I am finding it so difficult to find the time to sit down and really write about how I have spent my first week here - there is so much to do and see, and I am constantly moving from one thing to another. For the time being, I'll be posting pictures when I can and once I can set aside some time to write about my experiences in the way that I want to (rather than simply giving a bulleted list that I will surely regret when I want to look at this blog a year from now), I can put together a more detailed account. 

These photos are from our first Wednesday class, during which we meet from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm rather than starting at 10:00 am, and spend the day at different sites. Rather than simply reading and learning about these beautiful pieces of architecture and art from a distance, we've had the opportunity to engage very deeply and physically with the history of the Florentine Renaissance. These photos are from the Santa Maria di Fiore church and the Brancacci Chapel.

One note from Wednesday that I can't forget to recount: I forgot that we were going to be in churches all day, and I wore shorts - oops. This resulted in my having to wait outside until one of my fellow Spartans ran back out to lend me a sweater, which I tied like a tunic around my thighs, after which the security guard deemed me fit to enter the Santa Maria di Fiore.