FLORENCE, ITALY (Day 1)

Next was Florence! This was definitely on my list of cities in Italy that I wanted to see.

We went to a high spot where we had a great view of the city.

And the original wall of the city...

We saw the River Arno.

And more great views.

We stopped at a beautiful garden area.

We went to the Basilica Santa Croce

And we saw where Michelangelo was buried.

SIENA, ITALY

Our next stop was Siena, a charming little town on our way from Rome to Florence. The drive through Tuscany was lovely.

By now, there were just three of us (Mary had to visit her daughter elsewhere in Europe), and we enjoyed walking the streets of Siena. We stayed a couple of nights and enjoyed this unique town and enjoyed some great food too. I especially remember some delicious gelato.

ROME, ITALY

Several years ago, I went to Rome with Eric on a whirlwind thee-day visit. Of course, that was not enough to see the many sites, but because I threw my coin in the Trevi Fountain, I was able to return! This time, I flew in to join three friends: Suzanne, Nancy, and Mary. Nancy had arranged a lovely apartment rental for us. It had a large living room and a lovely view of a charming Roman street.

As we walked the streets of Rome my first afternoon, we saw the Tiber River, a church (the first of many!), and a lovely fountain near our apartment.

Nancy arranged for a tour guide to take us through several wonderful historical areas such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

Of course, we saw many churches, but this was one of my favorites.

This museum had a charming garden painting on several walls. The description said, "The frescoes of the Villa of Livia, the oldest example of a continuous garden painting (30-20 B.C.)...

Of course, the Pantheon was wonderful.

And another museum... I loved the architecture and the statues.