There wasn’t as much going on this week as there was last week. I was mostly focusing on getting my life together, organizing, and relaxing after being so busy last week. I just wanted to highlight a few cool things that happened.
Monday, Feb. 4
Had my first classes today—travel writing and Italian! They both seem like they’re going to be interesting to say the least. I already have a rough draft due next week in travel writing.
Tuesday, Feb. 5
Had my first Shakespeare class this morning which I am not really looking forward to, but maybe it will expand my appreciation for the guy, who knows. I only have one class on Tuesday in the morning so I’m pretty stoked about that.
In the evening, at 4:30, Anna and I went to this welcome reception that the city puts on for the American exchange students. It was housed in Palazzo Vecchio, in a beautiful room called the Salone dei Cinquecento (or Hall of the 500), where beautiful ceilings and murals decorated the space (check out my video below to see). The mayor of Florence, the American consulate, and a few past study abroad students spoke. Afterward, a pianist, a flutist, and a singer played beautiful music that was amplified by the expansiveness of the hall. We enjoyed crostini and were soon off to the LdM welcome reception. It was hosted at Palazzo Borghese, a beautiful hall full of giant chandeliers and candelabras à la Phantom of the Opera. There was a bunch of food and honestly I can't tell you what most of it was, but I had some of everything. We got there slightly early so there were hardly any people, but just as we finished eating it started to get packed. And by packed I mean you couldn't stand anywhere without touching somebody else. We left pretty quick. Despite the fact that it's freezing out, it was a really nice night.
Thursday, Feb. 7
Bought my train tickets to Switzerland today!! Exciting!! Bought textbooks today. Not so exciting... In the evening Anna and I went out for gelato at this place called Venchi. It's very popular, but I thought the Hazelnut chocolate and coconut were yummy! We went over to Piazza della Repubblica, our go-to for street musicians and listened to guy play accordion, and then wander over to Piazza Santa Trinita to listen to a guy play cello. It was beautiful sounds in beautiful scenery. I loved just getting to sit there and soak it all in.
Sunday, Feb. 10
In the morning I met up with my new friend Brian to go to some museums. We started out at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, which is the palace that the Medicis lived in when they weren't busy ruling. Huh, so the Medicis and I are practically neighbors. The garden outside was very peaceful and I wondered if I could bring a book and chill there. The courtyard with its fountain and arches become the template for other Renaissance architecture like the Palazzo Vecchio. We toured the rooms, seeing where these people would have slept and lounged and had important meetings. They were decorated with intricate tapestries and paintings, but I was surprised by how spartan some of the rooms were. My favorite room by far was this hall covered in gilded mirrors with a beautiful painting spanning the ceiling. It was fairly quick to get through this museum so soon we were off to stop #2—Galleria Accademia. On the way we stumbled upon a contemporary art exhibit. And by contemporary I mean they were recently painted, the painting style itself looked Renaissance. The line for the Accademia was really short which surprised me, so we were inside in only a few minutes. We wandered a bit and looked at the Medieval paintings of Mary and Jesus (there were quite a few back in those days). We turned a corner and there he was—Michelangelo's David himself. It was crazy to walk closer and see how massive the statue truly was. The stone was so smooth and the details were absolutely incredible—veins protruding on his hands, slight contours of muscle, everything so meticulously and purposefully done. We did a 360 around to see all the details, and stood and stared for a bit. When seeing art so renowned and so old, one can't help but feel blown away that something has lasted so long, in such good condition, that was made by someone with such famous talent.
And here's an extra photo specifically for my dad. He requested photos of cool doors so here's one for you!
And as usual, here's a short little video about my week!
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