This is the only section on my blog where the photos are NOT taken with my new Nikon D80.  I only got my new camera a few months ago.  These pictures were taken with older cameras.

 

Florence.  So far, it’s my favorite little city in Italy.  I feel at home there.  The food, the wine, the culture!  This is the view from Piazzale Michelangelo.  While the sun is just starting to set…

 

 

As the sun sets, the sky lights up….

 

 

Here’s the duomo in Florence.  Santa Maria del Fiore. This church is so gorgeous, I love the green and pink colored marble.

 

 

I cannot mention Florence without showing a picture of Michelangelo’s David.  I apologize for the blurryness, but you are not allowed to take a picture here.  I mean, the guards come after you, screaming in Italian.  It was a miracle I even got this shot.  David….Very.  Impressive.  I can visit him everyday I’m in Florence and not get sick of looking at him.

 

 

When I’m in Italy, there are two things I must eat every single day.  And that is prosciutto and gelato.  That’s right, every day.  You can only imagine the weight gain.  But who cares, right?  I mean, I’m in Italy, live it up!  This is our first day in Florence (hence the jet lagged glaze) and we are on the Ponte Vecchio having our first gelato of the trip. 

 

 

My other favorite daily food while in Italy.  Prosciutto.  This was taken in the Mercato Centrale.

 

 

San Gimignano is a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany.  These are some of the 14 remaining towers.  This little town is magical.  I feel like I’m in a fairytale while walking around.

 

 

We climbed one of the tallest towers.  This is an aerial view of Piazza del Cisterna.

 

 

This was also taken from the tallest tower, a glimpse of the surrounding countryside beyond a smaller tower.

 

  

More countryside.  I never tire of looking at these pictures. 

 

 

Almost forgot to mention another one of my favorite things in Italy.  The Cyprus Tree.  Yes, a tree.  They are everywhere in Tuscany and they are dramatic.  I love them.  See all of them in this picture….circling that big area of grass?  Ahhh….

 

 

Another  hilltop town that left a lasting impression on me was Montalcino.  God, the views from this place!  Breathtaking.  Honestly, the pictures don’t even do it justice.  Here’s the cousins…

 

 

We stumbled upon a little wine bar/shop.  It looked quite unassuming from the front entry.  But as we were looking through and walking towards the back to sit at a table and order our 5th glass of wine for the day (again, we’re in Italy!!) we discovered all the tables to be set up looking out this window with jaw-dropping views.  Stunning. 

 

 

Some of the other little towns we visited were Montepulciano, Pienza, Greve, Castellini in Chianti and Volterra.  We stopped in Greve for lunch.  Using the word “lunch” here is quite the understatement.  We had the meal of our lives.  A 3 hour production. 

 

 

Doorways in Castellina…  

 

  

 

Rome…terrific city.  I mean – it’s Rome for heaven’s sake!  This was taken in St. Peter’s Square…

 

 

I was standing on top of Castel Sant’Angelo (The Mausoleum of Hadrian) when I took this picture.  There was some sort of event going on at the Vatican that day (as you can see from the gazillion people).  It was not fun trying to walk around this area that day.

 

 

  

This was taken at the Coliseum…

 

 

 

One of my favorite things in Rome is Fontana di Trevi.  I have to spend some time there every time I go to Rome.  The fountain is tremendous and I love the blue water against the white of the stonework.  And yes, I throw a coin in over my shoulder every time!

 

 

Right in front of the Spanish Steps, we picked up some of the best chestnuts I’ve ever had.  Out on the street.  They gave them to us in a paper cone and we were able to just walk the streets eating chestnuts.