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We got up about 7 again. After breakfast, we walked over to the Accademia, hoping to be one of the early ones in line. Everyone else had the same idea, evidently, as the line was two hours long at that time. And that was for those with reservations! Without a reservation, it was even longer and in the sun... We went elsewhere. Most of the places we went to today didn't allow photography inside.
Instead, we walked over to the Medici Chapel, where the line to get in was significantly shorter. We only waited about 20 minutes for admission. The Chapel of Princes was very lovely. The Michelangelo statues at the Medici tombs were sort of disappointing - they were much smaller than I thought and not as polished as his David. One room was full of reliquaries - strange things to collect!
Then we got tickets for the San Lorenzo church, which has an unfinished facade. Several designs have been submitted over the centuries, but none have been accepted. After getting the admission tickets, we wandered around the cloister for a while.
The three photos above were taken in the cloister of San Lorenzo. The one on the left is looking diagonally across the cloister and includes the dome of San Lorenzo. The center one is a detail of the cloister ceiling. The photo on the right is a study in shadows.
San Lorenzo is a nice church - fairly plain inside with a blue and gold ceiling. The main attraction for the church is the library and staircase designed by Michelangelo. However, there was a special exhibit going on in the library that didn't sound interesting that they wanted an extra 13 euros each to see.
Lunch was at a coffee bar with self service, which is the type of establishment most working Italians have lunch at. Very few tourists. It was a wonderful experience!
Next, we sought out the Museum of Archeology, which was vaguely disappointing. There were some Etruscan exhibits, but most of the space seemed to be dedicated to Egyptian antiquities. Most of the Etruscan portion was under construction. And no English labels for anything. Very few Italian ones, either. However, the Etruscan items we did see were interesting. I wish I knew more about their culture.
Our next target was the Museo di Storia della Scienza, but it closes at 1 pm on Tuesdays. We got there a little before two... So, I showed Carl the hotel I stayed in last time I was in Florence (Hotel Guelfa). We then went to the Queen Victoria for some lemon ice and gelato in an attempt to cool down.
We decided to check out one of the local department stores. Interesting, but expensive.
From there, we walked back to the Duomo, where the line for admission was significantly shorter, so we went in. It was then 4:19. We soon found out why the line was so short. The Duomo closed at 4:30... We did get to look around a bit and cool off - much cooler inside those massive stone buildings!
So, we walked back to the Accademia to see if the situation had changed. The line was longer than it was that morning!
We then walked to the Mercato and browsed some of the stalls there. I picked up a three scarves - one for myself and two as "bread and butter" gifts for the two women looking after our house, plants, and yard.
The photo on the left above is from a display of scarves in the Mercado. The photo on the right is a store display of stringed instruments and includes a violin, viola, and cello.
Then back to the hotel where we rescheduled the tour we missed yesterday. It seemed like one way to get into the Accademia. Well, the morning tours were fully booked, so we got signed up on the afternoon one, which went into the Uffizi instead of the Accademia. Oh, well, I've seen the real David and Carl is content with the copy that's in place in the Piazza della Signoria. Perhaps another trip...
We asked the hotel clerk for dinner recommendations. She mentioned about four and we headed for one of them. We had dinner at Trattoria Garga. Fantastic dinner, especially the veal with mustard sauce and asparagus and the wonderful cheesecake!!!
Content, we strolled back to the hotel to check email and head for bed.