Day 22

Day 22 Florence Tuesday 22nd July

The digs were pretty basic for the pardres in this convent of (believe it or not) 'San Francesco' at the top of Fiesole, a mountain near Florence. The tiny church was peaceful and had a number of fascinating displays - including a real mummy! There was also a pair of mummified severed hands!

But the big story from today was that we finally stood toe to toe with Michelangelo's 'David'!! And a very impressive young man he is too! Much larger than I expected and his presence certainly dominated the entire domed gallery in which he is housed. Strangely enough, the Galleria dell Accademia is a most unremarkable building. We did have to queue up for over an hour, but it was well worth it.
On the walk back we visited the incredible Chiesa di Santa Maria del Flore which has the most stunning exterior of any basilica we have seen. Its massive walls are decorated from top to bottom with ornate sculptures and intricate stone work.
Magic moment: just as we arrived, a classical trumpet resonated outside the church and across the piazza. The acoustics were perfect!! Unfortunately the police were onto it immediately but they had no choice but to acknowledge the talent as the whole piazza erupted into applause for this virtuoso performance.































The policemen leaving the scene.

Galleria dell Accademia