Saturday, May 28, 2011

Day 2 Livorno, Florence and Pisa

The cathedral in Florence was extravagant on the outside.


It was simpler on the inside. The outside was to impress Pisa.




It has a baptistery a tower and a cathedral.



It was a crowded day on the streets of Florence, you couldn't hardly walk around.



This is the baptistery showing John the Baptist sprinkling Jesus.




This is the paradise door to the baptistery, so named by Michelangelo.



The touristas on the street.



The Palace and main square in Florence.




The President of Italy was speaking inside this building making it extra crowded with security.




Statue of Neptune.




The troops on the old bridge over the Arno River in Florence.




It was a beautiful day in Florence. We'll need to go there again with more time and less crowds.




Then we went on to Pisa. Debbie doing her best to hold up the tower. They actually injected concrete into the ground on the leaning side to keep it from falling more.




The alter in the cathedral at Pisa.



Inside the cathedral of Pisa was very beautiful.




So was my wife.



The outside of the Pisa cathedral.




The cathedral and the leaning tower.




They say the green, the white and the blue are symbolic of life and the church between earth and heaven.




There are actually four buildings at Pisa. The tower and the cathedral, then in the foreground is the baptistery. and on the far left is the cemetery building. They symbolize being born in the baptistery. Life in the cathedral. Going to heaven in the tower, then burial in the cemetery.

The baptistery had two domes. The sound goes up and reverberates back in a different pitch.


This chant demonstrates the change in the sound. It was beautiful.





Friday, May 27, 2011

First Stop Monte Carlo



Monaco is the 2nd smallest country in the world, next to the Vatican. It has the world's smallest coastline, about a mile. It was a beautiful place. Lots of fine cars and beautiful yachts.


Our first stop was the Grand Casino. It was closed until 2pm, but it was a cool building.



The palace of Monaco, which was home to Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier. Now prince Albert is getting married there this summer.




There were a lot of hills walking up to the casino and then up the other side to the palace.




Yachts in the harbor.


View of Monte Carlo from the deck of the ship.



The is on the steps of the grand casino, the race goes right in front of it.



The stands were right by the harbor. We walked on the track to get out to the city.



The race goes right by the harbor.



The big Grand Prix race is this weekend.



Cannons guarding the walls of the fort and the palace, overlooking the harbor.



The courtyard of the palace.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Grandma Shirley's Birthday Cruise

A wonderful 80th Birthday cruise. We love you Grandma


Getting our bags ready and boarding the ship


The Carnival Magic. Brand new ship and our home for 12 days.



Shirley's cabin was decorated when we arrived.


All of the 16 cruisers. This was a suprise birthday dinner the night before birthday.


Blowing out 80 candles would be a fire hazard.



Shirley was suprised and a bit emotional.



The sisters.



Sisters and the daughters.



And with the grand-daughters.



The birthday gondola ride in Venice.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Heading Home

A couple of pictures of yesterday's tour of Barcelona. I'll keep posting new thingsthis week. Best of yesterday was the Sagrada familia.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Mom in a go car. Can't rotate this





Nativity scene above front doors.



Alter inside. Will do a better job at home