Another great day so far in Florence. Beautiful city nestled in a valley among the rolling hills of Tuscany. Got up early this morning and got a private tour of part of the Accademia museum, and saw Michelangelo's Statue of David. We all were a bit blurry eyed after an unbelievable dinner at a family home/restaurant in the Tuscan hills, which included guitarist, Italian folks singers and an amazing young lady who belted out beautiful opera songs at our tables. Fl...

Left Venice this morning and stopped for a few hours in Verona, about 90 minutes from Venice. Beautiful little city; a bit of a mixture of Ancient Rome and modern America. Lot's of money in this town! One of the main streets was a bit like Rodeo Drive. 100 yards after you leave this street, you run smack into the the most preserved Roman stadium in Italy. It held about 25,000 spectators and is still used in the summer and fall for opera and symphony performances....

Finished the second day in Venice. Incredible how transportation works in this city of over 100 islands, one big lagoon and tons of small canals. Our tour group took an amazing ride on a gondola for 40 minutes yesterday . Went to a small, colorful island across from Venice today called Burano, where we had a 13 course seafood lunch(not a misprint). Off tomorrow morning for Verona (of Romeo and Juliet fame), then Florence. Thankful for our tour guide today. This i...

Visited Vatican City today. It is mind-blowing how immense St. Peters Basilica is and what a genius Michelangelo was when you gaze up at the Sistine Chapel. Last night in Rome. Head to Venice early tomorrow. Just got back from dinner in the Trastevere, a very hip neighborhood across the Tiber river.

A beautiful day in Italy as the rains have gone away. Got up early and took the regional bus down the dramatic Amalfi Coast. What a drive! A little like the central California coast but steeper cliffs. The bus lets you off on the top of Positano and then you walk down the steady, steep street all the way to the main part of town. This might be the most scenic cliffside town I have ever seen. Back at the hotel computer so can't post a pic right now but it was...