Florence part two

Kathy here-So we had basically 24 hours in Florence. Frankly, that was enough in the height of summer with so many tourists. Luckily, our hotel was an oasis of quiet and spaciousness. A former monastery, the rooms were large and airy, with a large open lounge and breakfast room. we actually discovered wireless in the lobby so while I did a little writing Rory picked up the guitar, and even though it was missing a few strings, managed to strum a few lovely chords. Nearby, an eastern European young woman was skyping her husband (we think) and getting increasingly agitated and sad until she was sobbing. Iris started to sing "I'm Yours" along to Rory' s strumming. One of those unbelievable moments, for sure.
So ,back to the city. It was pretty overwhelming for sure; we basically gave up on any maps or walking tours and just roamed, as everything is close at hand. It's actually amazing what we did see in one day....the Palazzo Vecchio, which, as Iris said, has the replica of David outside, along with other amazing sculpture. There was an impromptu discussion among us about body parts...
Also roamed around the local markets where vendors from every corner of the world are selling all kinds of stuff, beautiful leather and scarves of course but also a lot of junk that you see in any international city. We are avoiding the big museums, and instead just focussing on some of the lesser known spots. Neither Rory nor I can stomach the big crowds, and Iris so far is happy with that as well. We slipped into the incredible Duomo just before closing time the first day and did not have to wait at all, what an amazing dome! At one point though, a loud whispering voice came over the loudspeaker " shhhhhh!!!!!! Shhhhhh!!!!!!!! Silencio!" I guess the crowd was not hushed enough. We had a good giggle about that with a family from New Joisy sitting next to us. Next day, we had a lovely morning in the Medici Chapels,which is the burial ground for many of the powerful Medici rulers. They commissioned Michelangelo to do some amazing sculpture, when he was young and before he went to Rome to work. We saw his Dawn, Dusk,Night & Day sculptures which are absolutely gorgeous. Iris noted that one of the female sculptures was pretty shiny and wondered if they are polished or cleaned regularly. I later overheard a guide discussing that Michelangelo particularly gave her a sheen to give the effect of moonlight on her skin. Really, really amazing! The chapel itself is covered in inlaid semi precious stone and is an overwhelmingly beautiful room. below the main chapel is an area where body parts are ore served in ornate glass and silver vessels...I'll let Rory speak to that....I think he remembers the name of that bizarre tradition.