March 14th, 2008
The next week was again very busy! A couple of days after we went to Lucca, Pisa, and Cinque Terre, we went to the Medici Chapel, which is connected to the San Lorenzo church. We saw the Cappella dei Principi, which is the room where the grand dukes of the Medici are buried. It is an immensely elaborate room decorated with some very exquisite Florentine mosaics. From there we went to the New Sacristy, which was designed by Michelangelo Buonarotti. Several of his works are in this sacristy, including Night and Day, Dawn and Dusk, and a few sculptures of the Medici themselves. The simplicity of this room, especially after the Mannerist display of affluence, is incredible. Michelangelo did not complete the sacristy, and to this day there is “writing on the wall,” where Michelangelo drew some designs. After that we went into the Basilica of San Lorenzo, which was designed by the architect of the magnificent cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi. The use of light in this church was my favorite part. There is not an enormous amount of darkness, but the windows are light. It fills the church. I don't really have any pictures from this day, because pictures were again not allowed.
March 15th, 2008
The next morning, Robbie and Mona, Mona Lee and Dr Garner, and Kyle were all in the kitchen making breakfast, a very unusual occurrence, since breakfast at the villa usually consists of cereal, fruit, milk or juice, and caffe latte.
The next week was again very busy! A couple of days after we went to Lucca, Pisa, and Cinque Terre, we went to the Medici Chapel, which is connected to the San Lorenzo church. We saw the Cappella dei Principi, which is the room where the grand dukes of the Medici are buried. It is an immensely elaborate room decorated with some very exquisite Florentine mosaics. From there we went to the New Sacristy, which was designed by Michelangelo Buonarotti. Several of his works are in this sacristy, including Night and Day, Dawn and Dusk, and a few sculptures of the Medici themselves. The simplicity of this room, especially after the Mannerist display of affluence, is incredible. Michelangelo did not complete the sacristy, and to this day there is “writing on the wall,” where Michelangelo drew some designs. After that we went into the Basilica of San Lorenzo, which was designed by the architect of the magnificent cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi. The use of light in this church was my favorite part. There is not an enormous amount of darkness, but the windows are light. It fills the church. I don't really have any pictures from this day, because pictures were again not allowed.
March 15th, 2008
The next morning, Robbie and Mona, Mona Lee and Dr Garner, and Kyle were all in the kitchen making breakfast, a very unusual occurrence, since breakfast at the villa usually consists of cereal, fruit, milk or juice, and caffe latte.
Soon we found out that they were making a full American breakfast, complete with pancakes, bacon, and eggs. We were very excited to have these things that we had been craving for a few weeks. 
March 16th, 2008On Sunday after church we went to a soccer game. Firenze won the game, and it was a lot of fun… minus all the smokers in the stadium. Not quite Astros baseball, but it was still fun!
March 18th, 2008
That Tuesday we went to the Tuesday Market, where we were assigned a few things to buy. I bought a jar of “miele,” or honey, for the villa.
March 19th, 2008
On Wednesday after classes, we went to see the Brancacci Chapel and the Pitti Palace. The Brancacci Chapel is located in the Santa Maria del Carmine church. There are some very interesting frescoes there, painted by Masolino, Masaccio, and a few of their contemporaries, and was completed by Filippino Lippi.
After that we went to the Pitti Palace and saw the Palatine Gallery, but were unable to take pictures inside. It was here that we saw several paintings by Raphael and Titian, among others. Afterwards, a few of us went to Hemingway, a coffeeshop where Ernest Hemingway used to write. It was a little expensive, but well worth the atmosphere and the chocolate spoons!
March 20th, 2008
This was the day that the HUFS students (Harding University France and Switzerland) came to visit us! Only a couple came up to the villa, because they’d had a long day.
March 21st, 2008
We saw the rest of the HUFS group this day! We hopped on the bus, met them at another stop, and got off at yet another stop to catch another bus. From there we went to Santa Croce and the Bargello. Santa Croce is the final resting place of many influential people, including Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, and Galileo. Santa Croce also has some frescoes done by Giotto. After that we went to the Bargello, which houses several important pieces of art, but was another place where photography was forbidden. It houses the original contest panels for the “doors of Paradise” on the Baptistry, done by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi on the sacrifice of Isaac. Here also was Donatello’s David, which we had the enormous favor of witnessing its restoration. Recent discoveries have labeled this “David” as Hermes of Greek mythology, rather than the Biblical David. The myth has a similar theme to it, but with some major differences. In the myth, Hermes also slays a giant, the giant Argos, whose 1,000 eyes had been assigned to watch Io.
That night we went into Florence to see Verdi’s Requiem with the HUFS group.
Afterward we had a reception for the world-renowned soprano, Christine Brewer. The Requiem was incredible! So much power filled the room. You could feel it from the first moment that the conductor walked into the room. At his entrance, the entire orchestra and choir stood. At the end of the Requiem, the audience was quiet for a full 20 seconds before a thunderous applause. That is respect for the music and the theme of the music, Judgment and final Redemption. 
Talking with Christine was also wonderful. She had such a story to tell about herself and how she got into opera. 
March 22nd, 2008
Dr. James, a communications professor at Harding, had been with us sinceat least the 18th, teaching photography and giving us some practical advice. The 22nd was the day to take his words to heart and use them in real life as we were split up into small groups and sent out over the Tuscan countryside. So began “Mission Impossible: Ravenna.” Our group went out to the town of Ravenna, by far the longest train ride away, but also one of the most beautiful and worthwhile places to go. We were given a very specific list of items to take pictures of, and we were determined to get every one possible. Ravenna is beautiful, and most known for its incredibly well preserved Byzantine mosaics, Dante’s Tomb, the Basilica of San Vitale, and many other incredibly well preserved works. Here are some of the pictures from that day.
March 23rd, 2008
EASTER DAY
From 2000-2007, every Easter was spent at the most incredible Christian youth camp ever, Camp Hensel. So for the first time in a very long time, I was completely unable to be there. Not that I was complaining. I was in Europe after all, closer to the actual location of the Crucifixion and Resurrection than I had ever been in my life. That morning we met for the last time with the church in Florence and sang our last Italian hymns (except for the immortal “Te Amo Con L’Amor Di Jesu.”) . We went home to the villa for the ceremonial “cracking of the big egg,” the Italian tradition of cracking open an enormous chocolate egg with a prize inside for the children. Some of the children from church and acquaintances of Robbie’s were there to get the gifts, we just wanted the pounds and pounds of dark chocolate. Mona had ordered a second egg, yet between the HUFS students, the HUF students, and all of the adults and children there, there was still a huge potful of chocolate left. After the festivities, we had a couple of classes, a devo at night, and said goodbye to our friends from France.
March 22nd, 2008
Dr. James, a communications professor at Harding, had been with us sinceat least the 18th, teaching photography and giving us some practical advice. The 22nd was the day to take his words to heart and use them in real life as we were split up into small groups and sent out over the Tuscan countryside. So began “Mission Impossible: Ravenna.” Our group went out to the town of Ravenna, by far the longest train ride away, but also one of the most beautiful and worthwhile places to go. We were given a very specific list of items to take pictures of, and we were determined to get every one possible. Ravenna is beautiful, and most known for its incredibly well preserved Byzantine mosaics, Dante’s Tomb, the Basilica of San Vitale, and many other incredibly well preserved works. Here are some of the pictures from that day.
March 23rd, 2008
EASTER DAY
From 2000-2007, every Easter was spent at the most incredible Christian youth camp ever, Camp Hensel. So for the first time in a very long time, I was completely unable to be there. Not that I was complaining. I was in Europe after all, closer to the actual location of the Crucifixion and Resurrection than I had ever been in my life. That morning we met for the last time with the church in Florence and sang our last Italian hymns (except for the immortal “Te Amo Con L’Amor Di Jesu.”) . We went home to the villa for the ceremonial “cracking of the big egg,” the Italian tradition of cracking open an enormous chocolate egg with a prize inside for the children. Some of the children from church and acquaintances of Robbie’s were there to get the gifts, we just wanted the pounds and pounds of dark chocolate. Mona had ordered a second egg, yet between the HUFS students, the HUF students, and all of the adults and children there, there was still a huge potful of chocolate left. After the festivities, we had a couple of classes, a devo at night, and said goodbye to our friends from France.
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