It’s another full day of study in Florence, Italy for the MSUB Art Students Abroad. (Is that MSUB-ASA?). After breakfast we did roll call in front of the hotel.
The Accademia was a relatively short walk and when we got there the lines had already formed. We had a pre-booked entry for 9:30am so it was a matter of figuring out which line was ours.
We did find it and only waited a short bit.
Bags had to be X-rays just like in other places and it didn’t look like a place that was going to take time to hand inspect my film. This is the 3rd or 4th time mine has been X-rayed so who knows what it will have on it.
Once inside we are greeted by this room.
In this room and a few others are a variety of paintings.
I really like the use of perspective in this one.
To the right is a small musical instrument museum featuring items from the Renaissance: Strings, keyboards, wind, and percussion.
And this violin made by Antonio Stradivari.
The side hallway contains plaster casts of many other statues and a few more paintings.
Isabelle does some sketching.
Back in the main hall there are numerous sculptures done by Michelangelo but never completed. It gives us a glimpse into how he approach the work.
It was time to regroup, chat about what we had seen, and get ready for our next activity.
That next stop is the Museum of San Marco and their frescoes.
The really interesting part is upstairs where all the monks lived. Each room has its own fresco and, unlike the ones outside, these are in great condition. And there are lots of these rooms.
It was about lunch time so Mark pointed us to a sandwich shop that was right there. They were delicious.
The next stop was a pharmacy so that Aiden could get a Covid test since he is heading back a day earlier than the rest of us. He tested negative. Yea!
Next, we continued on to the Galileo Museum. We had a slight delay as our group leaders dealt with an administrative issue regarding their university credit cards but once we got in, we were introduced to a large collection of scientific and engineering tools that were collected over the centuries, primarily by the Medici family.
Having worked as a mechanical drafter during the pre-computer era I recognized many of the drawing tools.
However, the weirdest thing was that they have one of Galileo’s fingers. Really.
We continued through the museum and saw all kinds of early tools that were used in quests to understand the physical world.
Then, on the weird side again, were wax, full-sized cutaway models demonstrating the use of forceps and other techniques in problem child birth situations.
Back into the world of physics….
With that, we finished the tour and met up with some of our group and used the WhatsApp to locate the others. Jodi sent a pictures of them enjoying some shade.
After a break at the hotel, Jodi, Mark, Elizabeth, Terrin, and I did a stroll. We went through the vendor area around the Central Market and down a few other streets by the Duomo looking at possibilities for tonight’s group dinner. The vendor area is interesting with all types of trinkets, clothing, and, especially, leather goods, for sale and haggling over.
We had worked up a bit of a thirst and it was Happy Hour so we took a break at a place near the Duomo.
BTW, as an aside, restrooms in bars and restaurants tend to be clean but lack a toilet seat.
We headed back to the hotel and along the way I grabbed a few photos and video clips to record the general atmosphere.
We met for our group dinner at a place around the corner from the hotel and, like all other meals we have enjoyed on this trip, it was excellent.
It was then a trip to the gelato stand to finish off the day. Tomorrow is Covid tests and a train ride back to Venice.
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