Europe: France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Andorra & Monaco 2011

Before I forget, I'm posting the summary of photo albums from my Europe trip last November 2011. We drove through Europe visiting France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. And I later took a train to Andorra and Monaco. Here are the photos from Eurpoe that have been uploaded to the Ivan About Town FB page.

November 8 - St. Gallen, Switzerland / Vaduz, Liechtenstein / Zürich, Switzerland
November 9 - Bern, Switzerland
November 10-11 - Florence, Italy
November 11 - Pisa, Italy
November 12 - Rome, Italy and Vatican City
November 13 - San Marino / Venice, Italy
November 14 - Ljubljana, Slovenia / Graz, Austria
November 15 - Budapest, Hungary / Bratislava, Slovakia
November 16 - Vienna, Austria
November 17 - Prague, Czech Republic
November 22 - Lourdes, France
November 23 - L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre, France
November 24 - Andorra la Vella, Andorra / Toulouse, France
November 25 - Monte Carlo, Monaco / Nice, France
November 27-December 2 - Paris, France
December 1 - Versailles, France
December 2 - Chantilly, France

Italy: Venice and its lagoons (November 13, 2011)

Who in his right mind would not want to visit Venice? The City of Canals has always been on my mind, especially when I listen to the music of Vivaldi. The former capital of the Venetian Republic, Venezia is actually built on 117 small islands connected to each other by hundreds of bridges.

Landmarks include the Piazza San Marco with St. Mark's Basilica and Campanile, the Doge's Palace, and the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge among many others. Too bad we weren't able to try out the gondola ride since it comes out quite pricey if there are just a few of you sharing the cost. But we did hop on one of their vaporetto (water buses) to see the architecture along the Grand Canal. Photos of Venice, Italy are in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Italy: Exploring Rome and the Vatican City (November 12, 2011)

Rome is steeped in history. It no doubt deserves the title Eternal City. In fact, you will see layers of history as you walk its streets and visit the various sites and landmarks which make Rome what it is. We visited the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain as well as the Vatican City, among other attractions that make Italy's capital city a must-visit when in Europe. Here are photos of Rome, Itay and Vatican City in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Italy: Leaning Tower of Pisa & Piazza del Duomo (November 11, 2011)

From Florence, we drove to Pisa which was about an hour away. We made it just in time for sunset at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, located in the Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We climbed up close to 300 steps to the top of the tower. Here are photos of Pisa, Italy in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Italy: Historic Centre of Florence (November 10-11, 2011)

The historic city of Florence, the capital of the Italian region Tuscany, is one among the cities you have to visit in Italy. With its rich architectural and artistic heritage, especially those from the Renaissance (it is said to be the birthplace of the Renaissance), the city is indeed a feast for your eyes and mind. The Historic Centre of Florence is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of its most important landmarks, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or the Florence Cathedral (Duomo) with its brick dome (the largest in the world) and white, pink and green marble exterior is no doubt impressive. We only had a day to explore and it's obvious it was only the tip of the iceberg with Florence's rich history. Since I'm still in Europe (backlog increasing by the day), I invite you to visit the Florence, Italy album in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.