where they make the cheese!

Today we had class in the convent of San Marco, which has frescoes all over the place by a painter named Fra Angelico. They were pretty sweet, although a lot of them were undergoing restoration. It has been indescribable to be seeing these works of art in sitú, on location. So much more fulfilling than just looking in a book.

After class Erin, Sarah and I took a long walk up to the church of San Miniato (10 points for anyone who finds out for me what he is the saint for…I’m too lazy to actually look it up) which has an amazing view of the city of Florence – much like everything we go to. I’m really overwhelmed by the amount of places that have such a beautiful view of the city – I feel like my pictures are getting tedious with these constant gorgeous views. MAN! WHAT A PAIN!

We stopped at the Piazzale Michelangelo, which has yet another copy of the David looking out on the city. It was a lovely place to sit after a long hard walk up at least 3 million stairs and just sit and eat apples and look out on Firenze.

San Miniato itself was really cool. We walked around the outside of the church before going in, and there was a ginormous camposanto (cemetery) that extended for awhile. It was beautiful, in a strange way. Everything was made of marble: statues, huge intricate mosaiced mausoleums, and the grave markers themselves. I tried to read a couple of the markers and was able to understand a lot of the epitaphs.

The inside of the church was neat too, but it was weird not to have Rocci standing over us explaining every little detail of the church (hence me not even knowing who San M was). There were a couple frescoes that were only sketches, which I haven’t seen yet. This church was really cool because you could actually walk ALL AROUND inside it – like up to the choir loft and peek inside side chapels. So many churches right in the city only allow you to walk in and check it out from the ground floor, unless you want to pay something to check out the rest.

Since we’ve been back at the hotel waiting for dinner I’ve been looking through 9 trillion pictures and listening to music, and I’m a little – not homesick – nostalgic. Only a couple more classes left in Florence, then it’s off to Parma, which I am so excited about. It will be so good to feel settled in somewhere, and I’m psyched to check out my homestay. Plus, reliable internet is always a bonus. I should stop whining (and start WINING?). TEE HEE. Okay, ciao, it’s nearly chow time. I am just too clever for my own good.