Florence

It may be busy compared to Croatia but Florence is still quiet and the warnings of massive queues never materialised. After walking the streets for a while I found the Medici family library.

Inside was a reading room designed by Michaelangelo.

After that was a display of a few of the books they have.

Then I wandered over to the cathedral which had more art outside than most places have inside.

The inside seemed plain by comparison except for an interesting clock above the door.

But then I got to the front and looked up.

A bit more wandering brought me down past the palacio and the Ufizzi gallery to a bridge with shops on it, called the Vecchio I think.

Put some bloody clothes on

I found a restaurant recommended on my city map and after a few language difficulties managed to order ravioli with spinach and goats cheese followed by beans in olive oil, simple enough but the meal took a couple of hours. That's the Italian way I guess.

I then went back through the outside part of the Ufizzi and into the Palacio Vecchio

The inside was full of art but most of it was on the ceilings, I can only assume that the Medici Dukes did a lot of their ruling while lying flat on their backs.

OK this was the floor

At the end was a room with a selection of old maps.

By this point I decided that was enough art for one day so I went back to the hostel and tried the swimming pool and sauna. I ignored the warning to wear a swimming cup as no one could tell me what this is, a miss spelling of cap - as in cover your hair, some kind of athletic support, a drinking vessel for use in the pool? no one knows.

Still more to see tomorrow.