The drive over the mountain passes from Switzerland to Italy was magnificent
Our first stop in Italy was Reggia Emilia where we stayed in an old monastery attached to a 500 year old church.
These hallowed walls provided wonderful acoustics.
Griffin found a cat in the courtyard and they played comfortably with each other in the shadow of the abby.
This is the elementary school in Reggio Emilia noted for being the starting place for a visionary mode of education.
Upon our arrrival in Florence we headed down to the Piazza Vecchio.
In the distance, our destination, the Duomo.
The view from Pont Vecchio is a Florentine classic.
Equally powerful is the perspective of the city afforded by the piazzale Michaelangelo.
The Bargello museum is noted in particular for its Michaelalgelo and Donetello sculpture.
The Moneylender
Donatello's David.
A unique point of view.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria was one of the amazing structures that grace central Florence. Giotto's bell tower is on the right. And no, it doesn't really curve.
The view of the ceiling of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria has impressed architects for centuries and made a lasting impression on Michaelangelo.
For whatever reason, in the midle of completing this carving, Michaelangelo became upset with this Pieta and smashed huge portions of it. Now mostly reconstructed it is still an amazing artistic achievement.
When we finally found a true Italian restaurant (this one was for Italians), we lingered and let the food melt in our mouths.
The zig and the zag here show the private path built for the Medici family so they could walk from the old Uffizi quarters to their new Pitti palace without mixing with the common folk.
Weary from days of museum exploration, our travelers reflect on what they have just seen.
Moving on to Siena; we arrived on Race day and a city wide spectacle.
The cathedral in Siena is noted for its wonderful horizontal stripes.
It is the inside of the cathedral where the striped walls are really the most striking.
Looking up inside the dome in Siena's cathedral.
An incredibly elaborate cathedral.
The stripes were really a bit much for some of us.
The town square was being prepared with a dirt track for the horse racers.
A racer prepares for the impending contest.
The Tuscan countryside surrounding Siena was filled with olive groves, sunflowers and villas.
As we moved on to Orvietto we set out to explore another of the striped cathedrals.
Capella di San Brizio in Orvietto - Luca Signorelli's fresco of the Last Judgement is the highlight of this chapel.
The streets of Orvietto conjure up images of life in Italy for the past few Centuries.
Pamela explores the town where shops spill out into the street.