Florence, Italy: Our routine continues - up early to watch the morning session from Moscow, out being American tourists from 10-4, back to the room for a rest before the races start again at 5p. Truly a perfect way to watch a track meet. I don't know how many of you have been able to watch any of the events from Russia, but the stands are pitifully empty and I feel bad we decided to watch from Italy instead of Moscow.
Just kidding.
This morning we headed out to tour through the Central Market - the main food shopping market in Florence - which has been completely remodeled since our first visit. Though the stalls still sell meat, fish, cheese, produce, breads, etc., there are also shops dedicated to things a tourist would purchase - olive oils, dried pastas, tinned fish and truffled-anything. The market is ridiculously clean and does not have the usual market "aroma". Maybe it is too nice?







After visiting the market, we stopped for a quick espresso and then headed far from the city center, northeast, to an area we had not explored before. We found a typical residential area and this in a pizzeria window:


We reached our destination - Piazza della Annuziata:


The Florence Archeological Museum is on this plaza - a museum Dave and I had yet to visit. The museum is exhibiting items from digs in the Middle East and from three tombs found in the Italian countryside, ancient Italian artifacts and a huge Egyptian exhibit complete with five or six mummies. The mummies kinda creeped me out. It was odd standing next to a dead human - laying next to an ancient statue or urn - and trying to give them the same consideration.

After our tour through the Archeology Museum, we made a visit to the Florence Synagogue.


By now, it was 1 o'clock and we were ready for lunch (no breakfast today) and wandered into a simple little place, Trattoria Alfredo, behind the Uffuzi Museum, that had a prix fixe lunch menu and every patron was Italian. How this place exists so close to the tourist center is a mystery, but my bruschetta was really good - even better than my bruschetta yesterday.




At 8p, after watching the meet from Moscow this evening (where Matthew Centrowitz was the only American to make it into the 1500m final), we strolled down the street to find some wine and a snack. We were both pretty tired after walking the streets of 90° Florence all day, but still went down to the river to see the pretty sunset from the Trinita Bridge.


Pedometer: 14,521 - 6.19 miles. I'm feeling every one of them tonight too.
Until my next update, I remain, your tired correspondent.