When I was in school (elementary school, middle school, high school, heck and college) we always had what my mom called "blow off days" or day where we did jack squat watching movies, having parties, eating snacks, not actually doing anything academic or school related before holiday day breaks. They are they days when no one can focus anyway and no one wants to be in class, not even your teachers/professors. Well today was kind of one of those days. With break in 2 days, everyone has something other than class on their minds (mainly the strikes that are apparently shutting down public transportation in this country on the day we all leave for break).
So we went to a Medici Villa.
I'm not here saying we blew off class. I'm saying un forseen circumstance kind of made class a moot point.
Basically what happened was this: we were supposed to go check out the Villa for Professor Sacks. Jodi (who's a super duper important, well connected well known individual over here) got us a connection to get into this Villa to tour it and see it for the class (with her stellar special connections). Only we got there, and due to some confusion, we weren't actually let into the Villa. But we were allowed to tour the gardens. So class kind of became not a top priority.
Of course Jodi and Professor Sacks knew a ton about the gardens. They were able to tell us things like "Piero liked to dead head the hydrangea's" and "this terracotta is the best in the world because it is the strongest and can take all temperatures!" But I'm not going to lie when I say I wasn't truly paying that close of attention. And its not because it was 2 days before break. (honestly I was more focused on going to the police station later that day to get my residence pass, my presentation later for Jodi's class, and making it to drawing on time after the police station).
But when you see where we were, you can understand why none of us really payed that much attention. And these were just the gardens.
Jodi had never been to this specific villa in her 40 years here in Italy so she was just as surprised as all of us.
Basically Villa's were like castle's or palaces, that rich families owned to live in during the summer months because they were out of the city and out of the plagues (in the fresh air). This particular Villa, the Villa of Giovanne Medici, is nestled in the hills of Fiesole, surrounded with other villias, tall trees, and a fantastic view of Florence. (So I guess I did retain a couple of things today).
Anyway, we didn't have time to spend in Fiesole (today) but its a short bus ride for us from San Marco (which is right by my house), so I figure, the next free afternoon I get...I'll go back. There is some Roman amphitheater/ architecture to see and its only half an hour north of Florence...yep. I'll be back.
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