The Sites of Italy and Greece

See my previous post for more details about our travel to and from Europe, meal schedule, keeping up with snacks, etc. This post is more focused on memories and pictures from the trip.

Day 1, Thursday, April 9, 2026

We arrived in Rome mid-morning and were able to check-in to our hotel early to freshen up before exploring the area around the hotel.

Fountain of the Four Rivers was
designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo
Bernini for Pope Innocent X.

Fountain of the Moor was originally
designed by Giacomo della Porta in
the 1570s with later contributions from
Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 1650s.

The Trevi Fountain was originally designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and completed
in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini after Salvi's passing.

Largo di Torre Argentina has ruins of four Roman Republican temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre – it is one of the many places that we just happened upon ancient ruins in Rome.

Day 2, Friday, April 10, 2026

Our first full day in Rome was spent at perhaps the most famous of all the Roman sites while technically not in Rome or Italy: St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums in Vatican City.  Construction of St. Peter's began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. The basilica is very ornate with statues and "paintings" everywhere. I was amazed to find all of the art in St. Peter’s are mosaics, even though they look like paintings. We're used to seeing artwork by the masters in museums. It's cool seeing them in the churches, where they were designed to be.

Michelangelo Buonarroti was just 23 years old in 1499 when he sculpted The Pieta from a single block of marble to decorate the tomb of Cardinal Jean de Bilhères-Lagraulas.

After visiting the St. Peter's Basilica, we walked around the outside wall of Vatican City to the entrance to the Vatican Museums. Our tour included just the highlights of the 20,000 works of art currently displayed in the 54 galleries of the museums.

It was difficult to capture with a photo the vastness of many of the rooms within the Vatican Museums, such as The Gallery of Maps. The 120-meter long corridor was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII and built between 1580 and 1585. The frescoes were painted by Italian and Flemish artists under the direction of Ignazio Danti, a mathematician, astronomer and cosmographer. The vaulted ceiling contains small paintings in gold-leafed stucco frames.

After the tour, we visited the famous Sistine Chapel. It was constructed in the 1470s and the walls have paintings by Botticelli and other top artists of the time. The fresco covering the ceiling was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512 and includes "The Creation of Adam." One wall has an enormous fresco 

titled "Final Judgment" which Michelangelo painted near the end of his life. It had recent restoration work done and had just been uncovered two weeks prior to our visit. Photography is not allowed within the Sistine Chapel. These photos are some of the 127 postcards I purchased on the trip to add to my postcard collection. 

Day 3, Saturday, April 11, 2026

Day 3 started with the iconic Roman Colosseum which was originally built as the Flavian Amphitheatre between 72-80 AD to host gladiatorial games, wild animal hunts, and public spectacles for over 50,000 spectators.

 

After 2 1/2 hours touring the Colosseum, we went on to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.

 

Ruins of palaces on Palatine Hill,
once home to wealthy families and
early emperors.

Palatine Hill and the Basilica
of Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

Fountain in the lower courtyard of the Domus
 Augustana, the private sector of the huge
imperial palace built by Emperor Domitian.

The Roman Forum was a central area for public life, commerce, and government from the 8th Century BC to the 7th Century AD.

Temple of Saturn was originally dedicated
around 497 BC, making it one of the oldest
sacred places in Rome. The eight Ionic columns
 are from a 4th-century AD reconstruction.

Our hotel in Rome was right next to the Pantheon, a 126 AD Roman temple which replced earlier temples that were destroyed by fire. In 609 AD it was consecrated as a Catholic church and has been in nearly continuous use since then. It is now the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs and is one the best preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings. Although we had been admiring it from the outside, we decided it was time to see the inside.

The 142' 1900-year-old unreinforced concrete dome is the world’s largest. The dome has an oculus, a circular opening at the very top, which provides the only natural light and lets rain fall into the building.




Day 4, Sunday, April 12, 2026

We had a private guide in the morning who took us to the nearby port city of Ostia Antica, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. It was founded around 620 BC, conquered by Rome about 400 BC, and a thriving city into the 5th Century AD. 

Terme di Nettuno - "Baths of Neptune" bath house

Day 5, Monday, April 13, 2026

An 11th Century Byzantine church,
Holy Church of Kapnikarea, in Athens.

After 4 nights in Rome, Italy, we headed to Athens, Greece on Monday. Things in Rome were old. For the most part, things in Greece were even older. We went from 2,000 years to 4,000 years in many cases.

9 of the 10 courses - we forgot to take
a picture of course 6.

The highlight of our first night in Athens was a 10-course meal paired with 6 wines at Zillers Rooftop Gastronomy, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Admitedly, I was a little nervous about the whole thing, but was pleased with how I did. With 10 courses, each course was quite small. I ate all of 

every course, most of which were only 2 or 3 bites, until we got to the pasta and meat courses (courses 6 and 7) and left some of each of those behind. After a palate cleanser, I ate most of the dessert, but had little room left to do more than taste the “Kerasmata”, the additional treat. The wine was offered in small amounts and I was able to drink most of it also.

The Cathedral of the Annunciation
taken from dinner.

Day 6, Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Today was the first day of a two-day private tour to central Greece, in particular Delphi and Meteora. The ancient Greeks considered Delphi to be the center of the world, and from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD people came from all over the world to consult the oracle.

Dancers of Delphi, also known as the Acanthus Column, in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi. Dated to approximately 330 BC, it was originally located near the Temple of Apollo at the sanctuary of Delphi.

At the Delphi sanctuary excavations have unearthed settlements that date as far back as the Neolithic era (7000-1700 B.C.). However, evidence of the site’s importance dates back to the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 B.C). Most of the ruins that survive today are witness to the site’s pinnacle which was reached in the 6th century B.C.

The Delphic Theatre is the best-preserved monument at the archaeological site of Delphi. I was hard for me to comprehend the age of this theatre as we were seeing the 2nd reconstruction of the theatre from the 1st century AD. The theatre was originally  constructed in the 4th century BC. It was then restored in 160/159 BC and again in the the Early Roman period (1st century AD). It had a seating capacity of 5,000.

View of the Rocks of Meteora from our hotel in Kastraki.

Day 7, Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Holy Monastery of the
Great Meteoron

We had decided to visit Meteora largely on the recommendation of some friends that had been there and told about the amazing views from the monasteries that were perched atop the towering sandstone rock formations that dominate the area. Twenty-four Eastern Orthodox monasteries were originally established, mostly in the 14th century; six of them remain active. I was disappointed that there was mist and fog the day we were there so you couldn't see them from the ground or have the wonderful views, but they were still interesting.

We tried to go to four of the monasteries, but found the fourth one closed upon our arrival. The first one we visited was the Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoron, the largest of the Meteora monasteries, began in 1356. Next was the Holy Monastery of Varlaam, the second largest monastery at Meteora, founded in 1541. The accessible northern side of the rock is 125 meters high. The southern one rises to 373 meters.

Holy Monastery of St. Stephan
 opened in the 14th Century and was
converted to a nunnery in 1961

Interior of Holy Monastery of Varlaam

After lunch, the fog had lifted some and we were able to see the rocks better. That’s the Monastery of the Holy Trinity on the left boulder.

Back in Athens, we had a beautiful view of the Acropolis from our balcony.

Day 8, Thursday, April 16, 2026

Our first full day in Athens was spent mainly exploring the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora. On the way to the Acropolis and the famous Parthenon, we walked past ruins dating back to 1,600 BC.

The Theatre of Dionysos Eleuthereus, originally built in the 6th century BC, is considered to be the place where ancient theatre was born and developed.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a prominent ancient theater located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis, was built in 160-169 AD.

 The Erechtheion, an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis, was built between 421 and 406 BC.

                The Parthenon was built 447-432 BC as a                     temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The Ancient Agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual, and political life.

Odeion of Agrippa and Gymnasium or “Palace of the Giants” (410-530 AD) in Ancient Agora.

The Temple of Hephaestus was built in the 5th Century BC and was an Orthodox church from the 7th Century AD until 1834.

Day 9, Friday, April 17, 2026

Today we took a day trip to Aegina, one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, about 17 miles from the port city of Piraeus (a short subway ride from Athens). The ferry took us to the the largest community on the island, also named Aegina. We checked out some of the shops and had multiple vendors offering us samples of various pistachio products which the island is known for. During our taxi ride to the Temple of Aphaia, the taxi driver pointed out the pistachio and olive trees.  

The Temple of Aphaia was erected 500-490 BC on the site of a smaller predecessor which had recently burned to the ground. The temple is one of the most well-preserved examples of ancient Doric architecture. 

Just one column remains from the 6th Century BC Temple of Apollo, but it is surrounded by other ruins dating back over 4,000 years. This picture was taken from the ferry as we arrived on the island.

Day 10, Saturday, April 18, 2026

Today we had an all day tour of the Corinth Canal, Mycene, Nauplio, and Epidaurus with a driver and private guide.

The Corinth Canal, completed in 1893, connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea.

Lion gate, the main entrance

In Mycene, we visited the ancient acropolis of Mycenae which was built around 1250 BC., and the nearby Treasury of Atreus. The grave circle at the acropolis, used exclusively for royal burials during the 16th century BC, was excavated  in 1876.

The Treasury of Atreus, also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon, is a massive tomb built around 1250 BC. The entrance features a large corbelled dome that was the largest in the world for over 1,000 years.

The next stop was the city of Nauplio, which was the first capital of Greece. We had a short tour of the historic downtown and spent some time waundering around on our own, having lunch, and shopping.

Bourtzi Castle, a historic water fortress in
the harbor of Nafplio, which was built in 1473.

The final stop was Epidaurus known as the birthplace of the healing god Asclepius and the premier therapeutic center of the ancient world. It is most famous for its 4th Century BC, 14,000-seat ancient theatre, which is known for its acoustics.

View of Port Epidavros on the way back to Athens

Day 11, Sunday, April 19, 2026

Sunday we visited Syntagma Square (Constitution Square) for the Changing of the Guard parade and ceremony at the Hellenic Parliament building, which was constructed in 1843 as the Old Royal Palace and has housed the Greek Parliament since 1934. While there is a small ceremony each hour, there is a much larger one on Sundays at 11am and therefore, was pretty crowded. Although there were several people in front of us, an advantage of being tall is we could still see most of
what was happening.  

 The military band leads the parade followed by the Evzones, an elite ceremonial unit of the Hellenic Army who march in historical dress and serve as the Presidential Guard of Greece.

Day 12, Monday, April 20, 2026
On Monday, we flew back to Rome and then took the train to Florence, Italy. We were in business class on the flight so had access to the Business Lounge at the airport which had a wonderful buffet breakfast with a huge variety of cheese, meats, pastries, yogurts and other items. We were served lunch on the plane. We arrived in Florence late afternoon and spent the evening enjoying some sites.

Our room was right across from the Florence Baptistery of San Giovanni and Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore). The Baptistery was built in the 11th Century and the Cathedral 1296-1434.

We walked by the Fountain of Neptune which was completed in 1574.

The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is a historic medieval bridge, originally built in 1345, which spans the Arno River. It originally contained butcher shops, now it’s mostly jewelry stores.

The back of the Florence Cathedral

Day 13, Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Today we did a private tour through Tuscany, including Siena and San Gimignano. Our first stop was Piazzale Michelangelo where you have a great panoramic view of Florence. From here,  you can begin to grasp the massiveness of the Florence Cathedral (Duomo).

We then made our way to Sienna. Sites of Sienna included Piazza del Campo, the main public square in Siena is the site of the famous Palio di Siena horse race; Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia - The historic town hall which was constructed in 1297 to serve as the seat of the Republic of Siena's government. The tower was added to the palace in the 14th century; and the Siena Cathedral which was built between 1215-1264.

We enjoyed a wine tasting and the drive through Tuscany as we made our way to San Gimignano.

San Gimignano is known for its towers. Roughly 72 towers were originally built during the 13th and 14th centuries and lived in by wealthy families. They were symbols of wealth and power; the higher the tower, the higher the family’s status. There are fourteen towers remaining.  The 13th-century stone walls originally served to protect San Gimignano.

Day 14, Wednesday, April 22, 2026

The altar inside the Baptistery

Before we left Florence to take the train back to Rome, we visited the sites around our hotel, including the interior of the Baptistery of San Giovanni (St. John), the Florence Cathedral Museum, and the interior of the Florence Cathedral. Both the Baptistery and Cathedral are in the midst of decades long repair and restoration. 

                                             Interior dome of the Cathedral

The Opera del uomo Museum (Cathedral Museum) was founded in 1891 and exhibits art which has been removed from the Cathedral and Baptistry for preservation (replaced by replicas). After visiting the museum we wondered if there was any original art remaining in the original locations.

The original south Door of the Baptistery with stories of Saint John the Baptist,

now in the Florence Cathedral

Museum, was constructed

1330-1336.

We took the train back to Rome, arriving late afternoon. Our last night in Rome we saw some more churches and fountains on the way to and from supper, but then got ready to get up bright and early the next morning for the long journey home.

More pictures and information about our trip (including pictures of most of our meals) can be found in my husband's trip reports.