People are wonderful!
So I told Daniella, my Italian instructor, that I really, really wanted to go to Venice, but, that if I did, I couldn't afford to take class this fall. And she said, "oh, don't worry, as long as there's a full class, you can just buy the book. Berlusconi can pay for it!" She's not a fan of Berlusconi. But I'm sure a fan of hers! (And if I wasn't before, I am now.)