Behhhnaaaay behhnayyy (bene bene).

Began today by painting a fresco in art history class in the art studio next to Villa Ullivi. That was quite the production, and very, very interesting. As our Professor kept assuring us "fresco is the hardest type of painting! So this is like giving a beginner piano player Mozart to play." We painted with "Giotto's palette", and although there were by no means any replications of Giotto's artistry, we learned a lot and had fun being artisti.

After that it was off to the Piazza della Signoria to meet Gao for a pseudo Italian class under the loggia and then a scavenger hunt! We started at Santa Croce, where Gao gave us strange Italian instructions, and off we went. We did some photo-shooting, met a live Gipetto, read some Dante inscriptions and failed to identify churches. So, the scavenger hunt was a blast for about an hour, then we decided to quit with half of the second page incomplete and return to Gao with tired faces and whines for gelato (to which he complied!). Pictures from our Florentine frolic:

(insert photo-shoot. Mio, Audrey, Cat)

(A Pinocchio store! We found Gipetto!)

(Brans remember this dress? Still there. Still fabulous.)

Currently finishing up some art history reading in my colossal Hartt book about Sienese art, then passing out. A domani: THE MALL! The sales officially started all over Florence today, so this visit to The Mall (yes, it's capitalized, it is indeed a proper noun) should be even more thrilling than the last. BENE!

Ciao Amori!

Laura