Holiday in Firenze...

I'm not sure what holiday it is here--Tous Saints perhaps--but most everything is shut down, except for all the tourist stuff, to be sure. We had plenty of fun, though pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

In the morning we strolled through the Pitti Palace. They had a special show on the court art of the Fierenze nobility from the 17th and 18th centuries. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but the craftsmanship turned out to be absorbing. There was this elaborate medicine chest that was meant as a gift. The bottles all had embroidered tops, along with the trays they were on. These trays then went into an ornate wooden box, which was shipped in a tooled leather case. Not even the elegant stores near our hotel can match that fine work.

The best painting we saw was a Giorgione. The "Three Ages of Man," which was a wonderful composition, lights its three faces delicately. There was also a brilliant Caravaggio, a sleeping Cupid. There are better works of his in the Uffizi, but we're not planning any waiting-in-line trips this visit.

Lunch was a quick visit to a terrific place just near our hotel, Le Antiche Carrozze. They're warm and welcoming. We've come in at the last moment twice now and each time they were unhurried. It was the first time this trip that I've had really good spaghetti carbonara. They make it with the egg yolk only, which makes all the difference, a much richer dish. Then I had the rabbit, which for the fourth or fifth time this trip was wonderfully satisfying. Relax chickens of the world! I'm leaving you for rabbit.

Garden tour tomorrow. Let's hope the weather holds up!