Like the last field trip to Rome this one started with a tour of the city from Marco. He took us into the Duomo and gave a tour of the interior for a bit because it was freezing cold outside! He described the importance of the large clock on the opposite wall from the alter. The circular form of the clock is a geometric representation of God and the clock represents God as the master of time. I was surprised by the 'simplicity' of the interior and that there was hardly anything on the walls. The dome, however, was spectacular, but that comes in later in the story ;). Some of the other stops on our tour included Santa Croce which had an amazing roof structure and Michelangelo's tomb (I'm reading The Agony and The Ecstacy: A Biographical Novel of Michaelanglo which has turned out to be an awesome book eventhough I'm only 200/700 pages through it!). We also saw the Pazzi Chapel which is a plain building but has a lot of architectural importance...
After the tour my roommates and I headed to our hostel. It took us a few tries to find it because we only knew the street it was on not the number and it turned out the only sign on the building was the tiny plaque next to the doorbell. We paid the woman at the desk and she proceeded to take us back out of the building, around the corner into the alley, and into our own little apartment! There was another two person room with ours and we all shared a bathroom, living room, and small kitchen.
After settling in we headed back to the duomo to climb the dome!! We paid our 8euro and started up the 450+ stairs (my dad knows the exact number but I keep forgetting) to the top. After climbing for a bit we made it to the first terrace inside the dome and walked halfway around and back up some stairs which led to the outside balcony? which was super windy and cold. Fortunately we are some tough cookies and braved the agonizing heights and brutal wind and were awarded with some amazing views of the city. There was a large tour group of americans, who we to Benedictine College in Kansas. Many of them were from Kansas City...SMALL WORLD! After we took our pics and such we headed back down. But first we were led back inside the dome right at the base of the frescoes and led halfway back around the dome. The way down consisted of three stories of spiral staircase around a 6" column...DIZZY. After we all made it down ok we went to the Baptistry to recenter ourselves and see the amazing gilded mosaics on the ceiling.
Our last stop was the Duomo Museum with many of the stauary that was once inside the duomo. It was amazing to see the statues up close and see the detail and craftmanship in things that were never really meant to be seen up close.
After a long day walking around in the cold we went back to the hostel for a few apertifs and some cards before heading to the infamous Mexican restaurant that all the kids from past years told us about. When we got there, however, the students from Arizona State that are also studying at Centro Studi in Orvieto whom we are not too fond of were there and took up all the tables. We were annoyed but made reservations for the next night. We ended up eating at a really good italian restraunt a few blocks away that we just stumbled upon. I had fried artichokes and giant tortollini stuffed with mashed potatoes covered in a creamy beef sauce. After that we headed home and went to bed!.
It's time for bed now, but I will try to finish the rest of Florence via my phone while I'm traveling. I will post pictures sometime next week when I'm back home and have my computer.
Cliff Hanger: Rest of Florence and our day trip to Pisa; South Trip to Paestum, Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento and the Isle of Capri on the Amlfi Coast!; Pictures of both trips; Spring Break plans are being finalized (I will clue you in when the are)
That's it for now, CIAO!
Katy
P.S. I applied for an internship today (it was at Stantec in Boston and just needed a resume and they will request more info later) and started looking at other ones and I'm actually motivated! Hopefully that motivation will stay with me after this trip to the south where it's supposed to be like 50 degrees! yay warmth :)
Me on the top of the dome of the Duomo...what a view :)
You look as pretty as the view. Have a great time warming up in the south.
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