Nice Lunch. 

This is the oldest market in Florence, it takes place in Piazza Santo Spirito the 3rd sunday of the month (except for August and December) from 8am to sundown (which can be from 4 pm to 7pm depending on the season). All the people that sells in this market are local farmers from Tuscany and the products on display are all made using natural or ancient methods without the use of synthetic products. The products admitted to Fierucola are characterized by their simplicity & originality, inspired by agricultural and artisan traditions, especially those who are disappearing. Everything is produced in small scale, following the seasons. You can find a vast array of things here, from spices, vegetables and fruit, cheese, bread, vegan products, jam and preserves, hand made shoes, dried flowers, wire and straw basket, plants and textiles, flours, fermented beverages, miso, jewelry, pottery and wooden toys for kids. If you don't like this kind of shopping, this event still deserves a visit if you like to do people-watching. This is the place where you'll find most of the florentine people on sunday morning.

The market here is held every morning (excluding holidays) from 7:00 to 14:00, from Monday to saturday. It's where I shop weekly. It is partly outdoors, with stands of clothing, fruit and vegetables and food, and partly indoors, in the building built in 1873 by Giuseppe Mengoni. Inside the building you can find stalls of food, meat and fish, a couple of bakeries. While all the stalls inside are always the same- the ones on the outside (apart for the ones selling fruits and vegetables) tends to change everyday. Depending on the day you can find vintage clothing, shoes, vintage bags, military clothing, a florist, a stall that sells fabrics, an underwear stall and so on. The prices here are way much cheaper than the San Lorenzo market (the one close to the station) and the quality of the food is better. If you're planning to stay in Florence for a while, grab a tote and do your grocery shopping here.

La Specola is one of my favourite museums I have ever visited. The museum is a branch of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence and is one of the oldest science museums in Europe, built in 1775 with the aim of gathering the natural treasures collected by different generations of the Medici family, such as fossils, animals, minerals and exotic plants. You really have to go. The displays are stunning and odd, also the Zoological Collection is full of specimens and old taxidermy pieces. On top of that there is also a quite "scary" collection of about 1,400 pieces of anatomical waxworks (made between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century).

Florence may be beautiful, but with the amount of tourists it can get quite overwhelming. Todo Modo is a wonderful escape located near the centre that provides a space to sit, sip, read, and reflect. A quaint bookstore in the front, with a bar/café in the back, Todo Modo is one of my favourites in Florence. The hanging plants, the smell of books, the wood covered interior, all provide a cosy nook to sink into. Recommendations: a glass of chianti classico + a pen and journal.