Florence cont'd...

Inside the Baptistry.
The mosaic ceiling.

One panel of the "doors of paradise"; a copy. Originals are in the nearby Museo.

The Ponte Vecchio at dusk.

Tuesday Tom went off to work in the morning, while I did the laundry and dishes, and got a bit more organized. He called on our new Italianized cell phone to say that he would be home by lunch. So he arrived for lunch and a siesta, and we took off on a walk across town, taking in the Baptistry, which have been closed on our previous visit. We peeked inside the Palazzo Vecchio, and returned at dusk across the Ponte Vecchio.

Yesterday Tom had the whole day off so we started out at the Bargello, a police station turned prison that now houses a small number of Michelangelo's, but is known for it's Donatello. the highlight of the museum is Donatello's David, the smallish bronze of David with the sort of flat helmet, with his sword. And of course, it was hidden behind a wood box undergoing conservation. Apparently the conservations started when we got here, and ends when we leave. But we enjoyed the other offerings of glassware, ceramics, jewelry and scientific instruments, as well as a special exhibit of bronzes.

A pretty girl chatted up Tom as we walked back toward the river, and tried to sell him a few leather jackets. he resisted, but we did get a lunch recommendation, and had a lovely, if confusing, lunch of two trays of meats, cheeses and pates, along with Tom's glass of wine. It turned out that our nods of acknowledgement about the waitress's recommendation turned into an order, but all was fine.

We made our way back to the Pitti Palace, one home of the Medicis. It has a half dozen attractions, but we saw "only" the Palatine Gallery, Apartments and the Modern Art Gallery. Our tour actually began with a visiitng exhibit of early works showing off the relationshipo of Florence to the Low Countries. My personal favorite was a triptich reunited after 500 years -- one part now belongs to the Met in New York, another to the British national museum, and the third to Moscow.

The Palatine has as few Rubens, Tintorettos, Van Dykes, and a bunch of Titians. They are displayed somewhat haphazardly so it is a challenge to find the high points. the apartments were mostly forgettable, and the modern art was not so very, except for a cxouple of rooms of remarkable impressionists, but viurtually all from Florence, not the usual suspects. No photos, of course.

Most meals we are eating at home, including this one last night.



Today we are off to the Duomo and Giotto's Tower, back by midafternoon so Tom can journey out to Scandicci for a business meeting. We are looking forward to dinner out with his client. While he is doing that I'll try to add a few more photos.