Today we are going to Como. We passed through Como on the way into Switzerland going to Lugano, but today we were going to return because the city is small, lots of shops and beautiful views. It seems as this entire trip, as someone commented, is eating our way across Europe. The other thing I might point out i s, while that might be the way I write, the other side of that coin is I feel like I've walked across Europe. Walking, climbing up stairs, going down stairs and more walking has been the active part of every day, except the days we hold a bus seat down for 8 to 10 hours moving around Italy and into Switzerland. The food has been great. Except for one place, every place we have eaten has been ... read more

Today was a guided tour day in the morning, and a shop-till-you-drop day in the afternoon, also known as free-time. We were guided through the Doge's Palace, the prison where the bad boys were kept, went over the "Bridge of Sighs", saw St. Mark's Cathedral, the Duomo, as it is called. Some interesting things about this island. It is built in the middle of a lagoon. About 900 years ago, or more, they decided to pound tree trunks into the mud, with a mixture of sand and clay that hardened better than concrete. Now, of course, if you think about that, you should also think about what you put on top of those trees. Sometimes, that wasn't done. This was after the Roman Empire, so no Roman Engineering to help with structures. So, St. Mark's floor ... read more

Today began with the news that the Cinque Terra was not going to be on our list of places to see today because of the bad weather. Day before yesterday, Genoua was flooded, and the weather forecast was bad for the Cinque Terra and since it is a bunch of pretty little towns build on the side of a cliff, if it is windy, or rainy, it is dangerous and they close the roads. So, instead we were going to head for Lucca, spend the morning in the town, walking around within the walls. It is one of the few towns left that still has the wall because the Romans didn't destroy them. The Lucca people were diplomatic, and because they didn't fight others, the Romans didn't tear down their wall. Of course, the town has ... read more

We packed out bags for pickup at 7:30 for departure to Lucca tonight. Along the way, we stopped in Sienna to eat lunch, walk alot, see little alleys, a church, aka Domo, public square, hall of justice, and get some history about the city. In Houston, the old section of town, buildings are from 1935, here, 1435 is considered historic. Lots of nice frescos, and it seems they are still finding stuff. The church we toured, was very pretty, and we were fortunate because the floor of this church has 38 panels of inlaid marble in the floor, that tells the bible stories from creation through Christ's Redemption. The artists, forty of them, laid these out between 1347 - 1547. The floor is only uncovered to view two months of the year. This was one of ... read more

So begin today with 5:15 wake up call, so you can make 6:30 breakfast, but perhaps with a moment to connect to wifi in the lobby as you pass through. Nope, big line of people waiting in line to get in for breakfast at 6:30, because tour buses are leaving hotel for Vatican City. Oh, I guess we aren't the only ones going huh? Breakfast was good, enjoyable, and not rushed, since our bus didn't leave until 8:15. Then, the crowds began. The tour guide was wonderful, and prepared us for everything. Francisca is a pro. We got off the bus, and met the quick scam artists, selling wraps for the ladies, and post cards for anyone willing to give up 1 Euro for 20 cards. Francisca noted that there were real vendors at the Vatican ... read more