Our tour of Italy started at this Medieval fortress / residence of the ruling Duchy of Milan with a weirdly spelled name.

Here in its outer courtyard (Piazza delle Armi), we listened to our local guide on the history and layout of the castle. Being outdoor on a sunny morning is the best cure for jet lag.

A tower used to stand here beside the Porta Leoni.

Our local guide pointed north along the Via Capello where more Roman ruins lie beneath the street. The alleged Juliet’s House is also on this street.

At the Tombs of the Scaliger Family

After a day in Verona, we met at Piazza Brà for a short walk back to our bus.

Our ferry docked at a pier on the Costello waterfront. To get to Piazza San Marco, we needed to walk across four bridges. The last one is the Ponte della Paglia bridge.

After showing us the Doge's Palace, our local guide lead us around the corner to the Saint Mark's Basilica.

Photography is not allowed inside the church.

Our tour director Freddy kept us entertained as the bus drove from Venice to Siena.

In front of the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana (Museum of the Duomo), we listen to the story on how the Siena Cathedral was built while looking at its intricate facade.

Our local guide pointed out the course of the Palio of the Contrada horse race on the fan shape Piazza del Campo public square.

In front of the Neo-Gothic style Palazzo Sansedoni

We passed the Santuario di Santa Caterina on our way up the hill where Basilica of San Domenico is.

From this hill top, we could look back at Siena city center with its cathedral at the top.

At the Piazza della Signoria, the political center of Florence, we looked up at the sculptures on display under the Loggia dei Lanzi.

A replica of Michelangelo's David is also in this square. Later this morning, we saw the original David in the Accademia delle Belle Arti.

After the long drive from Florence to Sorrento, we arrived at our hotel late and hungry. We enjoyed dinner at the seaside Crowne Plaza Hotel Stabiae-Sorrento Coast.

Freddy made his round and chatted at each table.

After getting off the buses at the waterfront, we learned about the maritime history of Amalfi before walking inland to its town square.

Behind us is the bronze statue of the legendary mariner Flavio Gioja.

At the top of Pompeii's Large Amphitheater (Teatro Grande).

With a view of the gladiators' barracks beyond.

We admired the ruins at the southern end of the Forum.

Behind us, to the north, is Mt. Vesuvius, which erupted in 79AD and buried the entire city in hot ash.

The public bath in Pompeii is the best preserved Roman bath in the world.

This is the tepidarium where bathers are rubbed down in oil, after they took the cold bath in the frigidarium.

The next stop is a hot bath in the caldarium.

At the Marina Grande, while Freddy, our tour director was still counting, Sophia, our enthusiastic local guide waved us forward towards our buses.

“Andiamo” means “let’s go” in Italian. The first time I heard it, I thought she was calling someone “auntie 阿母”.

On the narrow Rampa Capodimonte next to the Villa San Michele near Anacapri.

with a great view of Marina Grande from above.

On the main shopping street of Via Vittorio Emanuele III

We were looking at the 4-star Hotel La Palma

Behind us is the 5-star Hotel Quisisana

With the Colosseum behind us, our local guide, Maria, showed us how the area looked during the peak of the Roman Empire. This huge arena was originally named Amphitheatrum Flavium. The name we now know came from the nearby Colossus of Nero, a bronze statue of the megalomaniac emperor at least 30m tall.

The turnstile entrance gates, similar to most subway systems, allow fast and efficient entry.

We can keep our ticket stubs as souvenir.

Behind us is the museum's gift shop and ticket booth.

We then took the escalator up.

At the Cortile del Belvedere, our guide pointed out interested facts about Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco. Since speaking aloud inside the Sistine Chapel is prohibited, the Vatican Museum set up quite a few such displays in this outdoor courtyard for tour groups.

Photography is strictly forbidden inside the chapel, I have to settle for taking photographs of other ceiling paintings along the way.

We immerged from the Sistine Chapel to the north side of St. Peter’s Basilica with its dome way above us. This area was dedicated in 2008 as the Patio of St Gregory the Illuminator, after the Armenian Patriarch.

Because we already passed through security prior to entering the Vatican Museum, we could skip the long line and enter St. Peter’s directly from its portico.

Two of the four statues in niches can be seen under the portico. Here is one of them.

We spent our last night together at the lobby of the Hotel Princess Roma