b&w

Yesterday was a day that should have happened in b&w. On my camera it did--its funny how when you take pictures in black and white your mind starts to think in black and white as well. It began with a stressful morning filled with anxiety over our italian oral exams. It was 21 of us girls cooped up in the library wing of the school anticipating our turn to prove to Enzo that we actually know something. Last minute cramming was in abundance, as well as songs from 90's boy bands and a bunch of girls singing at the tops of their lungs. It took a total of about 2 hours for us to complete the task with the final minutes spent with Enzo actually announcing our scores aloud in front of everyone! Luckily most of us got A's--I scored a 92 and was absolutely thrilled--then it was off to see the sites of Siena! First stop was the Duomo. Absolutely i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e. The floor mosaics and the details of the stone had the equivalent of the magnificence of the outside of the Duomo in Firenze. I decided that it is my most favorite church we have gone inside of thus far on the trip and feel as though it will remain that way. It was also a very special experience because only 2 days previous we had a special guest lecture from a man named Paul, who I have become quite good friends with, who is a Theologian from Australia (who is about to get his Ph.D. from the University of Rome). He talked to us about the significance of all the Old Testament stories that are depicted on the Cathedral floor and it was cool to then be able to see them in person. After the Duomo we headed over to the Baptistry and then the Crypt underneath the Cathedral. At this point we were feeling a little fatigued and so we decided to pit stop for pizza and pasta at a restaurant near our final destination. The food was delicious but was ruined when we realized we all were going to be charged a €2.50 sitting fee. We were a little disappointed. Nevertheless, we continued on with our adventure and went stopped in the last museum and gazed at all the paintings of Christ and Mary. Its amazing how many different ways the same scene can be depicted. I feel like it is rare when I see art that doesn't contain either the crucifixion, Christ as a baby being held my Mary, or some sort of annunciation scene of either Christ or Mary. It is curious to me how much the Catholic church idolizes Mary. She is such a key point obviously in bringing Christ into this world but it is odd for me to think about worshiping her in the same way that I worship Christ and my Heavenly Father.

After we left the museum the true fun began!
Kendis, Alyssa, Lynzie, and I have made it our personal mission to find the best hot chocolate in Siena so we picked Café Fiorella to be our first taste. It was fabulous! They don't mix theirs with milk here it is basically straight chocolate heated up…so yummy. Since the day was a bit chilly outside enjoying our cup of rich goodness was oober enjoyable. After our little treat we wrapped up in our scarves and went in search of a park. We found one :) complete with ducks, swans, and even a carousel. The four of us had a blast feeding the ducks, snapping photos, and making mini films together. Everything was documented in b&w which added a fun theme to the day. We had a fun time in a hat shop trying on some priceless italian hats and even slipped in a few emails by pit stopping at the irish pub for a few moments. So much happened that in a way can't be put into words based on the fact that they weren't things that were tangible, more just moments that fill my soul with happiness. It is days like this when I get to have a little brain pushing combined with rich, sweet memories of Italy and friends that make me appreciate why I am here.
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