Oh, Italy sounds awesome!

I love watching bats. They used to fly low over the swimming pool when I went night-swimming in Vietnam.

And then a hare ran straight past me! I was sitting on a stone wall above a boules court, I heard the thump-thump of its feet, and as I looked up the hare tore straight across the court and vanished down a slope.

Saw a deep fountain that not only had fish swimming around in it; it had a little black turtle!

Very cool! Also, excellent description of the hare.

Riona: I just don't trust myself to operate anything that could kill someone.
Eleanor: Joe, do you think we should return Riona's birthday present?
Joseph: What, the Stabber 3000?
Eleanor: Which I always thought was a strange name for a gun.
Joseph: Well, not a gun that shoots knives.

Your family is delightful!

'Eleanor, do you want to see a great big toad behind the poolhouse?' I asked.

'Yes,' Eleanor said, almost before I'd finished speaking, scrambling out of bed.

I took Joseph and Eleanor to see the toad, and Eleanor cooed enthusiastically and lovingly over it. As I headed off for bed, I looked up at the sky and saw a shooting star, which I assume was the universe expressing how glad it was that I was able to show Eleanor the toad of her dreams.

This sounds amazing!