Pictures!

Here are Reed and Zach playing basketball with the Italians in Florence - they were practicing with them last night; Clay has their schedule now and will set up regular times for the court with the team.

Have I mentioned that not only is Clay kind and generous, he's also brilliant and quite a problem-solver! I'm using two computers to get pictures to you, so enjoy... Maybe the one I've taken-a-likin'-to will act right when we return from Rome...

Here's how I think the pictures will be listed once I click 'publish post.' We will see:

San Gimignano, my favorite small town, has a special piazza (town center meeting/talking place) that has a well in the middle of it. The people (13th century) devised an underground system of collecting rain water and getting it to this central well so that the people could use it. From here we had free time and a few people went with us inside the church will all the frescos lining the walls; one side has pictures from the Old Testament, and one side has pictures from the New Testament. One student said as he walked in, not knowing what to expect from a pre-Renassaiance church, "I see every story I've ever heard painted on the walls of this place." That's exactly what the artists wanted to do; the uneducated people could not read - only priests and powers-that-be - so the common folk had to learn of the Bible by observing art and interpretting it and/or listening to their priest tells them what the Bible said. Has every generation thought, "Goodness we're forturnate to live in our present age?" We say it, of course, but did the people who watched such artistic genius on a daily basis know what sort of talent was right before their eyes?

Next you see the group sitting outside San Gigiminao's city wall eating their lunches (or waiting for others to finish). I thought you'd like an action shot that's not athletic...really I like the wall behind the students that surrounds the town (or used to completely fortify it). Did the people of the old days (or are we beginning to - please no!) take the beauty of their surroundings for granted? Oh, I hope we continue to marvel at the creativeness and age of this place and appreciate it!

The next picture is of A-C with bella Tuscan hills in the background. Isn't this what pops in your head when you hear the word "Italy"?!!!!!!???!!!!

Next we see the group (small from here!) at the steps of Siena's Cathedral. I wrote and wrote about it on the previous post. If I get started again, I'll still be here at lunchtime and miss the train to Rome. Perhaps I'm getting annoying with all the group pictures; no matter, they'll appreciate it later. My, am I a mom... or what???

Then, we're taking a quick relax-break at Il Campo in Siena...this is where the horse races I decribed last night take place. Otherwise, the piazza is filled with people of Siena and all over the world. What a place... One of these days, Siena would be nice to get to know for a longer length of time - call me a dreamer...

The last picture is from the field to which our group has access when scheduled. The students are getting stronger by the day - in many ways, I think!