Trailblazers Too: Friday, June 8, 2018 (Florence/Venice)

Johnnie on the bus

Tiffany on the bus

Without set time for tours or appointments, we tried to plan our day with what we needed to see to meet our STEM purpose, as well as see the other sites of the city. We started out at the DaVinci Museum. Leonardo was a genius – his feats of creativity, engineering inventions that are still evident in science and engineering today. We saw several hands-on activities, saw his works in their first phase through his drawings of his inventions, which gave us many ideas for lessons and additions to our Maker Space area in the library.

Johnnie "Lisa"

Tiffany "Lisa"

Helical Gear

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Mowing Wagon

Log Drill

Ball Bearing

Archimedes Screw

Roasting Jack

Cam Hammer

Defense of the Walls

Rod System

Tan

Gym

Air Screw

Arched bridge

Johnnie and Tiffany

Stomachion

Comparing multiple pulleys

Diving Suit

On our walk to the Galileo Museum, formerly the History of Science Museum, we noticed two large silver slides in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi. We found out it was part of what is called the Florence Experiment. From April to August, this experiment will combine art and science to study the interaction between plants and human beings. The first part included a random selection of visitors that descend the slide carrying a bean plant. Then they hand the plants to a team of scientists who analyze the photosynthetic parameters and molecules emitted in response to the sliding experiment. The second part of the experiment consists of two movie clips from horror films and comedies. Visitors’ fear or joy produce different volatile chemical compounds which are conveyed through two ducts to the façade, where they may or may not influence the growth of Wisteria plants climbing on Y-shaped structures. The smell of fear is released on one shank of the Y, and the smell of joy on the other. We will be watching for results as Tiffany was selected to slide with the bean plant. STEM is all around the world!

The Florence Experiment Slides

Tiffany getting off the slide with her tomato plant.

So RANDOM--inside of the elevator to go up to the top of the slide.

At the Galileo Museum we saw the discoveries from the early days of science, astrolabs, compasses, sundials, and telescopes. We saw globes and how they changed as more of the Earth was discovered. Two of of his original telescopes (the only known ones to survive) are in the museum. There is also a room so children and adults may interact with models reproducing some of Galileo’s most important experiments – more ideas for STEM activities.

Different pics when viewed from the top and the bottom

Vincenzo Coronelli's globe

World Map

Calculating Machine

Obstetrical Terracotta Models

After the museum we took a walk to the Ponte Vecchio bridge. This medieval stone closed-spandrl segmental arch bridge is over the Arno River in Florence. It is also called the Old Bridge believed to have been built around 966 and was the only bridge across the river in Florence until 1218. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During WWII it was the only bridge across the Arno River that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. The bridge was built as a system of defense. When the Medici family (who ruled in Florence) moved from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti, they had a connecting route from the Uffizi to their new home on the other side of the Arno that would enable them to keep out of contact with the people they ruled. The walkway runs above the little goldsmith’s shops below.

Tiffany with the Ponte Vecchio bridge

Ponte Vecchio

Johnnie with the Ponte Vecchio bridge

Our last point of interest that we had time to see in Florence was the infamous Fontana Del Porcellino. This is a bronze pig that sits in the middle of town. It has been referred to in stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Fresh, clear water flows from the mouth of the pig. Tradition has it that you should put a coin inside its mouth and slide it down hoping it ends up in the grate. As it falls, you make a wish and if it falls into the grate, it will come true. As we were walking up to drop our coins, a beggar approached Tiffany asking for money. She shook her head no. The beggar continued and got right up to Tiffany. Tiffany used her teacher voice, looked at the beggar and said, “Stop It!” The beggar backed off but did not go away. (By the way, both of our wishes will be coming true.)

Johnnie with the Porcellino

Tiffany with the Porcellino

Our time in Florence was coming to an end. We walked back to our room, picked up our luggage and began the walk back to the train station. We caught a train at 5:30, this time with ease, and began our next step of journey to Venice. We arrived in Venice about 7:30. Tiffany navigated us to the water bus (vaporetto) and we found our exit for the Monastery. It was on the back side of the island and was more secluded and quiet. Our host, Father, was very friendly and cheerful, also with very little English. The good part about our stay was it had a lift. Lifts are small elevators and not enough of them in Europe for this traveler. Our host took us to our room. It was large with a very big bathroom. He showed us where the breakfast area would be in the morning and where there was a refrigerator of cold water. Bonus! The host recommended a restaurant nearby with good selection and good prices and even gave us a business card for it. We were happy when we got our check and found we were receiving a discount since the church had sent us. It had been a long day but I was almost out of clothes. I washed clothes in the shower, taking advantage of its size, and hung them to dry in our bathroom with our traveling clothesline. We did not have any tours scheduled for tomorrow but hoped to be able to get some by showing up in person. We did have an appointment to meet a marionette maker at his studio. Dead tired, we went to sleep.