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Part of my family decided to spend a few weeks in Morocco and Europe.
Unfortunately at the time I was very much enslaved, so I could only join
them for the second half of the trip. This included France (Paris,
specifically) and several cities in Italy. I had been to Paris before,
but having Papa and Cris as tour-guides was awesome. They know all
the secrets.
In Paris we were staying at a wonderful little apartment near the
Rodin Museum - a very convenient location. We had the incredible luck
that during our stay, a small chamber orchestra was playing my favourite
Bach violin concertos (BWV 1041, 1042, 1043) in the Sainte-Chapelle.
That alone was worth the trip for me.
Then in Italy, while in Verona we stayed at my cousin's vineyard.
Aside from Verona we visited Milan, Venice, Florence, Padua, and
Ravenna.
(Gallery has 46 pix).
Along the river Seine, Paris. Some hotel that my sister likes. Musee Rodin, obviously, Paris. Along the river Siene, Paris. Improvised Lady Di memorial, Paris. Eiffel tower as seen from the river. Eiffel tower Y2K countdown. Along the river Siene, Paris. One of the crossings over the Siene. Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre, Paris. A statue of Dante, Verona. Juliette's balcony, Verona. The Coliseum in Verona. Cris poses. The tower at the Duomo, Firenze, Italy. The tower at the Duomo, Firenze, Italy. More detail of the Duomo, Firenze, Italy. Ponte Vecchio, as seen from Galleria Uffizi. Another one for the girls.
Last year when I was here, the sculptures looked green. They apparently underwent a facelift and looked great in the gold & black finish. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations. Perhaps my favourite area of town. Perhaps my favourite area of town. Perhaps my favourite area of town. Perhaps my favourite area of town.
Verona was Dante's birthplace, so he is a pretty famous character in that area. A bit difficult to see, there is also a statue of J. in the courtyard. Her right boob is polished to a shine because legend has it that rubbing it will bring prosperity in matters of love to the one doing the rubbing. I didn't rub it. Probably should have. The pit in the middle was used for tossing christians and lions for the amusement of the general public. We have lost some valuable traditions through the years...
That bridge is the bridge of the sighs. Prisoners did that a lot, I suppose, as they were being sentenced in one building and then sent to jail in the other building. The holding cells were very small. Preferred local means of transportation. One can see the Arabic influences in the architectural details of the building on the right.
The marble work is amazing. The marble work is amazing.
The marble work is amazing.
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