Florence has been an interesting adventure of discovering new types of people and learning to function in pouring down rain. Florence is the perfect place to people-watch and listen to people’s conversations in different languages. Not only is it good for examining strangers walking around, but you can analyze the lives of the people from the 1200s who lived there. Today, I was able to walk through the house of Dante Alighieri and look closely at some of his household items. The house has been turned into a museum, so many of his belongings are protected in glass cases now. There is a dagger that was possibly used by him and even ceramic, decorative plates. The one part that really fascinated and surprised me was the displays of dried up flowers and herbs. Apparently, Dante was a doctor and chemist who was able to use nature for medicinal purposes. It amazes me that he was able to create such masterpieces with his words and still be able to use his brain for science. Today, it is rare for people to have more than one specialty or focus. Dante is proof that the human brain is capable of mastering many different types of subjects. Another special place that I got to visit was the Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi, which is the place that Dante and Beatrice met and fell in love. Beatrice’s tomb is located inside, and people put love letters in a basket next to her tomb. It is very sweet and symbolic that people fill the basket in hopes that they will have a love that is as eternal as Dante and Beatrice’s. There is a painting on the wall of the church that really reflects the emotions that were being felt when Beatrice married another man. Beatrice is walking down the street with her new husband and Dante is walking ahead of them on the sidewalk with his head down. It is clear in the painting that Dante is heart broken and ruined, because he lost his one true love. You can also tell by Beatrice’s face that she wishes she could be with Dante, but does not have a choice. I loved walking through Dante’s house and church, because I feel that I have a stronger connection to The Divine Comedy: Inferno. This experience helped me imagine him as an ordinary human like me, (even though Dante was far from ordinary.) This all makes it easier for me to place myself in his state of mind.