Street Scenes

One of my goals in the trip is that students leave with a sense of the fabric of life in Italy and in Florence in particular. Don't just look at buildings and old art: look at the people, at the relations between parents and children, and at the objects of daily life. (A French historian named Michel de Certeau would urge us to think about the "tactics" by which people avoid consuming things in the way that the dominant social ethic wants them to.) In other words, look for all the little things that make up the fabric of our existence and our very identity. What do you miss about America? What would an Italian miss if he or she were in the States instead of here?

Next year, if we do the course again, I will try to add at least a few hours a week of Italian language instruction. Nick commented on how frustrating it was not to be able to talk to people.

Work on your blogs. Tomorrow, we're going to Siena.