We are sleeping later and later each morning. After putting in some laundry we finally we got out for coffee–we really like this place, Enoteca Macci. They are always playing upbeat music and the coffee is great.
Our destination was the Palazzo Strozzi to see an art show of two “mannerist” painters. The show is called Pontormo e Rosso Fiorentino. The two, born in 1494, started out together and grew apart and you can see it in their work. For me it was the perfect size–not too overwhelming. And the audio guide was very helpful.
Afterwards we strolled around that area a bit, admiring the buildings and all the crests and decorations on them. Here is one view from Piazza Trinita:

Then we went to the FSU program place to meet Elio. We met his boss and some of his students too. His friends have a terrific sandwich place near Santa Croce so we went there for a great little lunch. They use “schiaciatta”, a thin crispy bread that makes a fabulous sandwich. All the fillings are super fresh and the final product is top notch.

We relaxed there for a while and walked home for a nice bit of down time. I’m reading a Daniel Silva book which I’m enjoying very much.
We had to go check out the new part, the “prime piano” of the Mercato Centrale. It is very high styled contemporary with a beer bar, wine bar, bakery, seafood place, pasta place and more. The cooking school part looked really cool:

but I most loved how with all the hard, shiny stuff they left the old, huge basket, light fixtures:

We walked home with some confusion about dinner and finally decided to look around our neighborhood. We chose a place where for 4 euros you get a glass of wine and a plate for a buffet. It was fun and cheap so we did it. Great farro salad and little sandwiches, pasta dishes, etc.
At home, our laundry was starting to get damp from the night air so we left it out. Hope it doesn’t rain.
One more picture from walking and fooling around with filters: