Now we’re in Florence. After visiting the Natural History and Mineralogy Museums (the latter a real “gem” with some breathtakingly beautiful crystal specimens), I made my way up the street and around the corner to the Botanical Garden. Entry was through a building, and a notice invited me to ring the bell and open the door, after which I was required to put all my bags into a locker and pay admission. Clutching only my camera, I was allowed into the actual garden. Unlike the Botanical Garden in Siena, the one in Florence was laid out all on one level, and showed signs of neglect. Weeds and lawn grass had invaded the plantings. Of a row of greenhouses, only one was open for viewing. In it I found carnivorous plants, mostly Drosera (sundew) species, but some pots seemed to contain only moss and algae.
