- Florence

Today we started walking towards the Orgnissanti. We stopped at a print shop from which Aviva bought a print of grotesques the last time she was in Florence - unfortunately, no small ones so we passed. We went into the Orgnissanti, which has works by Ghirlandaio and Botticelli, who is also buried there along with Amerigo Vespuchi.

The ceiling of the Ognissanti
A detail of the ceiling near the altar
The tomb of Amerigo Vespuci	A fresco of St. Jerome by Botticelli
A view of the Altar

We went outside and around to the right and entered the cloister and refectory which has a "Last Supper" by Ghirlandaio.

A view of the cloister
Some of the frescoes in the cloister
The Last Supper by Ghirlandaio
Drawing of Last Supper by Ghirlandaio
Detail of Last Supper

We walked down the street and found a hole-in-the-wall that served Indian and Arabic food. We had doner (that's chicken) sharma - they guy split a fresh-made pita, then put spicy red sauce, shaved chicken, white sauce, letuce, tomato, onions, french fries, more chicken, more white sauce - a whole lunch in one pita, amazing! And it was really, really good! A very nice change from all the Italian food we've been eating.

The Orgnissanti

A statue of a man fighting a lion

The art deco facade of a building near the Orgnissanti

A painted building on the same piazza as the Orgnissanti - its now a French cultural organization and library

A man rowing on the Arno - this is very common

A view across the Anro

A chiesa across the Arno

We walked across the piazza outside the Orgnissanti, then walked along the Arno to the Carraia bridge and crossed over. We walked to Santa Maria del Carmine, which has the Brancacci Chapel inside. The church almost burned down in 1771, but the chapel wasn't damaged. Which is very good because the chapel has one of Massacio's most famous works, the explusion of Adam and Eve from Eden.

Ticket for the Chapel
The Expulsion by Massacio	Adam and Eve (and the snake)
The ceiling of the Brancacci chapel

The church has a nice cloister also.

A view of the cloister of Santa Maria del Carmine

Two of the frescoes

We walked up to the Ponte Vechio, snacking and shopping along the way. We crossed back over the Arno and walked to the Duomo, then back to the hotel to drop off all the stuff we bought and rest a few minutes. We walked back to the Duomo and went in the Bapistry.

The carousel at Piazza Repubblica

Another painted facade

And she's back using pastels on the street

Museo del Bigolo facade detail

The facade of the Bapistry

The mosaic of Christ

The mosaic detail of the devil

Then, we went back out to find a ceramics shop Aviva had read about (which wasn't that good), then walked to the San Lorenzo open-air market; if you want to see and hear the bells, click here for a short QuickTime movie. We stopped at Lorenzaccio Ceramica Toscana again and ordered a custom made vase (should arrive in about 6 weeks); we talked with the guy operating the shop this day (and the last time we walked in) - he was really nice and very happy to make a vase to fit our mantle. We ate dinner at a place between San Lorenzo and the Duomo (nothing special), then walked back to the hotel.

Guess Vista has landed here too

Flowers around an entry for a wedding

The San Lorenzo open-air market

Duomo doors

Mosaic over the doors of the Duomo