I am once again at a hotel with internet access through the hotel computer, so no pictures again. If I find an internet bar, I will see what I can do. Driving up here from Firenze was actually very easy. I only made one wrong turn, exiting the autostrade, but I was able to fix it quickly and easily. Trying to figure out where I need to go while driving with the flow of traffic was exciting in itself. I stopped in Trieste for coffee. To celebrate, I had 2 cappuccinos. 1 to drink and the other to wear on my shirt. Grrr. So I bought a nice cafe au lait colored long sleeve polo in Trieste. Guess it was meant to be. On my way out of Trieste, I passed the Illy plant, or at ... read more

What a great day today was. It started out differently, with the fire alarm going off in the hotel. I didn't think anything of it, but it wouldn't stop. I called the front desk and found out that it was a problem in the kitchen. It's one of those things. I didn't imagine there was going to be a fire, but then again, I'm sure no one at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas thought that either. I made my way to the train station without getting lost, bought my ticket at a machine and headed to Pisa. At Pisa, I took a taxi to the Campo dei Miracoli, where the Tower is. As cheesy as the Leaning Tower of Pisa may sound, it is actually very impressive. The marble is beautiful and yeah, it leans ... read more

Getting here to Florence was the big adventure today. I have discovered that driving somewhere is pretty easy as long as I follow the signs; however, finding my way back to the starting point is the real issue. For the life of me I could not find the car rental place. At each turn I second guessed myself, finding myself turned around every which way. At one point I was driving on a roundabout that even now I am not sure whether was a road or sidewalk. No one yelled at me, nor did I hit anyone, so I am guessing it was ok. If I wasn't so frazzled at the time it probably would have been funny in the way that the Three Stooges were funny. I did make my way to where I wanted ... read more

For those of you who have been to my home, you probably remember the picture of the quaint town and harbor that I have over the fireplace. That picture was the reason I decided to make this trip, and today I went to where the picture was taken. Cinque Terre is a group of 5 towns along the Mediterranean Sea. I drove to the first one, parked and walked the pathway to the second one. I was hiking along towards the third one, but the path was closed due to the rain and bad weather. At that point, I took the train and skipped the third town. I thought this was ok because it is a small one and not as incredible. I arrived in Vernazza, the town I so wanted to see. I walked around ... read more

Today was the big day in Milan. I took a bus/walking tour of Castello Sforzesco, the Last Supper, Duomo and La Scalla Theater. Seeing the Last Supper was something I really appreciated. Just standing in the refectory where it is was an experience I can't describe. We had to pass through several air locks in order to access the room and then the same to exit. Of course there were no photos allowed, but I will always remember it. The Castello was interesting, but not too noteworthy. La Scalla Theater was interesting, as we were able to see a ballet rehearsal in progress as well as take a tour through the museum. I thought we would tour through the Duomo, the 3rd largest cathedral in the world, but we just looked at the outside and talked ... read more