(Above) Do you ever feel the need to vent your frustrations, but you’re stuck in a library or similar public space? Well worry no longer, just scream into your ScreamBody and let ‘er loose! (you may want to turn down the volume)

(Below) ‘Cause what’s the internet without a good Star Trek mashup? Awkward silences and sexual situations! Outer Space! Explosions!

(Above) Next, with so many viral LED animation clips going around (the most recent being that sheep herd), here’s just another that was made for Honda. The best part is watching the sun slowly rise in the background.

(Below) And then to offset all that light pollution from the video above, here’s a reminder that tomorrow night is Earth Hour! Humans got by for thousands of years without electricity, so what’s 1 day of the year? Turn off your lights, unplug your appliances, shut down and unplug the computer, and take an hour to appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Unless it rains (which may happen), I’m planning on hitting the lawn outside an un-lit Science World at the eastern edge of False Creek for a picnic dinner in the dark with friends. Anyone and everyone is invited to come along and enjoy the view of a (hopefully) light-free downtown!

It was a neat experience to be able to see and compare the different cenacoli from the different artists and time periods. Andrea del Sarto’s is my favorite, due to the vibrant colours and expressions, and how he placed Judas next to Jesus on the same side of the table.

Among the other works of art we saw that day were at least two annunciations within the San Marco, upstairs in the living quarters, which was in itself a very cool experience.

Afterwards, we headed home for some dinner, then Brad, Derek, Murray, Kiks and myself hopped back on our bikes and rode to the Arno to find a spot for the San Giovanni fireworks show. Think English Bay fireworks, but instead of an entire bay to view them, there is one river and the roads and parks surrounding it. Packed. Paaaacked. Luckily we found a spot for our bikes, and weaved through the crowd, finding a pretty decent place to stand and watch the show. People cheered. It was grand.

To end off the night, the 5 of us rode to the Santissima Annunziata to relax on the steps of the Ospedale with Brad on the guitar and Derek on vocals. The Mosquito song was the main feature of the night. Sadly, we didn’t attract much of an audience apart from one guy who needed a light. So we returned home.

The next day was a bit of a bust. I had planned to go with Brad, Simon, and Karen to the leather market and art store before climbing up the mountain to visit San Miniato. The chain on my bike had fallen off quite a few times over the past week, but the 25th was the worst day yet, as one of the links actually broke. Thankfully I wasn’t too far from the bike shop, because we had gone to ask about the bike renewals. So after getting the chain back on my bike only to have it come off again a few spins later, I walked it back. At first they said it would take a few hours, but a couple minutes later the guy said he just needed 10 minutes. And a new chain was mine.

I then returned to the leather market to buy a few things, visited a travel information place in the underground galleria to ask about train tickets to Cinqueterre, and rode back home to shower and change. Brad and I hit the art store to buy some paper and pencils/charcoal, which, after siesta, made it around 6:10pm, and I didn’t have the energy to bike up the hill to the church which closed at 7. So we went home, bought some more frozen cheeseburgers (so good) and relaxed, running out to use the internet across the street for a bit.

Today was one of the days I’d say I planned well. For one of our projects, we were required to visit 10 sites (to be documented in writing/sketches/photos), 3 of which had to be paid entry, and 3 of which would hopefully result in one of those ‘transcendent moments’ for another project. My plan was the Science Museum in the morning, followed by the Uffizi, then the Piti Palace and Boboli Gardens, and San Miniato and the Piazzale Michelangelo, before meeting up with the gang at an Alfredo place in the centro.

It went off pretty well, except when I ran into some teammates who just came out of the Uffizi saying the current wait was about 2 hours. I didn’t need to wait for 2 hours to see a pile of tourists blocking paintings. So one museum visit under my belt (the Science museum had an interesting exhibit on Galileo’s Telescope.. felt very Science World, but Italian), I headed over the Arno to check if the Chiesa di Santa Felicita was open – we tried to visit it the first day, but missed the open hours that day as well. Rather than be discouraged, I moved on with my schedule, and walked up the street to the Piti Palace, enjoying the Boboli Gardens, Pompeii horti reconstructions, Porcelain museum, and Medici Science museum for a good 3 hours. It was beautiful and relaxing, and a good decision to hit the park during the heat of the day.

After finding a quick sandwich, I returned to the Santa Felicita where I finally was able to enjoy the lovely mannerist Deposition by Pontormo then rode to the base of the Piazzale Michelangelo and walked up for the view. And what a view it was, looking directly up the Arno and the hills beyond. Climbing my way up further to San Miniato, I ran into many students sketching and drawing the view. It’s Florence, the city of perspective.. and like I said, everyone is an artist.

Up at the church, there were young people everywhere sitting, sketching, learning. The church itself, one of if not the oldest in the city, is remarkably different from others I’ve seen so far, with a crypt included underneath the choir, making the apse almost completely non-visible from the pews. Deciding to enjoy my time at the top of the mountain before closing at 7, I wandered through the cemetery, finding a spot on top of the wall to sit. And there I sat for a good 20 minutes. Thinking, watching, reminiscing, dreaming, as birds flew overhead, and bugs sang. Cypress trees in the foreground, Duomo in the distance, and the city of Florence before me.

I suddenly realized why the city feels more comfortable than Rome – the mountains. The river and surrounding plains are bordered with mountains, in contrast to the sprawling developments of Rome and what I understand Milan will also be. They contain, and provide refuge.. things I seemed to take for granted in Vancouver (which we all think is crowded..!). With this in mind, I slowly walked back to the entrance of the church to sit and write and sketch a bit of the cityscape available to me before slowly making my way down to the river and meeting up with the gang for dinner (where I made friends with the waiter thanks to my international student card). Just another day in Florence.

For the last night, after our hot, 3hr project presentation session, we cooked up whatever food we still had in preparation for the drive in the morning. Most then went down to the park beside the palazzo, while I walked down the entry road to find a good spot to watch the stars. Near the end of the road, I found a place to get through the trees into the corn field, where I was greeted with an amazing view of the full moon, stars, corn and tuscan hillsides, with a perfectly built tree right in the middle. Everything glowed from the light of the moon, and birds, crickets, and frogs were singing the nightly symphony. I sat, and I enjoyed it for a good 20 minutes before going to find the others near the fireflies and packing up for the night.

After about an hour of sleep, I was up again to wait for the sunrise. I woke up Brad and Derek so they could film it, and out we went to that same spot (which didn’t turn out to as great for the sunrise – too south-facing). But time was short, so they set up anyway, and I walked off to see if I couldn’t find a spot… and I did. It required a bit of running down a narrow country road, but I was greeted with a beautiful view of the sun rising behind a misty field lined with trees. What a way to end my stay in southern Tuscany (the region better referred to as Chianti)

We loaded up the vehicles and hit the highway, making the obligatory Autogrill stop along the way. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to Florence. It seemed like a big museum town, and after hearing comparisons to Siena, I really didn’t feel the need to stay here. We found our apartments, walked into the center to climb Brunelleschi’s Duomo, and get our first big glimpse of the city. Afterwards we visited the Santissima Annunziata piazza where a couple childrens choirs were singing on the steps outside the Ospedale. Ok, Florence, you get a few points for that.

Then after viewing the renaissance frescos within the forecourt of the church, we headed for the bike rental place before riding around the ring road and back into the centro for dinner. Biking works much better in Florence than Rome, and these bikes are even fun to ride. After another expensive dinner, and some gelato we went to get our passegiata on.

Walking through the Piazza della Signoria and enjoying the sculptures in the Loggia di Lanzi, I started to understand this city. I was surprised at the amount of english-speaking tourists, but most of them blend in very well (usually due to the clothing, but also the lack of obnoxious colours or speech). We continued past the Uffizi, and along the Arno to the Ponte Vecchio before going back for the bikes…

At that point, most followed the prof back to our apartments 15min east of the centro, but Morgan, Derek and myself were ready to take advantage of our first taste of real freedom, thanks to the bikes. We headed over the Arno and up the hill past the Piazzale Michelangelo, to enjoy a cold beverage on the steps of the Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte. And there we were. A few friends, shirtless, sweating buckets, at 12am on the steps of a church overlooking the city of Florence.. Duomo and Torre di Palazzo Vecchio in full line of sight. Life experience +1, followed quickly by a well-deserved coast back down the mountain and a soft, comfortable, single bed. Finally.