Our little apartment in the heart of Rome was perfect... just a block from beautiful Piazza Navona, the happening square in the center of the capital. We were only a little scared when the earthquake hit the country, just to the east of Rome. Our room was rocking like we were on a ship, and our chandelier was swaying for a long time!
Here, Laura is throwing a coin (1 Euro, or $1.33) over her shoulder, into the famous Trevi Fountain... that means that she will some day return to Rome... as I did after throwing a Secretary of the Navy coin in the fountain in 1999!
The St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican was amazing... not sure why, but we were both surprised to find the tomb of St. Peter right inside the church. There were lots of people in Rome and the Vatican during Holy Week, but not as many as there are just a few weeks later in late April. Our timing was great.
We rented a car and headed north after our little shake up in Rome. This is the view from the town of San Gimignano, just north of Siena in Toscana (Tuscany). It was the perfect town to stay in, because it is not as touristy as the more famous ones, yet we were within short drives of Florence and other sights. Our "agriturismo" (bed and breakfast) is behind us, and had the view (below) up at San Gimignano.
Our little Fiat Panda took us all over, including a fascinating day in the crowded city of Florence,
Finally, we made our way to Venezia (Venice)! This place is absurd, and beautiful. It is like a 2,000 year old Disneyland. We had a great hotel again, this time a 10-room place right on the Grand Canal. We had the special room, #8, which included a tiny breakfast and reading area overlooking the canal. 
We toured the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Square and went to Murano to see where so much of Italy's glassware is made. And - of course - we had lots of Italian meals. Although smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants, even in Italy, the amount of smokers in this congested city was amazing, and in the crowded city streets it was very noticeable. We didn't do a gondola ride, but our private, high-speed, sunrise water taxi to the airport on our last morning was really something!
It was the trip of a lifetime... It is also nice to get back home again, and realize how blessed we are to live in this great country. Thanks to everyone who helped out so much with the kids... we are very grateful!!!
We visited a country that the last time I was there for a brief war, in 1991, was a barren desert, with only a handful of buildings higher than a few stories, and now has hundreds of the world’s most impressive skyscrapers, malls and attractions, including the highest building in the world, at 2,500 feet (below).
We heard fascinating, no-holds-barred lectures on history, politics and international relations from former secretaries of defense and state, ambassadors, special emmisaries, legendary journalists and former service chiefs...
We had a fabulous meal at another of the very few seven-star hotels, the Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel, where a Croatian super model played a grand piano in the lobby, the floors are marble polished so perfectly they are like mirrors, and a huge taj-like entrance stands only for visits by the royal family of the UAE (United Arab Emirates). Pictured here is another of the seven star hotels, the Burj Al Arab, across from our hotel (the Jumeriah Beach). The hotel's exterior changed colors spectacularly at night...
