hi
mom, i tried to post a video blog for you but it isn't working :(

anyway...
This past weekend I went to Florence. I arrived at about noon on Saturday. Saturday afternoon we went to Santa Croce Cathedral. Within it are buried Galileo, Michelangelo, DaVinci and Dante, yes, all in one place!
We had booked a bread and breakfast online and were pleasantly surprised by what we found...the Arno river runs right through Florence and across it are many small bridges. One bridge is a footbridge only and lined with jewelry shops--very famous--called the Pontevecio (sp?). On one side of it is the Uffitzi Art Gallery and on the other side, was OUR B&B! Insane! Our window looked out onto the Arno River and the back of the Uffitzi Gallery on the other side! Anyone read E.M. Forrester's "A Room With a View"? Well, it was just like that :)
Being in Florence was really neat. It was a nice change of scenery from Rome. It felt small and more picturesque/countryside...it is Tuscany after all, I suppose :)
The shopping in Florence was swell! Lots of leather. I may or may not have partaken ;)
Sunday in Florence we met our professor at the Uffitzi and took a tour. It was outstanding! It was like walking through a textbook.
Back in the day, European young people would complete their education with something called a "Grand Tour." This tour was all through Europe and was to education them culturally. The Uffitzi was a main source of study for them. While it wasn't the "Uffitzi" at that time it is the same art that is there today. When art history became a field of study in the 7th century, it was by individuals who had taken a "Grand Tour"; their knowledge of Art History was shaped by their study of the Uffitzi...therefore most art history textbooks and courses of study today, still follow the sequence of art and focus on the artists featured in this gallery. Long story short, I saw almost every major painting I've ever analyzed in class! Ah!
After many hours in the Uffitzi we went to the Doumo. It is a Gothic cathedral; very ornate! Sunday night we stayed at a hostel called Casa Dolce Casa. It turned out to be much nicer than expected and we enjoyed it. That night we also ate at McDonalds, lol. (All the McDonald's here are McCafe style so they look way cooler) It was so funny because we were all commenting on how if we were in the U.S. none of us would have have eaten at McD's but somehow that night it was just fun...and refreshing not to have pizza or pasta (yes, believe it or not you can get tired of it, lol).
Monday morning we shopped and walked along the Arno before taking the train back to Rome.

Today was back to class. We visited many sites today.
First was a church built on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Cecelia. She was killed for her belief in the Trinity in Early Christian years. All the churches here in Rome are built on the site of martyrs because people wanted to be as close as possible because some "holiness might rub off on them"; these churches today sit lower than the usual street level because centuries have passed and layers built up raising the ground level. It is cool to walk down the stair and be on relatively the same ground that earlier brothers and sister n Christ stood upon.
Second, was a monastery containing the first Renaissance fresco. Renaissance is characterised by realistic human figures and 3-D perspective/setting. Often times Giotto is credited with beginning Renaissance, BUT, he was actually prefaced by this other guy who we saw today! It was especially amazing because most frescoes from this period have not survived--but this one has, and is in exceptionally good condition!
Third, we visited a Palatzzo, erected on the site of Peter's Crucifixion. It was atop a very large hill and over looked the entire city. We were there at dusk, so the city lights looked spectacular!
Tomorrow we are visiting more churches, of the Renaissance style, and have our second exam in the evening. (so you can keep that in your prayers if the think of it)
Today marked the halfway point of the study tour. Pretty crazy!
Well I should wrap this up sorry it got long...
Love and miss you all! I love hearing from you :) really I do! So keep that updates coming :)
Love in Christ, neen
Ciao!