Week 9: Let's take a tour of Italy!!

Buongiorno from Italy!

Ahhh Italy, I can see myself now, frolicking in the waves of the Mediterranean or roaming around the ancient ruins of Rome...yeah, I wish.  My reality is loads of laundry waiting to be done and kids wanting my attention 24/7 - and I LOVE it but wouldn't it be wonderful to have a nice little Italian vacation?!  I think Italy is probably the easiest country to find on the map - it looks like a leg with the foot kicking a rock!  Fun.  Nicknamed "Bel Paese" or beautiful country, Italy is always on the top of the list for tourists.  You can visit buildings built in ancient times and museums that hold countless priceless works of art.  You can see the destruction that Mt. Vesuvius caused to the city of Pompeii or see why a strong foundation is the most important part of a building (the Leaning Tower of Pisa). 

You can ski in the mountains or swim in the sea - it's up to you in Italy.  Rome, the capital, was founded in 753 BC! Here in America, where the "old" buildings are about 300 years old, I cannot even comprehend how exciting it must be to LIVE with that much history all around you.  To find Rome on our latitude/longitude maps the coordinates are 41.54º N/ 12.29ºE.  Rome is one of  20 different regions in Italy, others I'm sure you've heard of - Veneto, Sicily, Tuscany, and Umbria to name a few.  Each region has its own attractions and food specialities so to really visit Italy you need to explore.  And exploring is another thing Italy is famous for.  Christopher Columbus, who, of course, "discovered" America  is from Italy and Marco Polo, who brought the treasures of China back to Europe.  Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli - just a few of the wonderful artists that Italy has produced.  This will be a busy week.  Let's get going!!!