June 26-28

FLORENCE!!

After waking up and walking to the bus stop so we could take the bus to the train station, we found out that the bus workers were on strike. Great. Everyone, well mostly the teachers, were really stressed about it because they did not know what was going to happen next. It seemed like we could not get through one day of travel without something going wrong. We ended up having to split into two groups and take the bus from Siena to Florence. Although the bus ride was not very comfortable, I thought taking the bus all the way there was pretty amazing because we were able to see more of Tuscany than we would have if we were on the train. Once we got there, we pulled out the iPad map and walked to the hotel.

Here is Michelle and I waiting in the lobby of the hotel.

Again, since we did so much in Florence, I will just talk about a highlight.

One of the highlights in Florence was going to Dante and Beatrice's church.

On a side street right off of via del Corso, we found Dante and Beatrice’s church. Walking into this church, was definitely a different experience than the other churches we had visited. Prior to this church, we had visited ones like St. Peters Basilica, Santa Maria del Fiore, Santa Maria del Poppolo, and other Catholic churches that looked very extravagant as you walked in. So, even after my first step in to the church, I noticed that it was very small, bare, and not as well lit as some of the others. As you step into the church, one of the first things you notice are the pews on either side of the aisle you are now walking in. Each side only has about four pews which actually only seat two or three people each, so this gives you an idea of how small it was. Once you walk all the way to the front of the pews, you see the tombs on either side of the church. On the left of it is the “pietra tombale di Beatrice Portinari”, or the tomb for Beatrice Portinari, and it is said that she has been buried here since June 8, 1291. There is not much to the tomb, just something on the wall which tells what it is, a concrete rectangle distinguishing where it is, and two small concrete columns on either side. Flowers had been set in the middle, and there were two baskets on the left side of the tomb. After a closer examination, we realized that in the baskets were love letters to Beatrice, probably describing love and the everlasting power of it.

While standing in the very front of the church, you realize that there really is not much there. There is a huge window on the very top of the wall letting light in, a crucifix, and a painting of the Madonna and the Four Saints by Neri di Bicci. Once you stand there for a minute, you realize you have seen most of it, and then turn around. As you start to walk back towards the door you came in, you realize that there are a couple pictures of Dante and Beatrice around the church, which were actually really nice to see because you could see how they were both depicted. What was just described was basically the entirety of the church, but the stories of Dante and Beatrice made the experience so much more meaningful.

The church.
The tomb of Beatrice.

Sitting in the church!

Another part I loved was just sitting on the bridge waiting for sunset. There were so many people there, and everyone was just having a good time and waiting for the same thing. This seems to be a common theme on our trip to Assisi, Siena, and Florence, but everyone was just having a good time just sitting there with each other and just having a good time.
Everyone sitting by the river waiting for sunset.