July 7, 2007- Off we go---
Vatican Museum- Rome, Day 1
Celing in the Vatican
Beautiful mosaics
Leaving the Vatican
High Decor in Lofty places - Vatican
Vatican - Pope hangs out in the center window
Approaching the Coliseum in Rome - it held 55,000
Another shot of the ruins
Inside the Coliseum- little spaces for the Gladiators
A shot through the columns
Trevi Fountain- Rome, featured in "La Dolce Vita"
Toss a coin in the fountain and you return to Rome
Romes' Spanish Steps near famous shopping district
Customary Louis Vuitton photo
Dinner in Italy-complete with wine and song
The Vatican at night - shot from our hotel
Leaving Rome - Day 3
Forests and Vineyards - we head to Florence
Yes-- it's on to Tuscany!
Wonderful luncheon stop
Wonderful Hubby on luncheon stop
Florence street art
The COPY of the Statue of David
The De Medici Family Castle
Rape of the Sabine Women complete with Goofball
Florence architechture - just what I dreamed
Our bus - parked next to the hotel in Florence
Venice- here we come
On the water
Piazza de San Marco- very recognizable
Piazza de San Marco - near the beheading spot
Amazing clouds and clock tower in Venice
Shady passageway between shops
Watch for men lurking on corners :)
Venice is actually sinking at an alarming rate
Cruising between buildings
Basilica de San Marco
Bridges everywhere
Yes-- it looks better than the Venetian Hotel in Vegas!
Our driver Giuseppe - loading up to leave Venice area
Driver Extraordinaire!!!!
Off we go towards Milan
Lake country - between Italy and Switzerland
Heading to see George Cloney's place in Lake Como
Ok-- I can't find my invitation to George's villa- oh well-
Lunch in Lugano, Switzerland - charming place
The square in Lugano
Lugano fountains
Jane is going over the Alps-- can you believe it? In a bus?
Lovely day and we are in the front seat
Super highway going through Switzerland
Amazing views of the Alps
There is a tunnel- but we are going OVER the top
HIGH FLYING
Top of St. Gotthard Pass, 6,919 feet
Taking a break after our trek up
LOCAL BEER-- finally - something beside Heinekein
Going down to Lucerne - amazing road
Swiss Cheese on the hoof in the distance (cows)
Exiting for Lucerne
Wonderful wooden bridge across the lake
Our folk evening with Swiss fondue, beer, and oompah-pah
Lake Lucerne at night
The town is lively in the evening
Our Lucerne hotel's night club, also my son's initials!
Hotel in Lucerne--nice and German neat
Our Guide Gerhardt and Giuseppe waiting for us
On the way up to Mt. Pilatus by cog rail
The Alps were lovely this morning
Wolfgang and Jane at the top of Mt. Pilatus
Part of the center and connection to the cog rail
Wildflowers on the path up - view across to peaks
Wolfgang below me-- standing by column
Misty lakes in the distance -- wow!
Small church below the summit--little villages were below
Looking out a passageway on the backside of Mt. Pilatus walkway
Yes-- Made it to the top
We rode a boat around Lake Lucerne
On Lake Lucerne-- is this the day I got sun-burned?
Gerhard at the front of the pack
Wonderful lake surrounded by mountains
Picturesque scenes abound
Another shot of the wooden bridge on Day 2
Swiss Swan on the lake
Heading to France
Rest stop in France
Landscape with vineyards
Grapes next to the pisseur
Everything French- near the Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th-century chateau where Eva Longoria had just wed Tony Parker a week earlier
The French pit-stop meal - delish
Seine River flowing by Notre Dame
Eiffel Tower Day
Top of the Tower--
Framing the Clouds
It is painted different colors, brownish tan this time
Arch de Triomphe at the Western end of the Champs-Élysées
Bastille Day in France and we are there!
Doors at the Palace of Versailles showing the symbol of the Kings of France
Unbelievable ceiling art
REAL CRYSTAL - very priceless chandeliers
The Hall of Mirrors-- Treaty of Versailles signed in this room
The Queens' Bed-- All had to give birth there in public view
Marie Antoinette's portrait -quite lovely
View of the massive gardens outside
Huge grounds of Versailles- pools and ponds, and gardens
Parisian night club before the topless dancers appeared
Night on the town- oh-la-la, Baby
The Chunnel Station - British Side- we are in London
Theatre night for Jane, Picadilly Circus area
Our London hotel-- the best of the bunch!
St. Paul's Cathedral where Princess Diana was married
Clarence House- Prince Charles and Camilla live here
Our London Guide - Jolly old Fellow
Buckingham Palace grounds- beautiful
Posing in front of her Majesty's Posies
Changing of the Guard
When the flag flies the Queen is HOME
First view of Windsor Castle, Windsor, England
Amazingly large and complex place
Guide for Windsor Castle - just full of information
Get up close with your bow and stick your arrow in the hole
The moat is all landscaped - quite beautiful
So many turrets, so little time
My OFFICIAL SHOT of Windsor Castle
Thames River Yacht-- see the helicopter on TOP?
The Eye-- London's Ferris Wheel attraction
The clock tower and Parliament from the Thames River Cruise
Evening and all is well
Tower Bridge - still impressive
Sunset on the Thames our last night
