Wednesday

This morning I was pumped and ready for a snow-free, beautiful day. My mood was stellar as we headed to lunch at the Villa for a kickoff celebration for the 30th anniversary of the HUF program. Lunch was tasty—pasta, some sort of beef and chicken, rosemary potatoes, savory green beans and a blood orange.

I was planning on spending the afternoon catching up on stories, but Jim Miller told us that this afternoon would be our only chance to go and see David. A group of us jumped at the chance and traded work time for a trip into Florence.

The museum did not disappoint. I stood staring, lost in shadows of David's gaze and detailed physique. I studied the contour of veins and bones in his oversized hands, the pensive look in his eyes, the curls of his hair. To understand the physical form well enough to sculpt it from a piece of stone left me in awe. The rest of the museum didn't exactly suit my artistic taste, but David made it more than worth the trip and 6.50 Euro that it cost to get in.

After leaving the museum, a few of us went into the market to do some souvenir shopping before meeting up with our group for dinner. We had pasta, chicken and tiramisu at a pizzeria, and then went to the Florence Church of Christ for some Armenian dancing...yes, that's right. Dancing IN the Church of Christ! :)

Students from HUF and our group joined in the dancing, which made for a comical display. Try as they might, our students couldn't help but look goofy. I guess they can blame it on dancing deprivation from growing up in the Church of Christ.

When the dancing was over and it was time to head back to the Bible school, we entertained ourselves at the bus stop. The guys sang embarrassing renditions of songs like “A Whole New World,” and various Backstreet Boy hits (complete with dancing).

It was a long but good day. As much as I love being in Italy, I can't help but think it might be a good thing that our trip ends on Saturday. Exhaustion has set in, and we are all in need of R&R that we simply can't get when we know that there is an unexplored city just beyond the door.