Rome part 2 and Florence part 1

- Our luck on this trip has been remarkable, the longest line we have stood in was 30 minutes for the Eiffel Tower. On a beuatiful sunny morning we arrived at the Colloseum as it was opening and walked right in.


- Built in 70 - 80 AD and sat 50,000 spectators

























- Arch of Constantine and the Roman Forums from the perspective of the Colloseum




- Trevi Fountains in the daytime, something we felt we need to see again and sober!






- Baths of Caracalla






- While visitting the Pyramid of Cestius we found a small cemetary where the English poet John Keats is burried































- We woke up this morning with half a day left in Rome before heading off to Florence. It was raining and the skies looked dark, so we hopped an earlier train for the sunny city of Firenze. One of the first things I took Shawn to see was the Ponte Vecchio.















- Shawn in front of the Duomo. The ornate decorations on the outside of the cathedral are so amazing, it is a shock to walk inside and see the stark white walls.

Paris part and Rome part 1

- View of the Eiffel from the 3rd level










- One of the advantages of going on this trip in Sept/Oct were the diminished lines. We only waited 30 minutes to go up the tower.






- Paris layed out behind me from the 2nd level. The morning mist made the photos from the 3rd level a little less sharp.




















Chopin's grave at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise





















- Stately manor in the Park Monceau neighbourhood









- One of the buildings on the edge of Luxembourg Jardins. We went to a pastry shop and had a picknick in the park. Afterwards I had a nap on a park bench which was the perfect way to end our time in Paris.



- Rome






- Tiny buses that traverse the small lanes in Rome and Florence







- Imperial Forums next to the Colloseum























Shawn and I are having a wonderful time in Rome. Although he enoyed French food, it is here where he is truly experience a new sensation with the flavours.

The ancient buildings are something to behold and are far more amazing than he thought they would be. Surprisingly, he is also enoying the art galleries, something else he hadn't experienced before this trip.













- After visitting the Pantheon, we ate dinner in the square out front. After polishing off a bottle of wine, sambuccas and lemoncellos, we left very happy.







- In our "happy" state we stumbled upon the Trevi Fountains by accident









- The columns in the centre aren't actually askew, this is the result of my camera's panoramic feature. That or the wine... or the sambucca... or the...


- St Peter's Basillica and the Vatican City






- The ceiling of the gallery that leads into the Sistine Chapel












- Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel










- A funny little semi-motorized bike we rented in Villa Borghese Park







- One of the bridges and fortresses on the banks of the Tiber river taken from our boat cruise