Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

If you're looking for something different to do in Florence I highly recommend the old Santa Maria Novella pharmacy. Established in 1612 it has been a fully functional pharmacy ever since. The interior and displays are stunning. Dripping chandeliers hang above your heads and the walls shimmer with cabinets filled with intriguing boxes, tubs and bottles. Medicinal lotions and potions for all aliments and cosmetic goods including a vast range of perfumes are for sale (with labelling so beautiful you'd never want to open them!). The pharmacy also displays the relics of its history like scales, pots, pestles and mortars used by the Dominican monks who founded the pharmacy 400 years ago.

The museum and pharmacy are open Monday to Sunday from 10:30am to 7:00pm.

Fiera del Cioccolato Artigianale, Piazza Santa Maria Novella

Today we headed to the other side of town for the 9th annual Artisan Chocolate Fair in Florence. For the next week the majestic facade of Santa Maria Novella looks down on the stalls of the chocolatiers and their delicious bounty. I managed to restrain myself from ducking my head into the various chocolate fountains like Dawn French in the Vicar of Dibley and instead settled for one stick of strawberries doused in chocolate and sprinkled with hazelnuts and one perfect white chocolate and coconut truffle. Even if you don't have the same chocolate addiction that afflicts so many, you must admire the craft of these talented chocolatiers. I saw chocolate shoes, chocolate animals galore, chocolate iPads and iPhones and even an impressive selection of chocolate metalware complete with spanners, guns and nuts and bolts. If you're in town it's well worth a visit!

Venice Carnival

Last weekend I got on a train and went to Venice. It's the first trip I've taken outside of Florence since I've been here and it definitely won't be the last. As soon as spring shows its head I want to rent a car and explore the bountiful Tuscan countryside. But for now a trip to Venice seemed the right time to go as it is the Venice Carnival! My sister and I spent Friday strolling the streets looking for our masks and soaking in the sights. I have always been warned about the crowds but the streets were relatively quiet. It wasn't until we decided to go to Piazza San Marco on Sunday that we understood what everyone was talking about. Saturday was the worst weather I've seen in Italy so far. We managed to get through two umbrellas thanks to the winds and our vaporetto home had a lot of difficulty getting to the stops- at one point we were just going round and round in circles. I've only just stopped swaying! However Sunday was beautiful, clear skies and crisp sunshine. I think it better to avoid Piazza San Marco during the Carnival. It's extremely busy and a bit gimmicky. One of the highlights of the trip was wading bare foot through a flooded street which was the only way back to the flat - the high tide at night means some of the streets get swallowed by the water!

Sant'Ambrogio Market

I am lucky enough to live a couple of minutes away from Sant'Ambrogio Market. Here you can find clothings, accessories, furniture and loads of great food.The famous Mercato Centrale can be hectic and touristy whereas Sant'Ambrogio is where the Florentines buy their daily veg and meat. There is an indoor market in the centre of Sant'Ambrogio where you can buy meat, fish, fresh pasta and cheese. There's also a brilliant burger place in the corner - €3 for a delicious burger with peppers or aubergine. They also sell Lampredotto which is a stable Tuscan dish however I am yet to pluck up the courage to try it (its similar to tripe but more intestiney and I looks pretty horrible when its raw!) although I've been told its delicious. Inside the market there is also Trattoria da Rocco, a fantastic spot for lunch. It's cheap (€4 for a primi piatti and €5 for a secondi piatti) and the dishes are authentic and the menu is revised daily. My favourite dish is the Melanzane Alla Parmigiana. Rocco himself is always there talking to the regulars, showing off the day's dishes. I love how the Trattoria is laid out. To sit down you open up one of the large glass doors and you slide along the benches. It was a bit of a crystal maze when I first came across it and after a few moments of hopping around trying to find the door I worked it out!
As well as great food, the people watching here is one of the best spots in the city. For a truly Florentine experience go to Sant'Ambrogio.

Sant'Ambrogio market is open Monday to Saturday from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm.

New Term, New Approach

Even from Florence I can't stop hearing about the snow back in England. Yet for me it's flicking between crisp sunshine and dreary rain. Today is a rainy day but I've spent most of it under cover in the studios drawing Dante, my athletic model for the next four Saturdays. Next week I will start a new kind of pencil and white chalk drawing but just for today I decided to do a standard small pencil drawing concentrating on shadows shapes and lines. I've added a few of the other drawings that I have done this term so far.