Thursday morning.  We have "breakfast" at a cafe off of the Piazza della Signoria.  Chris woke up on the wrong side of the bed, as you can see.  Here he's eating a cup of mixed fruit for his breakfast. Outside the Duomo on a crowded day in Florence. The horses take a break from pulling tourists around to have lunch. We take in the Museo di Storia della Scienza to see the historical scientific artifacts (including Galileo's finger in a jar in addition to his first telescope). This sundial will fire a salute at noon! We discover Vivoli's - the world's best gelato (ice cream) is served here.  From now on, we have gelato three times each day until we leave Italy. Chris is a fan! Next stop - the Accademia.  David is the big draw here.  He's bigger than we thought - about 15 feet high, I think. We turned the corner into a small square and find - a merry-go-round.   Chris takes a ride for L 2,000 ($1.50). On Thursday, we start with the Bargello.  Chris loves the medieval armor and weapons. From the courtyard of the Bargello.  I guess this fellow was cannon-ized! "Sculpture" - from the Museo dell Opera del Duomo. Also taken from the Duomo  - you can imagine 15th century Italians looking up to see marble children running around this suspended arcade. I climbed Giotto's Tower to get this panoramic view of Florence.   Here, Santa Croce. The observation deck above the dome of the Duomo. Piazza della Repubblica. In the afternoon, we tour the Palazzo Pitti, visiting the Palatine Gallery and then walking the Boboli Gardens.