COLOSSEUM, ROME This view is from inside the colosseum from one of the observation decks. There was a lot of restoration work going on at the time. Note how the main floor of the colosseum is gone, revealing the subterranean pits and tunnels used to house beasts and gladiators. [enlarge]

COLOSSEUM and ARCH OF CONSTANTINE A view of the Colosseum with the Arch of Constantine on the left. Erected in honor of Emperor Constantine after a (successful) battle, in 315 A.D. It was partially built from bits of older Roman Imperial monuments. [enlarge]

ST. PETER'S BASILICA, ROME The center of the Roman Catholic world. Impressively big square. The size of the place is hard to judge, since everything around and in it are very large. One interesting bit of info garnered from the net: Built over 176 years, from 1450 to 1626, the estimated cost was $48 Million dollars (i'm assuming that is in 2000 dollars). [enlarge]

ST. PETER'S, CENTRAL ALTAR This is the central altar inside St. Peter's. I managed to get a really neat effect with shafts of sunlight slanting across behind the altar. Since tripods and flashes are not allowed inside the church, I had to use Lorraine's head as a tripod. [enlarge]

ST. PETER'S, INTERIOR More shots of the interior [enlarge]

ST. PETER'S, INTERIOR Closeup of ceiling near entrance. [enlarge]

CLIMB TO THE CUPPOLA This is the narrow slanting staircase that is embedded within the inner and outer walls of the dome of St. Peter's, and which leads to the top of the dome. [enlarge]

ST. PETER'S SQUARE This is the view from the top of the dome at St. Peter's. The statues in the foreground are much bigger than they look. [enlarge]

ST. PETER'S SQUARE This is a zoomed in version of the previous shot. [enlarge]

ROME This shot, also taken from the top of the dome at St. Peter's, looks out over Rome. [enlarge]

THE VATICAN CITY This is shot looking down onto one of the buildings within the Vatican City. Note the Papal mark and finish data embossed into the roofwork of the dome in the foreground. [enlarge]

BERNINI'S STATUES These are some of the Statues of the saints, built by Bernini in 1667, and which ring St. Peter's Square [enlarge]

LOOKING UP FROM BELOW A view of the observation platform at the top of the dome, as seen from below. [enlarge]

TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE This picture shows a typical rural Tuscan view (albeit an autumnal one). [enlarge]

SIENA The narrow crowded streets of the medeival town of Siena. The narrowness of the streets and lack of space have resulted in a no-car rule: If you are not a resident of Siena, it is illegal to park anywhere in the old part of the city. [enlarge]

PIAZZA DEL CAMPO This shell-shaped square is the heart of Siena, and is regarded as the finest Medieval square in Europe. [enlarge]

PIAZZA DEL CAMPO Lorraine taking a lunch break in the piazza. [enlarge]