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5/25 Tue -  We spent the morning at the Mercato Centrale, Florence's market place.

The Mercato Centrale (Central Market), located near the church of San Lorenzo, is

the traditional way to shop for food. The market contains hundreds of individual stands.

The Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St Lawrence) is one of the largest churches of Florence,

 situated at the centre of the city’s main market district

Michelangelo was commissioned to design a façade in white Carrara marble

but it was never finished. Michelangelo did make a wooden model.

Below - We also shopped at the outdoor market in the square.

We spent all afternoon in the gardens of the Pitti Palace.

The Boboli Gardens (Giardino di Boboli), form a famous park 

that is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating from the

sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, with some Roman antiquities.

The Boboli gardens in Florence are among the most beautiful gardens in Italy,

complete with fountains, statues, an amphitheater, and spectacular views of Florence.

Imagine a garden lined with cypress trees, colorful blooms and larger than life Greek statues,

with many paths that lead to countless adventures. A turn here may take you to a stunning

fountain with crystal clear water, a turn there may take you to an amphitheater.

Another turn may take you to a lake with a small island in the middle,

quite unexpected in the vast greens of this secluded garden.

Below - The wonderful shade trees

Below - Fred and Judith amid the roses and peonies

 We especially enjoyed the roses and peonies in the gardens at the top.

The great grotto, designed by Buontalenti, is near the Palace and contains

Giambologna’s Venus and Michaelangelo’s four Slaves