie said with a hopeful, naive look on her face.

I didn't know how to answer at that time. But after a few minutes of embarassing silence, I asked Marie to teach me how to make those attractive hair veils, even though I knew deep down inside that I have never been or will never be involved in such an endeavor in my entire life.

She showed me delightedly and told me that I wasn't the first one she taught how to make those hair veils. After our moment, she led me further to the flower gardens, where I saw a group of pretty children wearing the same hair accessory like Marie's.

"I teach people to remind me how charming and compassionate my mother was," were the exact touching words she whispered to me. Those very phrases evoked tears from my eyes.

My Wonderful Connection with Italian Croutons

My food preferences are relatively uncomplicated. I definitely wouldn't be categorized with those who have an adventurous penchant for exotic foods. As for croutons, I wasn't particularly a crouton fan. That is, until I took a holiday in Italy and consumed a few of these crouton delights.

To just give an overview, compared to the standard croutons you buy in the groceries or bakeshops, Italian croutons are crunchier and tastier. Aside from its atypical smell, Italian croutons have this savory garlic and buttery flavoring. They also have a spicy bite that would make you request for more.

Back to my story; it all started when I was idly reading "The Alchemist" in my room and then surprisingly, I had a visitor. My newfound friend, Mr. Reynolds, was clutching a basket full of mouth-watering scented croutons. Of course, even if I'm not fond of croutons, I took the delights as a form of respect for my newfound friend.

I wanted to give the croutons to our tour escort who would gladly accept just about anything given to him. But then I had an immediate wish to give it a try, so I did. Within one hour, I realized that I managed to munch more than half of the croutons in the wrapping.

So that, my fellow travelers, began my love affair with croutons. Now, my predicament is that I obviously can't get enough of them.

In Awe with the Divine Tuscany

Going to Tuscany was really a amazing journey for me. The everyday life in this region has made a great impression on me.

I abruptly remembered the American picture, "Under the Tuscan Sun." When I watched the film, I thought that it had overtly exaggerated the splendor of Tuscany. However, having been to this place and observing its colorful surroundings first hand, I would have to say that the movie's cinematography didn't do enough justice to the beauty of Tuscany.

The way of life in Tuscany was what I craved for in years. I can get used to the calm air of this place. The pleasant personality of its localsis also infectious. I can't even figure how many feasts I've been invited to since I came here. People here are just normally sociable.

I'm ordinarily a skeptical person. It's actually weird that I can't help but value the simplicity
of this place. It may be a tall order but when I return to Tuscany someday, which I intend to do, I hope that I would be settling in my own home.