In the 18th century thousands of gondolas filled the Venetian canals. Gondolas are always rowed and never poled, as the waters of Venice are far too deep for anything but rowing. |
 Bellagio is a town on Lake Como where the houses are wide and sprawling. |
 Waterfront houses on the boat trip to Bellagio |
The waterfront houses on the boat trip to Bellagio have vast, well manicured gardens |
 On my first visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa
the tower was doing lots of leaning and had to be
held up by cables. Today, it has been relatively stabilized and doesn’t need cables to keep it from falling. Still, tourists are not allowed to the top
where Galileo did his research. |
The houses on Lake Como shelter beneath the green hills in Lombardy. |
St. Croce is a stunning example of gothic architecture. |
 Construction of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence began May 3rd 1294 with the architect, Arnolfo di Cambio. |
Pompeii is a ruined Roman city near modern Naples. The city dates back to 79 AD. |
 Many artifacts remain in the city of Pompeii, which began in 700 BCE and was rediscovered in 1748. |
 When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD many of the citizens of Pompeii were trapped. Some were incased in the ash and their bodies, as well as their homes, food, pets and murals, were preserved as terrible reminders of nature’s destruction. |
The 16th century statue of Neptune in the Piazza Della Signoria in Florence. This famous statue supposedly inspired Michelangelo to tell its creator Bartolomeo Ammannati that he was wasting good marble. |
The Duomo of Milan is a gothic cathedral begun in the fifth century and finished in the fifteenth. It’s most famous “Madunina” spire is a sacred symbol to the people of Milan. |
The city of Bellagio on Lake Como is so beautiful that a Las Vegas Casino decided to name itself after it. Only 3000 people live here, the prices are so expensive. |
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 The Colosseum was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Built between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian, it can hold up to 50,000 spectators. |
In 70 AD tens of thousands of lions roamed through the forests of Europe. |
The State of the Vatican City is the smallest independent nation in the world. It sprawls over 100 acres and its government is a monarchy. |
Trieste, where the Empress Sisi’s brother-in-law lived
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