Hello!

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. Things have been incredibly hectic. I only have a few minutes before I have to pack and go to our farewell dinner so I'll recap my last three days relatively briefly.
Wednesday was the day of our performance in the Vatican at St. Peter's. We started out with a tour of the basilica and some quick shopping. Then, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the concert. We took buses back to St. Peter's square and warmed up outside St. Peter's basilica. We ended up drawing a crown, and we sang some of our spirituals and Chorale theme songs just for fun. The mass was a great experience. There's so much history in that building and it was great to be a part of something that significant.
Thursday was our day designated for visiting the city of Florence. We had a 5:30 wake-up call, and then we boarded the buses for the drive. It was a two and a half hour drive to Florence, but everyone was knocked out on the bus. We had a walking tour of the city, and then some free time which my friends and I used to visit the Basilica di Santa Croche. It held some amazing relics, in addition to the tombs of Machievelli, Galileo, Dante, Rossini, and Michaelangelo. It was definitely amazing to be that close to some of the brightest, though slightly decomposed, minds in the history of man.
Today started out with some free time, which we used to visit a little touristy location. It had an ancient stone face that was said to bite your hand off if you told a lie. We got pictures with it and went back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the group. We then boarded buses to go back to the Vatican to visit the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel, both of which were incredible sights. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was more beautiful than I had imagined, although i found the building as a whole to be less attractive than the Gesu and St. Peter's.
Well, It was quite an amazing trip. My week was saturated with the beauty and the history of one of the most amazing cities in the world. I truly can't thank you all enough for the opportunity you've provided me, the knowledge you've allowed me to acquire, the friends I've made, and the musical experiences of a lifetime. I love you all, and I'll see you soon.

Yours,
Danny