In the rain
Overcast but dry in the morning, raining in the afternoon in Florence today.
I had decided to visit Museo San Marco as I still could remember the beauty of the frescoes and paintings by Fra Angelico. On the way there, I checked the queue at the Galleria dell’Accademia, just as long as yesterday, so I went on to San Marco. First I entered the San Marco church, which has scaffoldings inside as they are restoring lots of stuff. For some reason, I thought you entered the Museo through the church. But I was mistaken, the Museo is next door. This morning, it was plagued by two groups of teenagers, one French, the other one Italian, both groups thoroughly bored by the visit and quite boisterous. As a former teacher, I always wonder why they take teenagers on trips without giving them some task to fulfill, as obviously, you won’t get them to just listen to some lecturer!
Apart from this, Museo San Marco is just as beautiful as I found it last time, maybe even more so. I find that seeing the same works over and over makes them more understandable to me. I loved the monks’ cells, each one with a different fresco and there was one particular cell for the Duke of Medici, a duplex cell, no less 😉
When I got out, I visited Chiesa Santissima Annunziata on Piazza Santissima Annunziata, a very ornate and baroque church, with two different altars facing two different directions. The Piazza was lovely, although it was starting to rain. So I figured, I should start looking for a place to eat, and while I did that I came across an open air market, just next to a covered one, Mercato San Ambrogio. So I walked around, taking photos. Italian markets are good-looking and colourful, even in the rain.
Had pizza and salad with a glass of beer for lunch and started walking in what I thought was the direction of the river Arno. Serves me right for thinking I can read a map! I passed by Florence Synagogue, which is said to be the largest in Italy, but was closed, went on walking and soon realised that I was lost and quite far from the Arno.
I was about to ask for directions, when I caught sight of what looked like a cemetery. But my first thought was it couldn’t possibly a cemetery as it was a roundabout! Well, it was!
It took me time to find out how to get there, as it was a roundabout, with cars coming from all directions and no zebra crossings or lights.
I finally managed to cross the road and found that I was at Florence English cemetery. I had read about it, but when I asked where it was at my hotel, they had never heard about it. It doesn’t show on my guidebook’s map either. If you ever want to visit it, it’s at Piazzale Donatello. Apparently, no one really wants to pay to keep it in good repair, and they’re having a petition signed and looking for funds. Anyway, it’s a lovely place, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning was buried there.
This really made my day, as I had even given up looking for it.
Again, I hope my photos will turn alright and when I get home, I’ll add links and photos to make this a little more interesting.
I had decided to visit Museo San Marco as I still could remember the beauty of the frescoes and paintings by Fra Angelico. On the way there, I checked the queue at the Galleria dell’Accademia, just as long as yesterday, so I went on to San Marco. First I entered the San Marco church, which has scaffoldings inside as they are restoring lots of stuff. For some reason, I thought you entered the Museo through the church. But I was mistaken, the Museo is next door. This morning, it was plagued by two groups of teenagers, one French, the other one Italian, both groups thoroughly bored by the visit and quite boisterous. As a former teacher, I always wonder why they take teenagers on trips without giving them some task to fulfill, as obviously, you won’t get them to just listen to some lecturer!
Apart from this, Museo San Marco is just as beautiful as I found it last time, maybe even more so. I find that seeing the same works over and over makes them more understandable to me. I loved the monks’ cells, each one with a different fresco and there was one particular cell for the Duke of Medici, a duplex cell, no less 😉
When I got out, I visited Chiesa Santissima Annunziata on Piazza Santissima Annunziata, a very ornate and baroque church, with two different altars facing two different directions. The Piazza was lovely, although it was starting to rain. So I figured, I should start looking for a place to eat, and while I did that I came across an open air market, just next to a covered one, Mercato San Ambrogio. So I walked around, taking photos. Italian markets are good-looking and colourful, even in the rain.
Had pizza and salad with a glass of beer for lunch and started walking in what I thought was the direction of the river Arno. Serves me right for thinking I can read a map! I passed by Florence Synagogue, which is said to be the largest in Italy, but was closed, went on walking and soon realised that I was lost and quite far from the Arno.
I was about to ask for directions, when I caught sight of what looked like a cemetery. But my first thought was it couldn’t possibly a cemetery as it was a roundabout! Well, it was!
It took me time to find out how to get there, as it was a roundabout, with cars coming from all directions and no zebra crossings or lights.
I finally managed to cross the road and found that I was at Florence English cemetery. I had read about it, but when I asked where it was at my hotel, they had never heard about it. It doesn’t show on my guidebook’s map either. If you ever want to visit it, it’s at Piazzale Donatello. Apparently, no one really wants to pay to keep it in good repair, and they’re having a petition signed and looking for funds. Anyway, it’s a lovely place, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning was buried there.
This really made my day, as I had even given up looking for it.
Again, I hope my photos will turn alright and when I get home, I’ll add links and photos to make this a little more interesting.
My photos of Mercato San Ambrogio or slideshow
My photos of Florence Protestant cemetery and slideshow
A few photos of Museo San Marco
Blogging in Paris 
Another delicious update from Florence and tyour post at Ronni’s? Ooh la la!
lucyd
Claude Sounds like you had a serendipity experience finding the cemetary.
thanks for posting at “Time Goes By”.
Chancy
Thank you for the post, makes me almost feel as though I were there. I know that’s impossible, but if I close my eyes…….
Comme si on y était…ça donne envie d’y retourner!
Bravo pour ton récit, très vivant.A San Marco, j’ai adoré l”Adoration”
Bon retour dans notre Paris pluvieux
Oh … I love this photo in the rain! Wish I could remember how to say or write that in French. Where is my French book from the 50’s when I fell in love with the language? Je t’aime??? I don’t think so. I’ll spare you more.
Here’s your French class of the day, joared 😉
J’aime cette photo sous la pluie, or if you really love it, then you could say, j’adore cette photo sous la pluie!
Whichever you choose, thank you. And thanks everyone.
Thank you, Claude, for the French lesson! My only occasion to be exposed to French after college in the 50’s was a few years ago, when the task fell to me to enable, if possible, a 100 yr old dear sweet lady to use her English more (no French speakers around.)
Her birth language was French, but she had used English mostly, all her life. As sometimes happens with certain types of neurological insults, she had reverted more to her birth language, so began speaking mostly French again.
My goal was only partially accomplished as she wandered in and out of French/Eng., Eng./French within any given sentence, apparently, due to the more permanent effects of her neuro change.
As with life, we sometimes have to be satisfied with less than the desired goal, but can still feel some pride in what we were able to accomplish.