Italy
We began our adventure at the Milan Airport at 7:30 AM, greeted unexpectedly by our guide, an Italian beach volleyball star, who revealed she had a full day of sightseeing planned.
Despite having traveled for nearly 13 hours, most of us were eager to seize the opportunity. We ended up spending more time in Italy than in the rest of our trip combined, thoroughly enjoying every moment of our visit.
Il Duomo di Milano (the Milan Cathedral), the second largest church in Italy after the Vatican, and the fifth largest in the world. Construction was begun in 1386 and the cathedral was not completed until 1965.
I had the opportunity to go to the roof of the Milan Cathedral and to photograph the courtyard below.
Statue of Leonardo da Vinci surrounded by four followers. Leonardo lived in Milan from 1482 to 1499 and again from 1508 to 1513. His famous The Last Supper was painted in Milan.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping center, located adjacent to the Milan Cathedral courtyard. The 1884 mall includes such high-end stores as Prada and Versace.
A typical Italian breakfast - and yes, wine was included.
Electric street car in downtown Milan
The 'coast highway' along Lake Como in northern Italy
Lake Como
Steep steps in a shopping area of the village of Bellagio on Lake Como
The town square of Padua, with statues of 78 prominent Padua residents from history. The city was founded about 1200 BC, so it is over 3300 years old. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 and has hosted such luminary professors as Galileo Galilei. We did not see a single shrew during our time in Padua.
The hotel swimming pool at our hotel in Padua, Italy
The Grand Canal and the church of San Simeone Piccolo, one of the first sights you see when leaving the Venice train station.
Homes with doors opening directly onto the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy
On a water taxi approaching the Ponte della Guglie bridge in Venice
Colorfully painted houses on Burano Island, part of Venice, Italy
Re-entering the Grand Canal in Venice at dusk on returning from Burano Island. We were greeted by the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute on Punta della Dogana. The Basilica was begun in 1631 in response to the devastating losses - at least 46,000 and perhaps as high as 94,000 - in Venice in 1630 from bubonic plague. Nearly all of the art housed in the Basilica references the Black Death. Construction was completed in 1681.
A serene mountain village in the hills northeast of Venice