Today was a walking day. We walked up past the Train Station to an old fort, Fortezza da Basso, which is closed to the public which is a shame as it has a great moat and little trap doors leading to the moat. You could almost imagine alligators in the moat, munching through the latest unwanted citizens! Then we headed through a couple of parks and along some very big noisy roads until we found some more gates in the city walls (huge arches usually heavily decorated). We also saw some red bicycle paths in this area, the first good cycle paths we have seen in Florence (there are lots of cyclists, but they generally weave in and out of the squillions of people, bumping up and down on the cobblestones of Florence).

We visited the Monastery of St Marco . In 1439, Cosimo the Elder had a monastery built for Fra Angelico's Dominican community. Fra Angelico turned down an offer to be Archbishop of Florence, instead becoming the prior of the Monastery. He then painted frescoes on every one of the cells in the monastery. There are some amazing paintings, including one of the Annunciation, with Mary not looking quite so defiant as in other paintings when the angel tells her she is about to have an immaculate conception (and btw, God's the dad, not that Joseph bloke who's been hanging around...). We will revisit this Monastery as it shut less than one hour after we arrived, and we feel we didn't do it justice!

I bought a small leather handbag to wear with my frocks, and Garth was very patient while I did my goldilocks routine - this one is too big, this one is the wrong colour, this one doesn't convert to a backpack! We then stopped at a small glove shop and bought gloves for our girls and for me. I ended up with black leather gloves with little grey buttons (which will match my new grey leather bag very nicely!). I am a bit worried I am becoming too neat and tidy, but maybe it's time!!!