Italy 2006. A meeting in Rome and a trip up to Cinque Terre on the Italian

Riviera.

Roman Forum: Temple of Castor and other 2000+ year old things.

It was on my morning stroll to the meeting.

Roman Coliseum. Also on my morning stroll.

Crypt of the Capucin Monks

4000 skeletons taken apart and rearranged into “art”. Circa 1500 AD.

Kind of macabre.

The Catacombs of Rome: 100s of miles of tunnels and tens of thousands of tombs. By law no one could be buried within the Walls of Rome so tunnels were dug outside

the city to house the dead. Many of these were raided by the Barbarians in the Middle Ages in search of riches. Construction circa 100-500 AD

Italian City Views

The Trevi Fountain: A place for lovers (and for Big Macs at the McDonalds 50’ away)

The view from my hotel window.

The capitol and old stuff.

The Pantheon: A really old giant church with a built-in skylight. Constructed in 125 AD

with a 142’ high dome. And a McDonalds 50’ away.

Enough of all this “work” in Rome. Time to hit the

Italian Riviera.

This is more like it!

Monterosso. My base camp and home of the best swordfish-stuffed ravioli in crab sauce

you’ve ever tasted.

I spent the days hiking through vineyards between the I spent the days hiking through vineyards between the coastal fishing villages and sampling this year’s crop.coastal fishing villages and sampling this year’s crop.

The village of Manarola. The boats line the town streets and are lowered down the cliffs by a giant crane.

Village of Corniglia up on the cliffs.

Entrance to the nude beach.

But beware the sting of the jellyfish!

The beautiful blue Med.

my hiking trail

Vernazza. Village of 500 people and home of one of Italy’s best water polo

teams. Until the league began requiring a pool (note the goal in the harbor), at which point they had to

drop out.

Sunset on the Mediterranean. A perfect send-off.