Wednesday, November 2, sees us winding down with our time here getting short! We started out around 9:00 this morning to go into Florence to visit this beautiful library designed by Michelangelo:

It was closed yesterday when we visited the San Lorenzo complex. We decided we wanted to see it so returned today. Our journey in was a breeze! We parked at same garage. Today we walked through the Mercato Centrale (Central Market), a building built in 1874 with individual booths of meat, cheese, fruit, vegetables, eating areas. etc. - just happened to pick up a couple of pastries along the way! 

Very few people out and about so an easy walk to the library which entrance is located off a corner in the cloister.  First up a blah stairway to top level closter

 then into the actual library entrance:

Couldn't get whole entry way in photo

View of stair detail

Then into the reading room as pictured above:

Ceiling

One of 27 stained glass windows

Floor that isn't allowed to be walked on

Floor detail

Reading desk/table - the manuscripts were chained to the table in the past

The manuscripts were stored on shelf underneath sloping ledge

The card catalog! Each table side had the general heading

then each item was listed! This system is still used today in new reading room which we did not see.

 Off to one side of the reading room, the Tribuna D'Elce was added in the first half of 19th century to house the rich book collection donated by Angelo Maria D'Elci:

There was a special exhibit in the area beyond the reading room:

Modern technology in an ancient setting!

A 12th century book

More modern technology 

Another 12th century book

Upon leaving the library, we found the sun trying to shine through clouds and this view:

So back to the car via market to buy cheese. Then off to find the Pitti Palace...we explored parts of Florence we hadn't seen and ventured down many one way streets, avoided only authorized traffic streets, and even saw brown (sight worth seeing) directional signs to the Pitti but finally admitted defeat when we found a blue directional sign to Siena and headed home via new territory until finally we arrived in Tavernuzze - aha, we knew where we are!! Decided to stop for lunch at restaurant up the road from us as we were going to be passing that way...nope, not open. So home to cheese, bread, fruit & olive lunch. Then nap time for me while Sarah took a walk. We decided to be daring and go out to dinner at a restaurant down the road, San Martino, so about 7:45 we set off. It was really dark as no visible waxing crescent of a moon showing through clouds. Restaurant is dark - closed! So back to one up the road - still closed!! We decided that Italians also observe All Souls Day!!! Home to a comfort meal of eggs & potatoes with various other ingredients as the clearing out the refrigerator has begun! Now it is raining quite hard so good to be inside, cozy & warm.