Italy: 3-5 November

Italy was where we were between 3rd and 5th of November. Places we visited were Rome, Venice, a small place on the Swish border called Como and Milan.

Rome is history and the Vatican. When I was at the Colosseum and the nearby Roman Forum, I tried to visualize the romans of yore walking through the same ground, no doubt aided by imagery from that unforgettable movie, Gladiator. There was nothing much to see but the deep sense of history that every stone in the place was steeped in was awe inducing. The holiest seat of the biggest relision of the world is noteworthy for its size. Saint Peter's basilica and the square in front of it are huge. the enteriors of Saint Peter's Basilica are decorated with an unimaginable number of sculptures and frescos. unfortunately, i could see the sistine Chapel as it was closed for the week.

Of all the cities in Europe, Venice stole my heart. Not for its canals or its gondolas but for its bazaars. I am not a shopocoholic by any stretch of imagination but the displays in the market were magnetic. One is perforce drawn to them. We didn't do any places but just wandered along the narrow alleys of venice. They are incredibly narrow, sometimes even two people can't walk abreast.

Como is just a nice little resort place with a lake and mountains and what I imagine would be excellent summertime weather. the day we went there was sunny and it was fun to sit on a bench next to the lake. Also I had the most delicious food I have had in Europe at Como.

In Milan I saw the castle and a India gate like structure, Frankly nothing much. There was a street display of photographs about Italy in what I imagine was one of the shopping streets of Milan which was interesting and informative.

On the way to Italy, I had a stopover at Munich and i saw and felt snow fall for the first time in my life. It was nothing more than a drizzle equivalent of snow but it was a first.