while we were visiting many of the crumbling relics of imperial, medieval, renaissance, and catholic Italy. Beautiful and awful - and outgrown, I hope - and perhaps necessary in an Hegelian/Marxist sense. But the terrible arrogance and cruelty - couldn't help but think of all of the other somebodies who couldn't enjoy a lovely day any longer because of these excremental "art patrons".

Thanks again for your Florence diary of some months ago. Good preparation.

paul spencer