It all began in Venice...
...once we figured out the vaporetto routes!
Lots of sweet treats...
...I like this country already!
There's nothing wrong with a beer...at 9am
They have fabulous Carnavale masks.
Venetian delivery truck.
Venetian postal car.
The Rialto Bridge
Gondolas ready to go.
And they're off....
No streets, just canals.
Sing me a song!
They really snazz up the inside of the gondolas.
St. Mark's Basilica
View of the city from the Campenile
Another view with St. Mark's top view
One of the 117 Venetian islands.
Inside St. Mark's Plaza with the pigeons.
It wouldn't be an EdVon trip without a little rain!
Italian red house wine...it's good and cheap!
I wonder how they built this city?
They built this city on ROCK AND ROLL!!!
Dueling orchestras in St. Mark's Plaza
Frari Church on the right
Titian's tomb in Frari Church
Look at all that original fine art in the Frari Church!
Michelangelo's wood carving of St. John the Baptist
Our B&B, Le Mansarde
Hopping on the train for Florence.
The Duomo in Florence
It's HUGE!
Palazzo Vecchio
Street artist
Dad, are you retired yet?
Why are all these people waiting in line for the Uffizi Gallery?
Just call ahead and reserve your ticket!
The Ponte Vecchio in the background. The only bridge in Florence not destroyed by retreating nazis during WWII.
There is a myth that if you put a lock here and throw the key into the Arno river, your love will last forever. It's a place to take your sweetie. But I don't know what's up the one combination lock..
Duomo in the background.
Walking up a very steep hill to Michelangelo's Plaza.
YEAH, we made it!
This guy decided to rollerblade down.
Guess he's preparing for the upcoming ski season.
View of Florence from Michelangelo's Plaza.
Edgar fought a cold and bronchitis the whole time...he drank the cough syrup and pretended it was wine...pobrecito.
The absolute smallest car I've ever seen.
Tuscan countryside.
So many olives, so little time.
Kiss in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
At the train station, headed to Rome.
OK, we made it to Rome, now where are those Spanish Steps?
Hotel Panda, our home away from home...located near the Spanish Steps
It was very, very cold, so Vonda decided on the layered clown look (don't worry, I didn't go out like that).
Fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps.
Walking on a 2500 year old road.
The Colosseum
Throwing our pennies in the Trevi Fountain
Hanging out in front of the Prime Minister's house
Good thing his nose isn't that long!
Roof of the Pantheon
Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon
Don't know what this is, but we thought it was pretty.
Inside Piazza Navona
Buskers inside Piazza Navona.
I just love this photo...classic
This lady's song was way too long.
Road on Palatine Hill.
Mussolini's house...now it's a museum
Hut of Romulus, where Rome was founded in 753BC
Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus)
Jason Spiehler of Roman Odyssey tours, the BEST tour guide ever. This was his free tour of the Forum
Prison of Peter and Paul
Their cell.
Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica in the background.
Swiss guard in his colorful livery (remember the Da Vinci Code?)
Inside St. Peter's Piazza, awaiting the arrival of the Pope
The famous obelisk.
The Pope was too much for this guy...he took a nap between the barricades.
Laocoön and his Sons. Made around the 1st century (yes, that's a 1). Discovered in the 16th century and was a great influence for Michelangelo. Now inside the Vatican Museums.
Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums.
'The School of Athens' by Raphael, Raphael Rooms in Vatican Museum.
Inside St. Peter's Basilica, looking toward the back of the church where they are having mass.
Honoring Pope John Paul
Not the quad bikes!!!
We're tired...let's go to the Amalfi Coast.
Why oh why does this train have to stop on such a high bridge?
View from our room at Albergo California
If anyone knows what this is for please tell us...
Beautiful Positano in the background.
Amalfi
I just don't know what to say
This is the man that makes the lemon gelato that Edgar eats...
...and discovers is very tart.
But Vonda thinks it's sweet
The Amalfi Coast is known for its limoncello...now I know why!
We toured Pompeii for a few hours on our way to Naples, where we flew back home.
This doggie took a nap in Pompeii, while guarding his map.
Pompeii, the most perfectly preserved Roman town. In the first century AD, it was covered in ash by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius (in the background).
This was the best taxi driver ever. He took us to the Naples airport.
His dashboard says it all...In life, the passion eliminates the greater part of the difficulty.
