Hello hello!
Tomorrow morning at 8 AM I leave for Rome. Very very exciting things. We get to see ancient Rome and Vatican City. I will be back Sunday night. I will tell you all about it when I return.
Today we went to see Santa Maria Novella, which is right by the train station with the same name. Odd things. It was a very peaceful sort of church. But clever--the columns get father and father apart when you're standing at the altar. It gives the illusion that the church is larger and longer than it really is. Libby and I noticed something as well--there is a lot of stonework, with layers of black and white. When you stand in the back of the church, the black and white contrast decreases in frequency. Does that make any sense? What I mean it there are actually less pieces, bigger chunks of black and white. It was strange, because it contradicted with the whole arches thing.
So that's my strange little observation for the day. There were some excellent frescos. We talked about one of Jesus on the cross, with God the father taking him off and a small dove in between them. It was very simple but calming.
Okay time to go do some work and packing--papers due Monday. Love you all!!

 
I just wanted to take a quick moment an apologize for being out of touch lately. I've had a lot of reading and paper writing. I miss everyone. Please feel free to spread this address around, leave comments, or e-mail me. I love hearing from everyone and wish I could keep up with all the e-mail. But know that you are all in my thoughts.

On a different note, we go to Rome on Thursday morning. I couldn't be more excited. *happy dance* Now I must go get some sleep, to be awake durring discussion tomorrow morning. Goodnight!!

 
So where was I, San Marco? So after San Marco, we went and bought 24-hour water taxi passes. We went out to the island of Lido. We walked around the shops, and saw the beach. Ate lunch at this tourist-y restaurant. A little sparrow came in and was trapped. It took us a while to help him escape. He just didn't want to leave.
Anyway, Lido was nice. Then we went to Murano and got to watch the glassblowers. Very cool. They just blow and pinch and suddendly it's a horse! Lots of beautiful glass. I resisted purchasing any of it--I don't think it makes sense to buy something so breakable ;-)

After Murano I ran into Libby on the water-taxi with another group, so we wandered off on our own. Saw lots of shops and tourists. We tried to find the Guggenheim, but by the time we got there, it had closed. We went out to dinner with a big group (well 8 is big for Italy) and had a great meal. The best I've had in Italy-gnocci with asparagus and shrimp. We had good, salted bread (no salt to be found in Florentine bread) and excellent chocolate cake with real whipped cream for desert. It was good. I feel like I talk a lot about food. But life in Italy revolves around food!

Venice is a ghost town. We spent a long time looking for a bar. When we found one, it was packed and smoky. Blech. It was werid to be in a bar, not even being twenty and all. Anyway, I met some kids from Kentucky. Very very nice bunch. They were in Venice studying architecture. And then we met a British couple who were talking about how hard it is to find a bar in Venice. They were funny and took pictures for us.

So we didn't have time to do as much as I would've liked in Venice, but life is short. Sunday morning we took the 12:30 Eurostar home to Florence. It was a comfortable train ride. I got home, read some Seneca, and am seriously considering taking up stoicism. Great idea. Simple and pure and natural is the way to go. Now I must go read the Gospel according to Mark and some of Paul's letters.

And anyone who has any information on the Columbia disaster, please update me.

 
Hello everyone. This is the first moment I've had to pause since my action packed weekend. And this weekend looks like it will be just as busy. . .

So. . . where do I begin? So I got up at 6 AM to prepare for the weekend. We walked to the train station, and took a bus. It was a lovely ride though the Tuscan countryside. I got 2.5 hours of reading, writing and napping in, all with a little Neil Young. It was nice to have a period of calm with all the crazy activity of the past weeks.
Ravenna was freezing but amazing. We went to two major churches. Both were strongly influenced by the Byzantines. The mosaics were amazing. Our guide was excellent and she explained every detail. In one, St. Appolinare is watching over 12 sheep (which I assumed to be the apostles). Our guide pointed out that on one side, the sheep our clean and smooth, but dirty and scragly on the other. So the sheep did not signify the apostles, but the faithful of Ravenna, who could become clean through bapitism and the help of St. Appolinare. Cool stuff.

From Ravenna, we had a 3 or more hour train ride to Venice. We arrived, and it was dark and cold and very quiet. We took the water-taxi to our hotel. That was cool. It took much longer than it would have on foot, but we got a taste of the city.

After settling in, we wandered out to try to find dinner. Actually, Mark Silver was trying to get away from one girl who had been getting on his nerves, so he and Libby and I ran to dinner. It took at least 45 minutes to find anything that was open. When we did, the only thing on the menu that looked reasonably priced was the pizza. So we had pizza our first night in Venice.

Wandering home was quite an adventure as well. Venice by foot without a map was like being in a maze--you'd turn the corner and find youself at a dock right at the edge of a canal. It made me feel like a mouse. But luckily Mark and I have a decent sense of direction, so we made it back.

The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel. The juice was all much more watery and smooth than in the states--more like Tang than juice. But they also had blood orange juice. When Libby was sick, she bought some oranges to squeeze fresh juice. When she sliced them open, they had streaks of red thoughout. Almost as though the orange had veins. It was very odd. When she juiced them, the juice was very red. But now we know it's a real thing. It tasted like sugared orange juice.

Anyway. . . I started out with the group. 22 or so came from the program, and maybe 12 of us went as a large group. We started off on our way to San Marco, which is the biggest, most important church in Venice. It took a while to get there, and then to get in. The square in front was amazing--I have never seen so many pidgeons in my life!! One girl bought some birdseed and they swarmed her. It was like a sinkhole of birds piling on top of each other, diving and jumping and falling.

San Marco was fantastic. It was a mix of many different styles and time periods. We were really rushed, with lots of tourist groups coming in and out. But I got to see the beginning of Benediction, which was cool--a church serving its purpose, not just being a tourist site. The church itself was large and dark. The mosaics on the ceiling were amazing, almost too many of them to take in at one time. Altogether it was an amazing, busy church.

Okay, I have no time left on my card, so I will finish Venice later. I will just say, it was great, but I'm glad to be 'home' in Florence.