Driving through the Apennine hills to dynamic Milan. Saw the gothic Duomo cathedral and the glass domed Galleria on the floor of which is the mosaic image of a bull. It is good luck to sink your heel on the cup shaped "testicle of the bull" and twirl around in a circle - the Milanese have strange ideas!

The highlight of Florence is seeing the magnificent statue of David, another masterpiece by Michelangelo. This marble statue was carved out of a single block of marble over 3 years and is now located indoors within the academy of fine arts. It shows David in a dynamic pose with the sling shot across his shoulder, the rock in his right hand and his left leg bent, the moment before he was to slay Goliath. There is a huge cathedral in Florence made of m...

Today spent traveling from Rome to Florence via Pisa. We had to take the cheesy picture of me and the leaning tower. Sorry!

From the 25th until the 28th June we have been living in a private apartment in the centre of Rome, Via Degli Avignonesi. It's a great location in the centre of the old part of Rome, close to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. The apartment itself was charming in a narrow lane on the second floor. It has shuttered windows and the back room opens into a private court yard space where we could hang out our washed clothes. We h...

Bonjour! 23 June: we are now in Paris! C'est magnifique! But the drivers here are worse than in Italy, especially when negotiating the traffic mayhem around the Arc de Triomphe. Recall the movie starring Chevey Chase in "European Vacation" and how the family couldn't get out of the round about due to the traffic and you'll get the idea. Last night we cruised down the Seine river and saw Paris by night. Today we ascended to the second level viewing p...