We're back from our wonderful trip to Italy for our 20th anniversary....did you miss me?

I almost don't know where to start. I took 564 photos while in Italy! I'll just post a few. We spent our first week in Florence in an apartment on the Ponte Vecchio which was the perfect location for walking everywhere. Here's a photo of the Duomo, which is a huge church with the Gates of Paradise painted on the inside dome ceiling. Let me tell you...I think we walked up about 1 million steps to get to the top (that may be a slight exaggeration). I was pooped with a capital P and my legs were shaky from the whole climb, but what a view of the city from the top with all the tile on the roofs. The Duomo is so huge I can't get it all into one photo. We were impressed with the workmanship considering what tools they may have had to build this thing back when. One more thing I want to say is that the statue of David (also in Florence)which was sculpted by Michelangelo is in a museum that does not allow photos. I was bummed because it was so awesome and I wanted a photo! You could actually see the veins in his arms that were carved.

Here's a view of the Gates of Paradise painted on the inside of the dome ceiling. Not painted by Michelangelo.

I'm smiling a little because we are on our way down now and the huge climb is over! Can you see how narrow the circular, stone staircase is?

We took a little day trip to Venice. We didn't visit any museums there, but I got many photos of the gondoliers....O Solo Mio!!!

This is just a cool window I liked.....

We also took a day trip from Florence to Pisa and a trip to a castle that had a wine tasting (not in Pisa).

We absolutely loved Siena which was built in the 14th century. It's a smaller village that is surrounded by a brick wall (seen below). The center of the village is the Piazza Del Campo where all of the events take place. Like the running of the horses in July and August. We went to Siena after our week in Florence.

After 2 nights in Siena we ventured on to Rome. My favorite building to visit was St. Peter's Basilica (the Vatican). The Pope was in Jordan at the time, but it was pretty awesome to stand on the stone plaza that more than 200,000 people stand whenever he speaks from the balcony. This is just one of the photos I took inside. It was filled with marble statues and paintings and gold and dead popes that were laid to rest in glass coffins you could see through.

Mark was continually gawking at the laundry people hung out from their windows on clothes lines...they have no dryers in Italy so they can save on electricity. He also thought of a great use for the bidets which we didn't use. He washed his shorts out with some liquid detergent I brought.

We left Rome after 4 nights and rode the train to visit my cousin near Arpino. This photo below is the oldest standing arch that was built in 600 BC. Can you imagine that? We were told that there was another arch in Greece as old, but it has now fallen.

This is the fort where the arch is located north of the town of Arpino.

OK....now that I'm finished talking about our trip, it's time for Family and Fauna.... Here's Jenny and B.J. looking very happy that their August wedding is right on track.

Here are the baby robins that grew up in our weeping cherry tree beside the house...there are 3.

and YAY....look here....we finally have a pair of bluebirds (my personal favorite bird) building a nest in our bluebird house at the back of the house. The male is standing guard while the female is inside.

and here he is in a tree waiting to fly over to her. I'm sooooo happy!!! June will be a busy, fun month for me. Our little grandson is due any day (mom is dilated), my friends from United Quilt Guild are having their annual Challenge Night on the 2nd, Knitter's Connection and the NQA show will both be at the Convention Center downtown from the 17th-20th and United Quilt Guild will be having their Bi-annual quilt show on the 26th and 27th in Sebring, Ohio. I have one bed sized quilt entered. Ciao for now!