Pasta!

Today we took a cooking class! We began the class with a tour of the Mercato Centrale. The uncooked tripe and beef stomach were stomach-turning to this queasy American, but things began to look up when we got to the cheese section. Look at that Parmigiano Reggiano. I was in heaven! Now to figure out how to fit one of those wedges into my suitcase...

We then walked to the class kitchen where we made pasta and tiramisu. It was a lot of fun, and actually turned out quite well.

After eating a big meal of tagliatelle, ravioli, and tiramisu, we did the only rational thing to do: climb 463 steps to the top of Brunelleschi's dome covering the Duomo. Our Firenze cards allowed us to bypass the line (which was long past their one hour wait marker) and enter the claustrophobic passageway that wound all the way to the top. It was absolutely packed and everyone exits the same way they entered so that slowed progress to the top. I had been under the impression that you could see more of the dome-within-a-dome construction and I was a little disappointed that we really just saw the two sides of the tiny passage way. However, in the end the views at the top were worth it!

We climbed down the passageway that was even busier by that time, exited the cathedral, and then walked walked around the Duomo to the Duomo Museum. It was incredible to see Ghiberti's bronze doors from the Baptistry. The Museum also has Michelangelo's Pieta, which had been intended for his own tomb. The installation of the sculpture allows for a 360 degree view of the sculpture and it is breathtaking.

After leaving the Museum, we did something that I have been looking forward to for ages- we had gelato at Grom! When I visited Italy several years ago, this had been my absolute favorite gelato shop. It was still very good, but I think Suso in Venice has surpassed Grom as my favorite on this trip!

We enjoyed our gelato as we walked to Santa Croce Church, a Franciscan church from the 14th-century. This is the final resting place of many great Florentines, including Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. One of the chapels next to the altar also features Giotto's Death of St. Francis fresco.

On the way back to our hotel, we popped into a little leather shop and I found some super cute leather driving gloves. My mission is now complete!

After two jam-packed days, and looking toward a very busy day of museums tomorrow, we decided to have a quiet night in and grabbed some yummy sandwiches from a shop around the corner from our B&B. Tomorrow we see the David!