The Three M's and more

Michelangelo Mapplethorpe Medical Services

First on our list today was to see Michelangelo's David. Not necessarily easy even though it's not high tourist season here in Firenze. The lady at the tourist information office said to hustle over there (you can just imagine the Italian for hustle over) and get our tickets. It was 8:30 and we did just that. I happened to still have 20 euro cash which was need -- euros seem to slip through our hands faster than we can make it to an ATM. In addition to David, the Accademia is currently exhibiting Mapplethorpe's photography, absolutely amazing photography.

The lead-in photo of David is from my iPhone hidden under my arm. Not the best of conditions. One man demonstrated how to take a photo of this masterpiece... Arrive in the first wave, before the lights in the first hallway are turned on, when the "guards" are not in place and then walk away, have the camera set exactly, turn and take the photo. His camera was a SLR with a lens eight inches long. He was prepared.

After the Michelangelo and Mapplethorpe we headed to the travel agent for our tickets to Venezia on Tuesday. That went without a problem and we have the Information Office to thank for both the tickets to the Accademia for Michelangelo and Mapplethorpe as well as the location of the travel agency for the train tickets.

The afternoon was spent with Firenze medical professionals. Bill has a very large wound on the top of his right hand, thanks to the suitcase pinning it against the train backrest. It was so swollen and so red we found the English speaking Medical Services clinic around the corner from our apartment. Conveniently located in the heart of the tourist area, the doctor who was a surgeon recommended all sorts of remedies. We opted for seeing her colleague across town. A fairly short walk by our standards (she suggested a taxi) and we were seen in a rather elegant procedure room. Bill is now resting comfortably looking forward to a day at the Uffezi Gallery. Of course, he had to endure the classic poking but this doctor decided that all he needed was to have a good cleansing and some antibiotics. We'll see.

Click here for a few more photos

of the day...

Our original plan had been to go to another concert tonight. On our late afternoon walk, we found the Chiesa where the concert would be performed, however we were less successful in finding an internet hotspot where I could also print our reservations for the Uffezi Gallery. That did take us a while. Cooking dinner was far less trouble. Several glasses of Chianti later and we're kicking back enjoying the music from the Piazza della Signoria through our window.