Vatican City '08

Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. At approximately 110 acres, and with a population of around 800, it is the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.

Me with a Swiss Guard in his traditional uniform The grounds of Vatican City Pond in manicured garden Nicely manicured gardens The famous Dome of Vatican City The Pope's residence Entrance into the cathedral After seeing the Statue of David, all other statues seem to pale in comparison... Another statue on the grounds of the Vatican City Inside the Vatican Museum. The ceiling is actually painted but the awesome piece of work makes it look like it is a real 3-D effect! View of St. Peter's Sqaure from the top of the Dome The shape of this statue reminds me of.....never mind....:) The obelisk from the Circus of Nero in St. Peter's Square One part of St. Peter's Square Me sending off postcards in the Vatican City's only post office Gelato for the day! I am happie!

Florence, Italy '08

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of approx 370,000. The city lives on the Arno River and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
We spent a day at The Uffizi which was really good and also had the opportunity to see the original Statue of David up close (and personal....)...

Campanile of Santa Maria del Fiore

Another angle... The Baptistry Taken from The Uffizi Taken from the Square Streets of Florence Florence city skyline The bridges of Florence The little houses/shops along the canal gives one a very quaint feeling... The City of Florence Statue of David Fried chicken with fries Tomato pasta - one of the "purer" ones I had in Italy When in Florence, gotta try the Florentine Steak. Compare the size of the steak to the folk - its HUGE! Fried chicken with fried veggie sticks This is the best value-for-money deal. Relatively cheap, yummy and it comes with a glass of wine too! Pasta with my favourite mushrooms The menu for this dinner listed so much stuff and I was expecting a huge serving! I was still starving after this :P

Mount Vesuvius, Italy '08

Mount Vesuvius is an active stratovolcano east of Naples, Italy. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is currently not erupting. The other volcanos in Italy are located on islands.

Mount Vesuvius is on the coast of theBay of Naples, about nine kilometres (six miles) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is conspicuous in the beautiful landscape presented by that bay, when seen from the sea, with Naples in the foreground. Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

It has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people now living close to it and its tendency towards explosive eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.

Me @ base of Mount Vesuvius The view on the way up It's a long way up and quite steep! Taking a breather... The crater Close-up of some of the volcanic rocks We walked around along the rim of the whole crater - the angles and views are different from different parts of the crater Loose stones on some parts of the mountain
View of Pompeii from the mountain - misty and mysterious....

Sorrento, Italy'08

Sorrento is a small city in Campania, Italy. The town overlooks the bay of Naples and is famous for the production of limoncello - an alcoholic digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. I love this town with its cobble-stone streets, the many little alleys to explore and the small shops to pop into.

This is my favourite picture of the sunset on the Bay of Naples The Bay of Naples View of Sorrento from the bay The trains in Sorrento. The graffiti is actually quite nice Streets of Sorrento Cafes and shops along a small alley One wonders who is the traffic light for? Italian cookies They look yummy! Drool.... Grilled salmon for one of the dinners Vongole sphagetti - the serving size is huge!