I am officially finished with school for the summer semester! Who knew six weeks in Italy would fly by so quickly? (Well, I guess I kind of figured, but now that they're actually gone, it feels different.)
I just finished my last exam - Art History. I studied for it and I think I did well, but I was pleased to discover as I prepared that I didn't actually need to study that much. I think I retained a lot from our many visits - seeing things in person and in context really, really helps. And I actually learned something, instead of just memorizing. Woohoo! I feel the same way about this class as I've felt in the past about my music classes: knowing a little bit about one period in history (in any art) gives you so much context for all other arts. Knowing how to listen carefully to symphonies helps me pay close attention to detail when I look at paintings. And knowing the basics of Renaissance art and how visual art in general developed illuminates even modern art for me.
The rest of today is for relaxing. I have one more Italian class, but we actually finished all our assignments yesterday. Then tonight, Penn is hosting a dinner for all of us. We're leaving the city to go to a villa for a catered affair. Should be wonderful! Friday is for shopping and a last bit of sightseeing, as is Saturday. Then Sunday I fly back to the States! Florence to Munich, Munich to Washington, then my dad is going to drive me home. The whole time change thing is going to be weird, since I'm actually fully adjusted to Florence time. And my flights are 10.5 hours in duration (plus a tiny layover), but I arrive in Dullus only 5 hours after I leave Florence.
More pictures and stories from my trip will follow next week when I have time to write posts.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
