Today was our last full-day in Florence (tomorrow we leave for Venice) and since we had already hit all the big sights the previous days we decided to check out those smaller-profile points of interest.
First on our list was the Science Museum which didn't have much to offer since part of it was closed for renovations. However we did get to see lots of telescopes, including Galileo's along with Galileo's finger housed in a glass jar.
Next we wandered across town to Santa Croce Church and took pictures from the outside. This is where Galileo & Michelangelo are both burried, however the price to go see was more than we wanted to spend, so we walked a few more blocks to the Museum of San Marco, a 15th century monastery which has 43 frescos in the monks' living quarters (one per room/cell). Also in this museum is a "library" with a bunch of very old handwritten books (possibly song books?) on display along with a couple very small handwritten Bibles.
Leaving the Santa Croce Church we ate our backpack snack on the steps of the Piazza della S.S. Annunziata. After our snack of mixed salted nuts, a mini apricot pie, and a peach juice box (plus some chocolate) we headed across town again toward the outdoor markets only to get trapped in an afternoon downpour on a street with no good shelters. Thankfully we did have a very small travel umbrella that kept us somewhat dry from the waist up... :)
Once the rain let up we continued walking until we came to the Mercato Nuovo (the Straw Market). There is a marked X in the middle of this square where, evidently people use to be hoisted to the top and then dropped as punishment for bankruptcy... Today it's just a covered square with a bunch of curio shops packed in it.
We then made our way back "home" again, soggy and wet and very much looking forward to supper!
