Capponi

I have another page of translation to do for Italian tomorrow, but as a reward for having finished the first four, I'm taking a break to update the blog.

Unfortunately, the Italian Sign Language class is not going to happen. I have the Italian way of life to blame for that. Last semester, they told me to wait a semester to acquire the Italian spoken language before I started learning the sign. So I waited the semester, worked hard to learn Italian, and asked about the classes again this semester. Well, of course, it's great that I want to learn and that I've got the spoken language to start with, but (silly me, why didn't I know this?) I had to start learning sign last semester to be eligible to enter any classes this semester. Oh, the wonder of the Italian system. I feel like throttling someone.

Ma meno male. I probably wouldn't have had time to do another class this semester anyway. My getting bumped up in Italian class has doubled my work (as I have a one-on-one class every week to catch up to the other students) and Art History is entirely in Italian and monopolizing my time with trips. (I just got back from a daytrip to Rome, and I believe I have some form of trip planned every weekend I'm here.)

And then there's the Count.

I may have mentioned that the school introduced the students to the Count first semester through a wine tasting, and that I met him again at Thanksgiving dinner where we sat and talked all night, and that we met again the next day so he could show me his house along the Arno. At that third meeting, he offered me use of his library in research this semester. And I took him up on it.

I am about to begin an independent archival research project with our dear friend the Count. Last semester in the tour of his home, he showed me a stained glass window from 154-. In his archives, he has the letters and journals surrounding its creation, as well as other documents concerning the patron--his great great great grandfather or uncle or something of that sort. The Count and I will be meeting on Wednesdays to read these documents, and he will compile an additional bibliography for me to read, so that I can write more or less a history of the window's creation and its patron. He suggests this paper to be twenty pages long, which I can easily do if I get through the research. (I only hope he meant twenty pages double spaced, because single spaced will be a good deal more difficult in the time that I have.)

I recognize this as an amazing opportunity, and I'll throw myself into it as well as I can, but I'm still terrified. (And thrilled.)

Next weekend I will be going to Ortygia, where a dear friend of mine is studying. I consider this my calm, relaxing vacation before the tempest of work I'll have to get to this semester. Of course whether it proves to be at all calm (nota bene: I needlessly stress when I travel) only time will tell, but at the very least I'll be with a good friend.

I hope to get pictures posted soon, but that would first entail me getting the pictures off of my camera onto my computer. This hasn't happened in months, and probably never would but for the fact that a friend needs some of my pictures to use as support in her thesis. So hopefully pictures will be soon to follow!