Played super tourist today and visited all of the sites that we could get into. Started with another stroll through the Dell'Ariento market before walking through back streets to the Santo Spirito Basillica (free). Amazing paintings and architecture again but extremely plain from the outside. Then up to Palazzo Pitti and the gardens at the Medici Palace. Pretty disappointing really as there are only trees and weedy (sparse) grass. Whole place was very unkempt and certainly not worth the €10 admission. Walk was quite exhausting as it was extremely humid and the paths quite steep. Thought we were going to get caught in a thunderstorm but we could only watch it pass along the distant hills to the north - there was a very brief cooling wind though.

After the gardens we crossed back over the river Arno via the famous covered Punto Vecchio and looked in the windows at all of the gold jewellery. Another long walk in the scorching sun and we came to the Santa Croce Cathedral. Paid another entrance fee - not bad but disappointed again to find that the impressive altar area was under restoration and blocked off. However, it was a huge church and plenty of other splendid art and sculpture to admire. Consecrated in 1493, the impressive facade was only added in the mid-19th century. Attached to the church is the Pazzi Chapel, housing a Franciscan monastery, and the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce, with some impressive frescos.

Outside the front of the cathedral is the Piazza where football is played in Renaissance costume. Also the Palazzo dell'Antella has a facade frescoed by twelve artists in the 17th century.