This former abbey was a rare treat to visit as a foreign tourist. Located in the tiny rural village…read moreof Morimondo, approximately an hour from central Milan, you'll find this beautiful former Cistercian monastery. Construction was begun in 1134 and not completed until 1296, and while the decoration may seem simple compared to many other Italian religious buildings, it is gorgeous and a lovely example of Gothic architecture. You will want to arrange with a tour guide to visit in order to have access to all rooms, including the scriptorium. Our English-speaking guide was excellent and I learned not just about this particular structure but the philosophy of the monks in their architectural choices and designs, how they lived and worshipped, and how and why they ended up in this location to begin with. I believe there is also a minimum group price for the tour visits; since it was (very) off season when we were there the organizer apologized for the fact that we had to pay the full group price for just three people but it was still very much worth it - and we were given a beautiful signed portfolio of watercolor prints of the abbey to "make up" the difference.

B o n g i o r n o... What a quant little Palazzo located next to Lake Como. Palazzo means square…read more Walk around on the ancient cobblestone streets to the many shops, eateries and churches. Plenty of Gelaterias for the ice cream addicts like myself. All though, it's a little hard to tell where one Palazzo ends and the other one starts, it's all one beautiful village.

Fabulous must visit part of Genoa. I am in love with this city and it's massive medieval centre…read morewhich is supposed to be the biggest in Europe. Via Garibaldi is an amazing street with lots of small palaces and amazing architecture surrounding it. I could spend days here photographing buildings and narrow lanes :-)))) I would recommend this as a must visit :-)

To get a good perspective of just how large Torino is, go to the top of the Mole Antonelliana…read more With 360 degree views, you can get a great perspective of the expanse of Torino . A must do for fans of the city.

Beautiful building housing the Museo del Cinema. A must see…read morewhile in Torino.