DUOMO, SIENA One of Italy's great Cathedrals. Built in the Romanesque-Gothic style, and finished with intricate multicolored marble. I especially like the banded styline of the facade's marble. [enlarge]

DUOMO, SIENA View of the Cathedral from another angle, with Lorraine examining. [enlarge]

FACADE, DUOMO, SIENA Here's a closeup look at the facade. [enlarge]

INTERIOR, DUOMO, SIENA In another Lorraine-head-balanced shot, I managed to capture the remarkable interior ceiling of the cathedral. Notice some of the 172 popes carved into it. The rest of the interior is equally impressive. [enlarge]

HOTEL GIOTTO This is the Hotel we stayed in while visiting Florence. A nice quiet place run by a German lady. [enlarge]

FIRENZE This is a view of Central florence with the river Arno in the foreground. [enlarge]

FIRENZE This excellent view, which can be seen from a nearby hill, shows all of central Florence, including the Duomo, the Galleria degli Uffizi, and many other famous locations. [enlarge]

TYPICAL STREET This is the typical hustle and bustle of a city street in downtown Florence. Like Siena, if you don't live in the central city, you are not allowed to park there. Therefore everyone walks everywhere. [enlarge]

DUOMO FROM GALLERIA This is a shot taken from out of the window of the Galleria degli Uffizi towards the Duomo. The Galleria has got to be one of the most extensive and impressive art museums I have ever seen. [enlarge]

DUOMO, CLOSE UP This is a shot taken from a side street near the Duomo. It is neat because it shows just how big the Church is compared to the buildings that crowd around it. [enlarge]

DOME OF THE DUOMO I like this shot - it has a neat sort of artistry to it, with the Dome of the cathedral on the right, and a very pretty renaissance-period building on the left. [enlarge]

TOWER AT THE DUOMO This is the tower next to the Duomo. Like a lot of Churches in this part of Italy, there is a super tall tower next to the church. Again, lots of beautiful banded and colored marble. [enlarge]

FLORENCE, DUOMO, FACADE This zoomed-in shot shows the incredible detail on the facade of the cathedral. Just amazing. [enlarge]

STATUES IN FRONT OF PALAZZO VECCHIO There are many impressive statues in this square, the most famous being Michelangelo's David (middle statue in the picture). This statue is actually a copy, made in (from what I can gather) 1870-something. We also saw the original, which is now on display in the Galleria dell'Academia. [enlarge]

STATUE OF DAVID Another, more direct and closeup view of the statue. [enlarge]

LORRAINE AND FLORENCE SKYLINE The last shot of Florence is this nice portrait of Lorraine with some of the architectural works of art in the background. [enlarge]

MOENA, ITALY Typifying a town in the Dolomites, Moena was an interesting mix of Italian and German influences. I really liked its laid-back, quiet, and non-touristy feel. Of course we were visiting in the off-season (October), so maybe things are different at other times. [enlarge]