This morning, I yook the bus to a cute little hill town, not far from Florence, for a day of peering down at Florence from a great height and having a nice walk all around a small town.
The surrounding areas, with their olive trees and lush landscapes, were beautiful.
Fiesole does not have much going on, but it has Roman ruins and a couple of interesting convents and museums.
When I got back to Florence, I went to the Archeological Museum and saw some impressive Etruscan ceramics and Greek bronzes from 6th C BC tombs.
I was about to leave, when one of the guards came up to me and, in broken English, suggested that I might like to see the Egyptian Collection, and naturally I said yes - not knowing that I was going to have to be escorted by a guide and have a private showing! There were actual mummies (their bodies are visible), tablets, papyrus, columns, and a huge collection from an early 19th C excavation - and the other half is at the Louvre. It was spectacular.
Walking back to the convent, I noticed a row of shops with artists creating pictures out of mosaics - such as this one. They are truly beautiful and it is hard to believe that they are made with small pieces of stone.
Of course you have to enjoy the accordionist who accompanies you on your walk.
The final amazing sight of the day were the pastel drawings on the sidewalk. This one was still being worked on and it was lovely.
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