DAY 16, Saturday, July 3 Paris

This was our last official touring day. Did I mention we were greeted with rain, lighting and thunder on Friday? Good thing it started as we got off the bus and stopped after a brief down pour. Unfortunately it was the forecast for our last day. The good news was that our guided tour was sight seeing from the bus along the elegant boulevards to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre building and the Opera House. We drove from the Place de la Concorde along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. We took a survey of the city from the heights of the Eiffel Tower (second level) which was built for the World's Exhibition of 1889. We took a guided tour of the Louvre and saw some of its most famous art. Perhaps you can identify the famous lady in the picture. We will definitely have to return during the winter because the crowds were excessive. In the evening we took in a dinner show at a cabaret. Before we turned in for the night, we took a stroll out to take one last picture of the Eiffel Tower. It was the perfect ending to our European vacation.

DAY 15, Friday, July 2 Lucern - Paris

It was a long drive to Paris! Our hotel is just one block from the Eiffel Tower. This is the view outside our window. Need I say more?

DAY 14, Thursday, July 1 Lucerne

We spent some time walking around the city on our own. Our hotel is right in the heart of the city. We crossed the Lucerne River by way of the covered Chapel Bridge which was built in 1333 and rebuilt after a fire. In the afternoon we ascended Mount Pilatus by cog-wheel railway. The mountain is at 7,000 ft. elevation and it took us approximately 20 minutes to get to the top. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy at that altitude and we did not get very good views. Since the day was warm at the lower elevations, we expected to cool off at the top but it was also warm. The hotel staff apologized for the heat spell. We learned several interesting things about this country. It is tri lingual. They speak German, French, and Italian. It is also not part of the European Union so Euros have to be converted to Franks. What a pain! Now what do we do with all that change?

DAY 13, Wednesday, June 30 Florence - Lucerne

This morning we traveled north, past the great commercial center of Milan and the Italian Lake District, to the Swiss border. Since we arrived early in the afternoon, we were taken to visit the Lion Monument commemorating the hundreds of Swiss soldiers who died defending Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette during the French Revolution. In the evening we went off to eat a traditional Swiss meal at a local restaurant.

DAY 12, Tuesday, June 29 Rome - Florence

Finally, a hotel (Alondra) with free Internet so that I can catch up with the posts! We drove north into the Chianti Hills and the Renaissance city of Florence. We went sightseeing with a local guide to see the original statue of "David" in the Academy Gallery. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures so I took a picture of a copy in the square. We strolled on to the Duomo to see Giotto's belltower and Gates of Paradise on the Baptistery. We continued to Signoria Square, a virtual open air gallery, lined with fountains and statues. In the area around the Santa Croce Basilica, we saw a demonstration of traditional leatherwork. In the evening we went to a local restaurant with our group to enjoy the local cuisine.

DAY 11, Monday, June 28 Rome

We joined a local guide, Marta, (exceptional!) for a trip to the Catecombs. I don't recommend it if you are claustrophobic. We continued our tour with a drive across the Tiber River and a walk around the Colosseum. We next went to the Vatican Museum where we saw people lined up for blocks, waiting to get in. Lucky for us that our guide had prebooked us and we went right in. We were given 15 minutes to gaze and marvel at the beautiful frescoes of Michelangelo. Unfortunately, it was difficult to enjoy with the mass crowds. We finished our walk with a tour of St Peter's Basilica. In the evening we decided that we would dine on our own back in the town center. We were daring enough to take a taxi. Getting there was easy. Coming back to the hotel was a lot harder. We walked several streets until we were directed to a taxi stand. The driver told us (we think) that it would cost 30 euros because it was evening and rates changed and our hotel was out of the way. What could we do? If you have been on Disney's "Mr Toad's Wild Ride," you can guess our experience (cupeech?). He was good enough to point out landmarks along the way. I told him in my Spanish that we had seen that stuff in the day time. All we could do was laugh when we got in.

DAY 10, Sunday, June 27 Venice - Rome

We drove over the Apennine Mountains and followed the "Highway of the Sun" to Rome. The driver took us around the city to get a preview of what was to come. In the evening, we met a local guide and took a walking tour to the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Novana with its pavement cafes, 17th Century fountains and architecture and the Pantheon.