Classes have started!

Classes began on Monday and have taken up most of my time this week.  Well, that and shopping.  This is apparently the only time anything is placed on sale and some of the sales are pretty impressive.  I spent way too much money near the Campo De' Fiori but I have some wonderful new slacks, a lovely new sweater, a lighter coat, a scarf, a stunning new dress shirt and a pair of jeans that fit like a glove--speaking of, I need to find gloves; I lost one today.

Back to classes...the reason I'm here.  The Italian class is not as intensive as I had hoped it would be.  It makes my day easier but it means it will be more difficult to take in the language.  I must try harder to work on my own.  The photography class is fun but it gets dark so early right now so there are a lot of night pictures which I'm still struggling with. 

Both the Renaissance/Baroque class and the Ancient Roman Art class meet only once a week but I think they are going to be the most intensive.  Yesterday, for example, we stood in Santa Maria sopra Minerva for close to an hour looking at just one side chapel and its fresco series by Fra Fillipo Lippi.  It is one of those churches I must return to.  I've read that it is Rome's only Gothic church and our professor mentioned that one of the statues near the altar is by Michelangelo.

Tomorrow is a day off from classes and a chance to start studying.  That is if I can refrain from going outside and wandering around this remarkably beautiful city.