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W E L C O M E T O
T O R T I L L A B A Y . C O M
T
H E W E B S I T E O F
A L B E R T O
V A Z Q U E Z A N D C R A I G
A Y L I F F E
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C E N T R A L I T A L Y
F l o r e n c e
P i s a R
o m e
V a t i c a n C i t y |
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Roberto the Handsome, our waiter
with the green eyes, Rome 2006 |
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C E N
T R A L I T A L Y B L O
G
F L O R E N C E
It is said that when Hitler came
to see Florence during the occupation, he stood on the Ponte Vecchio and
declared it to be the most beautiful bridge he had ever seen. "Save this
bridge," he said, "And destroy all the rest."
Which they
(the Nazis) did. Dozens of
medieval homes and castles, all the other venerable bridges, and
hundreds of shops and homes that lined the River Arno were bombed into
rubble. The gold and silver shops were emptied and shipped to Berlin.
Go to Florence
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Ponte Vecchio,
Florence, Italy 2006 |
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P I S A
Pisa is just a short train trip from Florence.
You have to see it, of course. And the
surrounding park and Duomo are beautiful. Be
prepared for crowds and crowds of vendors trying
to sell you fake Rolex watches, but just relax
and enjoy it. Go past the Tower of Pisa and
wander in the streets beyond, there are some
great restaurants to relax in and have some
pizza
However, there's things about Pisa you didn't know.......
Go to Pisa
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Pisa |
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R O M E
We went
straight away to the Pantheon after everyone was checked in to their
respective hotels, and had had a nap. Taxis are cheap so that was how we were getting
around. The Pantheon is still probably my favorite building in Rome. As
Rick Steves
says, 'So
perfectly proportioned. Eight 40-foot single granite columns across the
front supporting a Greek-style triangular roof. Magnificently huge and
simple at the same time. So broad is the front portico that locals call
"Rome's umbrella", a great place to wait until it stops raining.'
We have
a great lunch at a sidewalk cafe just in front, and I quickly seat
myself first so that I can have it in my field of vision while I eat.
Go to Rome |
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Pantheon, Rome 2006
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V A T I C A N
C I T Y
Holy Roman Empire! This place is huge!
And as
Rick Steves says, "...even if you
are not Catholic, while you are here, consider becoming one." Meaning, I
suppose, that you must simply give in to the events in front of your
face. On the one hand, it is a Sepulcher. The Basilica is filled with
tombs of past Popes. But it is more than that, for there is the tomb of
my new buddy, St. Peter. And the glorious window of Bernini and his
magnificent canopy over the altar. The vaulted ceilings and the walls
are covered with exotic marbles in a delicious riot of color and
texture. The size and volume of space inside is bigger than anything I
have ever seen.
I think of Disneyland. Not that
it is an amusement park. It is the magic of the place. I am a little boy
again that believes in Tinkerbelle. I want to believe in
everything, I want to believe in the magic.
Go to Vatican City
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Inside the Vatican 2006
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