bella, bella

I haven't posted in awhile; since school started I've been a bit busy. So what have I been up to? Let's see...
The prize for the most beautiful place I've been to has to go to the piazzale Michelangelo. It's across the Arno river from us, in the oltrarno district. There's a lot of climbing to get to top. I remember huffing and puffing and sweating like mad on all the stairs and steep roads but then we broke through the barrier of trees, and this magnificent panoramic view of the city beneith us came suddenly into view. It was just staggering how beautiful it was. Seeing the cluster of the historical city center, the bridges over the Arno, the roof tops getting sparcer as the city thins near thye edges, the patches of fields, groves and yards quilting the hilsides that surround the city and the beautiful punctuation that cyprus trees give, dotting the landscape like exclimation marks. I felt for awhile before that day, that I was sort of missing something. Everything I was seeing was so beautiful but I didn't know how to look at it. On top of the piazzale, seeing Florence from above and the masive hills, gray layers as far as the eye could see, I felt like I finally got it, I finally understood her shape and her voice.
In less poetic but almost as exciting news, we were finally assigned our studio spaces for the year. I got the room I wanted most so I am very happy. The cuboard with the sewing supplies and encaustic supplies is in my room as well as doors opening onto the balcony and a great location: right across from the kitchen.
Most of our "library" is in the kitchen, two tall book shelves. And guess who the new librarian is? me. I'm currently cataloguing all the books, sorting them into sections, reorganizing the shelves. It's taking a bit of time and circumstances keep getting in the way. Yesterday I was really sick, I almost fainted in a chapel we went to see during art history class. I felt better at night time and this morning I seem to be fine except my tyrant of a cold doesn't seem to want to leave my body. I have to carry hundreds of kleenex everywhere I go and I keep sneezing on people.
Well, I have to go to class quite soon, so that's all I'm writing.
ciao!