From Rome to Venice... in photos

We stayed near Spanish Steps, about a 5 minute walk. Dowstairs from our hotel was this cafe where we had our breakfast and coffees.

We tried to keep our rooms under $200. Town House Spagna was inexpensive but felt very fancy.

One of our goals was to find a hotel where you could walk to dinner. This was right outside our door.

Jet lag be damned, we went straight to the Colosseum on our first day.

You can almost imagine the gladiator fights. Look below, there used to be a floor there. Now you can see where they kept the prisoners and animals.

Built around 70 A.D.. and still standing.

After the Colosseum go to The Forum to see more ancient ruins.

The Colosseum on the right. Impressive from any angle.

We climbed a zillion stairs, up and down, trying to figure out how to get to the top of "the typewriter building", officially known as the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument .

View of Rome from the Typewriter Building.

Back to the hotel, we found the Spanish Steps. You can't sit on them any longer.

Roscioli, a very cool restaurant with amazing Cacio e Pepe

Lots of great little restaurants right outside our hotel door

A burst of rain, we nabbed these chairs and had a drink

Inside the Pantheon - there's a hole in the domed ceiling to let in light

Yikes, the crowds at Trevi Fountain are intense

A nice walk through Borghese Gardens, a huge park

What a view! I spy the Typewriter Building

Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica

Getting up early on day 2 seemed like a bad idea at first but our tour of Vatican City before the crowds was well worth it. Not Catholic? Not religious? It doesn’t matter, you have to see this to believe it. The Sistine Chapel is here as well, another masterpiece by Michelangelo. Remember, go early - here’s a photo of the crowds by noon. Compare that with the first photo below when we did our tour.

Florence and Siena: Art, Culture, and Yes, Food

Off the train, walking to our hotel, our first view of the Duomo. Stunning.

What a beautiful hotel, La Terraza Sul Duomo.

Breakfast included, delivered to our room.

This is our view from the hotel rooftop. It just doesn't get better than this.

Why is it that everything looks so bright and fresh in Italy?

Everyone wants to meet David. He's very popular.

You've seen David, but perhaps not from this angle.

Michelangelo is buried here - Basilica of Santa Croce.

Here's your art lesson - this is pre-Renaissance. Lots of symbolism and a bit one dimensional.

As the Renaissance progressed art became much more human-like. And that concludes my art lesson.

From the Uffizi Museum, the views of Ponte Vecchio are nearly as stunning as the art.

You think you've had this? Not like in Italy. The melon was sweeter than bubble gum, the prosciutto the best we had ever tasted.

We stumbled up Bascilica Santa Maria Novella as we walked to dinner

Florence streets at night are nice and safe and well lit

Il Porcellino - put a coin in his mouth and let it fall to the grates, rub his snout for good measure, to ensure a return trip to Florence.

Not enhanced in any way, this is Florence at night.

Live music on Ponte Vecchio provided by local buskers.

A side trip to Siena, a trip back to medievil times,

Truffles... with pasta. It was so, so, so good.

Just a typical super cute restaurant in Siena.

... the fantastic Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Expensive, yes, but essential dining in Florence.

The Delicious Cinque Terre

Simply delicious, we loved everything we ate in Cinque Terre. Anchovies are the thing here, fresh with lemon - nothing better. Cones of fried seafood, strange yet delicious sea creatures, pesto, oh wow, what pesto, and of course focaccia bread, invented here, perfecto! And it was here that we had the best pizza on our trip, a very simple Neapolitan style margarita pizza with flavors so rich, so intense, that sharing was out of the question. If you love food, if you really love seafood, Cinque Terre will exceed your wildest dreams, from Michelin star dining to street food takeout.

Scenes from Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore, as beautiful as you an possibly imagine.

Montorosso is the largest of the 5 villages. We stayed in this area, a good decision.

Montorosso's beach is the often called the Riviera, but it's really just a good beach town

Take the tunnel to the older section of Montorosso where most of the restaurants are

Calm, peaceful Montorosso as the sun goes down

We found great food and quaint restaurants in Cinque Terre

Quiet after all the tourist go home at night

The boats piled on the sand at night, the warm breeze, it's like being in a dream

We hiked from Montorosso to Venazza. The trail starts - Easy so far.

See that town below? You've hiked from there and the hike has just begun

Almost there? Not quite. Vernazza down below.

Lots and lots of uneven stairs, it's not an easy hike

But the hike is worth it for views like this of Vernazza

Corniglia lemons mean limoncello must be nearby

Corniglia is small but has plenty of small charms like this patio tucked away with views of the vineyards

Tourists in Riomagiorre are thick near the water taxi's but clear out as you walk up the street

Riomagiorre is beautiful everywhere you look

Don't chicken out, these fried anchovies are crispy, salty, delicious

Strolling Through Venice

Venice is both touristy and not. We stayed in decidedly non-touristy area where we were able to walk the quiet streets and snap photos of the local life before heading out to the chaotic cruise ship packed areas. Nights were better and upon hearing the stirring sounds of a live orchestra, the notes floating above us and calling out to us, we found ourselves in St. Mark’s Square where we found the source of the mesmerizing music, the dueling orchestras playing as if for us alone. We explored the big sights but equally loved the lonely sections of town, away from all tourists.