Wanderlust

In honor of my voyage I present to you Bjork's newest video and single "Wanderlust." I wish I could ride a yak to Italy instead of flying... Not just any yak, these fluffy googley-eyed ones! As a side note, if I had been creating a music video for Bjork it would have the same look and feel as this one. Minus the weird cat-like water spirit... maybe.

Housing Assignment

So you might have been wondering (as I have) where exactly one stays when they study abroad. For the student program we will be sharing doubles and triples in apartment style flats fully equipped with a kitchen, living area, shared bathroom and washer and dryer with a weekly cleaning service.

I received my housing assignment and I will be on the top floor (yeay!) of one particular complex which has access by elevator. The building I will be staying in appears to be located near one of the largest green spaces in the heart of Florence. I'm praying for an excellent view of the city (but I'd settle for a window over the interior loggia). Unfortunately these satellite images didn't reduce well, but if you click on them they can be viewed full size.


The blue dome seen in the above picture belongs to a local Jewish synagogue. The next picture shows my proximity to some of the most popular sites in Florence:

• The Duomo: the gravity defying architectural wonder masterminded by Brunelleschi and fronted by the Baptisery (which originally featured Ghiberti's bronze "Doors to Paradise").
• Palazzo Vecchio: The loggia outside of the original seat of Florentine government which now features reproductions of the famed sculptures which once inhabited its square and flanks the world renowned Uffizi Gallery.
• Santa Croce: Large chapel that holds funerary monuments for Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and other masters.
• Basilica of S. Maria Novella: Architected by Giorgio Vasari, Florence's first basilica features important works of fresco, including Masaccio's "Trinity" most known for its innovative use of the technique of perspective.

And here is a view from the top of the Duomo looking toward the Arno River and capturing the trademark rooftops of the city. I cannot wait to take amazing shots like this one!


I am definitely looking forward to seeing sites from my studies, in addition to walking in the footsteps of Michelangelo in his own hometown--and more than 500 years after his own studies!

Ciao!

I'm only in to this to ENJOY!

This is travel blog of Sarah Smith.

I am currently a senior at Florida State University and have been enrolled in FSU's International Programs summer excursion in Florence, Italy, thanks (in all parts) to my grandmother who knew this would be a special opportunity for me for me to go abroad as well as experience my major first-hand. "Firenza" is considered the cradle of the Renaissance and I am exstatic to walk along the same streets as Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Cellini, Giorgio Vasari and many many others while experiencing their artworks in a way no textbook could!

I intend for this blog to be a main point of contact for family and friends during my six-week sabbatical (from May 7th to June 19th), where I will share stories, film and photos from my stay--as well as save it as a digital keepsake of the journey I'm about to undertake. I'm definitely in this to ENJOY!

Thanks to everyone and wish me luck!

~ Sarah