Day 7

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. There wasn't much to report other than Class 9-5. I will include one funny quip about how Dominick, Alyssa, Will, Annie, Cristina, and I went to get gelatto. Alyssa was second to last to go, then Dominick. Once Alyssa got hers she exited the store and Dominick went up to pay. The Gelatto guy said, "Is she your girlfriend?" Dominick quickly replies no as he has a girlfriend. Then the gelatto guy was like "I give you this for free if you put in a good word?" Dominick just shrugs and behold free gelatto.

Today was out first "Friday excursion". We went to Padova, Italy. And saw cars and grass for the first time in a week. lol We took the train there. First we went to a chapel to veiw some frescos painted by Giotto himself. And trust me those frescoes look much more inspiring in person than projected on a wall in art history! Giotto really was amazing in being one of the first painters to use expressions in his figures so vividly. There are no photos of the frescoes unfortunately. They had me check my Camera, and we could only be there for 20 minutes. It was a very controled enviroment to avoid further damage. But here is a picture of the outside of the chapel.

Next we traveled to a market. Lots of cheap stuff. I got a shirt. Exciting no? haha Then we went to the building where the market orginated. Palazzo della Regione (the plazza of reason). Here is a statue of a horse modeled after the legended of Troy. They would celebrate it annually and actually come out of the horse! There were frescoes all over the walls as you can see. Including the Zodiac. There were lots of funny little pictures of mythology and people. This plazza is known as the heart of the city. Padova isn't very touristy but very interesting.

After that we hit up another church. This one I snuck some pictures of the frescoes.

Next we went to the thirs oldest University in Europe and the oldest university in Italy.

Universita Degli Studi de Padova is home of the first human disection and Galileo taught here. Here's the photo of me at the University! Not many pictures were allowed here there. We did see the auditorium where the first disection took place. It was built by boat builders and is surprissingly small and big at the same time. Someting you just have to experience for yourself. We also so the memorial of the fisrt female University graduate. And as the tour guide said, "the begining of the end....of men." Bahahaha!

After that we hit up a museum about the science of Galileo. Lots of science...but interesting nonetheless.

More pictures for your pleasure: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075&id=1711770129&l=00610ffa99