The first week of class in Florence is complete. That means we are now 40 percent of the way through the "semester." Unfortunately we are nowhere near 40 percent of the way through the production. Those of you who know production, though, will recognize that this is not unusual. It takes a while to get geared up and going. Things are coming together and I am hopeful that all will end well.

We conducted an interview with Monsignor Timothy Verdon. He is a scholar on the cathdral and a member of its governing board. We had a bit of a scare when we arrived at his residence and he told us he didn't know we were going to tape. He was expecting that it would be only a pre-interview. After about 10 minutes of casual conversation he invited us to set up and do it. I think he was concerned, either that we would ask questions about stuff that was not his purview, or that we were unprepared, neither of which was the case. We got about 40 minutes - most of which was quite usable. He knows his stuff.

We've spent the week having class on the steps of the cathedral for inspiration, but that will end with class tomorrow. It is terribly distracting to be in the piazza with thousands of tourists. The worst part is the women who come up begging. They see you're talking to a group and yet they come right up with their cup and interrupt. Tough to keep your train of thought while teaching. Tough for students, too. Tomorrow we will move to a quiet park on the other side of the Arno, far from tourists.

The heat here continues. Most days it's over 90. We have no air conditioning in our hotel. We bought a fan, which helps greatly. At night, with the window open wide and the fan on, we're able to sleep.

Made it to the Uffizi gallery on Friday. Reservations are not available for the whole time we're in Florence. Tour groups have booked way ahead. We rose early and got in line before 7:30 for the non-reserved entry. Our strategy paid off. The museum opens at 8:30 and we got in before 9. A relatively short wait.

On a personal note, we had dinner last night with John and Marilyn Dolan and two of their kids. John is the brother of Kim's brother-in-law, Steve. Once again, we crossed the Arno to get away from tourists and found a restaurant where the locals eat. Goood food, reasonably priced. We had to tolerate the TV on during dinner, but that's what happens when you seek out a local place. Great to see them, and to compare notes on what we've seen and done.