The Week Flew By

Before I left for Florence, everyone kept warning me how the time just flies by when you are here. And up until this week, I didn’t believe them. I felt like after the first week we had been here, we had been here for months. But this past week was a blur—the days were zooming by, only punctuated by brief sleep. Classes and homework took up most of my time (so sorry that I didn’t blog, but I didn’t think you needed to hear about it since you have your own homework to deal with). We went to Fiesole yesterday to check out a roman amphitheater ruin.We re-enacted the play we are currently reading—Antigone. It was a really cool feeling.

After Fiesole, we went to a Florentine soccer game. They played against the roman team, Lazio. As you can imagine, there were many dedicated fanatic fans. But when I expected them to be drunk off their ass, I discovered that their choice of gaming preparation was pot. The reefer smell is still in my hair. The game was entertaining though (probably thanks to the weed).

You can feel the patriotism in their love for their Florentine team…the singing, flag waving, erratic behavior. It made me think of the Rock Chalk chant…how in the field house, I feel a place of belonging and community. Oh Jayhawks, how I miss you!

In my art history class, I learn so much about the city, the little clues that seem to be hiding in the walls, and when observed I feel like I just found Waldo. There is so much history in the architecture of this city; something I wish we had in America. Well anyway, in my endeavors to find these clues within the walls (family crests, pictures of the crucifixion, the Madonna and child, guilds of old Florentine working unions, etc) I seem to be tripping over myself. I have two swollen toes from last week from when a glass dropped on me, and I twisted my ankle because it got stuck in the pavement cracks of the stone streets. I was going to run in the streets to keep off the weight, but after the chaotic walks through the busy streets to get to class, my little feet can’t take it anymore. They are little swollen stumps!