Oh Wednesday

Wednesdays I have history class. Today for class, we met downtown by the Palazzo de Medici. But, because it was a Wednesday, the Palazzo is closed to the general public. School groups can come in the afternoon, but Lucianna tried and was told no for us. So, with the Palazzo being closed we moved onto the next option. That's what I love about Lucianna and history class; if one thing goes not quite right, well, move onto the next.

Lucianna took as down the street to the San Lorenzo church which we had already been too. She was going to show us the 'step' (I don't know if this is the right word or not) of Michelangelo. I don't know if this is the right thing because where Lucianna was going to take us was under renovation and thus unable to be seen. Strike two.

So, we moved onto option number three. We went to see the Princes Chapel and the new sacristy designed by Michelangelo in the San Lorenzo church. We purchased our tickets, 6 euro, and went into the crypt of the chapel. All over the floor are markers designating which Medici is buried there. There is also the statue of Maria Louisa Medici who is responsible for the public being able to view the Medici collection. After looking at all the dead people and relics in the crypt, we went upstairs to see the chapel.

My jaw literally dropped when we entered the chapel. The thing was huge. It made me feel about this small (holds thumb and index finger about a centimeter apart). Everything was huge int he church. The statues depicting Cosimo and Ferdinando were gigantic. The six sarcophagi were also giant sized. It was just amazing to see everything. The marble, precious stones, and semi precious stones that were everywhere were overwhelming. Everything was just beautiful to behold, I didn't want to leave.

After viewing the chapel we went onto the new sacristy designed by Michelangelo. Everything in the new sacristy was done by Michelangelo. He designed it and sculpted all the sculptures. It was pretty cool to see everything but I liked the chapel better.

As that only took up about an hour of class, we walked to our next destination, a little museum dedicated to those who work on marble inlay. That museum was a sight to behold. The process of inlaying marble is very time consuming. The artist must first draw the design. Then a painting needs to be done of the design; watercolor or oil, it didn't matter. After the painting was done, the marble pieces were chosen and then cut to size. The whole process is fascinating and is still done today. We were able, as a group, to attach ourselves to another English group touring the museum. It was interesting to hear what their guide had to say about everything. All I know is that it was beautiful to see and I would love a table top like those in my house; too bad they're really expensive.

After history class, Betsy, Allyson, and I walked over to the FlorenceForFun office. Betsy and I booked our Amalfi Coast weekend for March 19th. Here's a little info about the trip taken from the website:

Spend a weekend on the Amalfi Coast in the region of Campania in the south of Italy.
Experience everything that the Amalfi Coast has to offer - gorgeous colorful towns, great food, day trips to Positano and the Island of Capri and on the way back to Florence visit Pompeii.

Experience all that a classic Italian sea-side resort has to offer - colorful small towns cascading down the cliff-side towards the sea, fresh seafood, local produce and food traditions such as Neapolitan Pizza and Limoncello. Gorgeous beaches and the clear blue Mediterranean Sea. The exclusive island of Capri with its elegant towns, expensive shops and the rich and famous who arrive on their private luxury boats for vacation. Visit the Blue Grotto renown for its glistening aquamarine waters and head up to AnaCapri for some of the most spectacular views over the Gulf of Naples.

Contrast that with a glimpse into ancient life at the Pompeii archaeological site. Easily one of the most important excavations, see what life was like before 79AD when Mt Vesuvius erupted covering the town of Pompeii in 6 meters of volcanic lava and ash.

I cannot wait for this trip because I really want to see Pompeii. I've always had a fascination for volcanoes and I've always wanted to see the ruins of Pompeii, and now I will be going there. Yeah!!!!

I also found out today, during language, that the two finals I thought were going to be next week are no longer going to be next week. So I have no finals until we head to Rome.

I'm headed off to bed now after a relaxing shower. I was hit with this major headache during dinner, which was amazing as usual. My wrist is also hurting, kind of feels like carpel tunnel but hopefully not. I'm going to pay more attention to how my hands are when I'm on my laptop for the rest of this trip. Oh, I also just booked my flight from Rome to Prague! Now all I need to do is find a way to Krakow where I'll be staying for the majority of my after time. Then, of course, I'll need to find a way back to Florence for my flight home. I cannot believe that the time has gone by sooooo quickly. I'm ready for it to be over though; I'm missing everyone back home.