I took more than 500 photographs in Italy. . .only 22 had my husband and I in them. . .the rest are all of architecture, fashion, design, antiques, gardens and landscapes, food, cathedrals, religious artifacts and ruins, so while I cannot show you all of them, here are a handful for your viewing. . .
My hubby and I at the very top of the Duomo in Florence. I am very claustrophobic and the climb up to the Duomo's peak is more than 450 steps, with a passage so narrow that only one person can fit at a time and in some areas it is so steep, it is actually like climbing a ladder. I started to panic a little at one point, because I felt like I was in a concrete coffin but I pulled it together and made it to the top. . .
Inside the Duomo it is breathtaking. . .the height alone is astonishing.
Ponte Vecchio in Florence is one of the few bridges that has shops built on it. . .it's famous for selling exquisite gold and silver. Some of the jewelry shops on that bridge rival Kate Middleton's fabulous engagement ring!!
An exterior view of the Duomo's incredible detailing.
They say there's no pizza in the world like the pizza in Italy. . .the proverbial "they" are correct but once you've had it for ten days. . .anything but that sounds good.
A beautiful stone staircase in Tuscany. . .the simple steps and gorgeous growth around it felt so inviting.
We stayed at the Hotel Savoy in Florence, which was literally a stone's throw from the Duomo. . .good thing because I was mesmerized by it and all of the country's grand cathedrals actually.
We stopped for a day in Chianti, a small Tuscan town responsible for it's namesake wine. Interestingly enough, on Mother's Day here in the states my cousin served, unbeknownst to him, a wine native to that very town.
Italian markets feel so authentic. . .I sat there looking at all this fresh produce, wishing I could cook up a yummy meal!

A spectacular Roman arch on Palatine Hill, the birthplace of the city. Look at the detailed carving. I never ceased to be amazed, then and now, at the incredibly time-consuming work displayed across the entire city, and country.
And amongst all the ruins and crumbled stone of Rome, life grows and blooms beautifully.

Sure, the Sistine Chapel and the David are incredible, but THIS is a random sculpture on a random no-name bridge. . .this city is bleeding gorgeous artwork!
The interior of one of the Vatican Museum's rooms. Nearly every room was breath-taking like this one. There is an old saying that one can live in Rome for a thousand years and never have seen the whole of the city. After three days there I can assure you I believe it entirely.

You may recognize this architecture. . .it makes a cameo in the film The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, which was filmed here in Venice.