Editing Maria-sama Ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter 7 1 (section)

===<noinclude>The Parakeet's Hint </noinclude>Part 1===

Wednesday was group free activity all day. Compared to Rome, the city of Florence was small and apparently easy for the students to see it all.

This morning, Yumi and friends went to the Uffizi Gallery. The school had booked reservations in advance for the number of students planning to come. But the surge of tourists from around the world was huge, and the lines were long. Both the line people with reservations and the line of those without. Many tourists just looked at the long lines from the gallery entrance and gave up.

After about a 20-minute wait, Yumi's group entered quietly. They tried hard to see it all, because they had to squeeze everything into a single day. With their guidebook, they decided which artworks to see, and smoothly made the rounds of several pieces.

Starting with the far too famous "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera," by Sandro Botticelli.

"The Birth of Venus" had Venus standing upon a giant scallop in the center, two embracing wind gods conveying Venus to shore on the left, and a young lady holding Venus' cloak while waiting for her. The blue of the sea and sky. The pink was beautiful, distributed through every important part such as the cloak and flowers.

"Primavera" had been in the "pictures I do not know very well" category for Yumi since long ago. In a forest where flowers bloom, Venus, three goddesses, Flora the goddess of Spring, and other fairies were arranged. Looking over the whole scene, she could not help but think it was a bit inconsistent. She didn't remember if it was from an art book or a middle school art textbook, but whichever book she first learned of this painting, it only included the portion with Flora the goddess of Spring. Now, even standing before the actual thing, it looks like a collage.

"So that's it. Might you be overthinking it?"

Said Yoshino-san.

This, just like "Maria-sama's Heart", was a question that Yumi would probably grapple with for her entire life.

Leonardo da Vinci's "Annunciation." Speaking of da Vinci, his most commonly known work was the "Mona Lisa", which sadly was not here. Although this was her first time learning of this "Annunciation", Yumi was totally pleased with how lovely this Maria-sama was painted. She arbitrarily decided that this "Annunciation" was number two behind Angelico's.

Another big "art that I want to see" was Raphael's "Madonna of the Goldfinch." A very young Jesus petting the goldfinch held in Saint John the Baptist's hands, Maria-sama watching over them, a very, very, beautiful thing!

"I got it."

Yumi said softly while walking along the corridor lined with ancient sculptures and busts.

"I like paintings where Maria-sama is drawn beautifully."

Then.

"I too have understood something."

Yoshino-san said. When asked "what?", this was her reply,

"Because there are so many statues of naked men, you cannot blush at each one."

... I see.