Fifty Two

Today began at 7:15 am. Brutal. I need to stop staying up so late when I know that I have to get up early the next day. The excitement of ordering the plane tickets distracted me though, and it was worth it.

I showered, got dressed and headed for the Duomo. We got to climb to the top. Over 400 steps led the way. It was more tiring than I thought it would be because most of the steps were spiral and seemed to take forever and almost seemed steeper than it should have been. The view at the top was amazing. I was able to see for miles in all directions. I remember trying to pinpoint where my apartment was but with no luck. Helen taught a few things about the structure, reinforcing repeatedly that it will appear on the final exam. Note taken. After descending the stairs once more, we went to the Hospital of the Innocents. This hospital was used as a place where mothers who could not take care of their children, could dispose of them. The hospital, or orphanage, would then raise the children, which led to many of them staying around to look after the new arrivals. The heartbreaking thing, though, is that some mothers would place a bracelet around the child's arm, while keeping a matching one for themselves, in the hope that they will someday be reunited with eachother.

After class, I went back home for a while and had a sandwich for lunch. I took the bike to the design center to work on my identity before class started. In class we went over each of our projects and our plans for our last. My idea is to turn this blog into a book, including each entry, and also including photographs in the back that give a visual representation of my journey. After design class, I went to SACI to pick up Libby's laptop that she was letting me borrow for fall break so that I could use the internet during my trip. While there, I paid Sam for the Venice trip that will take place in a couple of weeks. I paid 186 Euro since I used my Eurail pass to save money on the trip.

I finally made my way back home and did some cleaning up so that my room would be in some kind of order when I return from my trip. I did some more planning for London and Paris. I ordered the London Pass and Paris Pass, which both seemed like the best deal at the time. Both passes also included travel cards which allowed me to travel freely on the subways and buses. I then shoved all my clothes into my suitcase and headed for the laundry mat. When I arrived, the washers were occupied so I had to wait for 20 minutes before I could even begin. I took the book I've been reading and also met a couple of people from New York. After the drying was complete (even though it wasn't actually dry, it never is it seems) I went back to the apartment. I packed my backpack with 3 outfits, then got my 4th outfit (the one I'd wear) ready to go. I showered and then went to bed at around 1:30 am.