12.10.06

Due viaggi a Firenze

Today was a delayed trip to Firenze. Originally, the students had the option of taking an earlier train in order to see the local food market. However, it seems this train failed to exist. So everyone had to take the later train and that part of the trip was "omitted." However, to accommodate the students that really wanted to see the market, the group split. I hate it when the students split according to major (as I always have) because it seems that interesting things remain interesting no matter what your major is.

I remained with the group that traveled with Paolo. He took us in to a building that he lived in when he was young, but was also a museum. After spending some time here, we went into the Duomo and take a look at the interior. The students were mesmerized. It still holds a certain air of awe. We spent a great amount of time with our heads back gazing at the ceiling.

After lunch, we had a tour of the Uffizi galleries. We had a great guide and the information was VERY interesting, but we were pretty tired because of the vast number of stairs, lack of seating and the heat. Though we enjoyed the tour, we were fully prepared to leave.


A number of students had their hearts set on going into the Duomo. However, because of the split, all of the students did not get the opportunity. After a poll was taken, we found the students wanted to return to Firenze the next day. Paolo and I set things up and we shall return to Firenze tomorrow.

This mornings train ride went a lot better. We were only five minutes late, but we found Paolo quite easily. The first visit was to the Museo della'Opera del Duomo. I got to see two statues that changed my understanding of art. The first was Michelangelo's Pieta and the second was Donatello's Mary Magdalene. These pieces have stood out in my memory every time I think of my trip to Italy. After the museo, we entered to look at the ceiling of the baptistery. It was a simple tour (one room) but still amazing.

After the tours we broke for lunch and were left to climb the Duomo on our own. It was quite a trip. It is not until you are right next to the frescoes that you realize how graphic they are. After reaching the top, I was quite worn and ready to go down. We took a few pictures, and then we headed to the station. Today, we were anxious to return because there was a "Gangster Party" this evening. I suppose this was what they think of hip-hop music, but I will refrain from the social and political commentary at this time. Overall, I had a great time and that is really all that matters.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

nice post card.
do you have an email address?

Anonymous said...

whoops, this is greg v. from corgan. I should have left that in my previous comment...im new to this blog thing.