Emily's turn as a photojournalist and commentator...some nice ones

 Awfully dramatic poses in quite the dramatic setting. Anyone see Russell Crowe around today?

 The Temple of Romulus in the Roman Forum. Romulus was one of the founders of Rome along with his brother Remus.

 Some of the Roman traffic. Lots of motor bikes, small cars, and of course, the ubiquitous Mediterranean pine trees in the background.

 Mrs. Tuckler and Mr. Lio wandering down a typical Italian street. Old, narrow, picturesque... the street that is, not Mr. Lio.

 Well.... we're not really sure what's going on here, but this photo just had to be added. Could be some kind of "Hawaiian" custom.

 One of the Pompeii puppies. Quite a few dogs live in the ruins of Pompeii. This little fellow is in the public baths building.

 Here is a picture of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that erupted in 79 AD and buried the two towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In the foreground are some of Pompeii's excavated ruins. about 3/5 of the town has been excavated and archeological projects are still ongoing there.

                           Totally cool sunset shot. Just had to be added here.

From Emily....

Arrivederci Bella Italia, I left my heart with you, but returned home with friends for a lifetime! This truly was a trip to remember, a trip full of adventures, a trip full of culture, amazing sightseeing and of course who could forget the people watching. Visiting the Colosseum in Rome, Il Duomo in Florence, the shores of Sorrento and the boat ride to the beautiful island of Capri with the Chaminade boys. There was the bike riding in Florence, the evening strolls through the cobblestone streets, the ride on the Merry-Go-Round and all those other fun moments that we should not repeat. Remember, what happened in Italy stays in Italy, but I will say this.... "Baby Pants." There were the amazing lunches, the gelato and the sandwich making on the bus.

We had amazing tour guides, Marianna and Mary, who made us feel right at home, and as Lisa said, who could forget Osvaldo our bus driver. I would also like to than Mrs. Bellissimo for allowing us to venture across the ocean to a world full of culture and history. Of course a big shout out to Dr. and Mrs. Piccininni, and of course Mr. Lio for the amazing time and the lifetime of memories.

It seems so long ago that a great group of Madonna students and 2 amazing teachers embarked on their adventure to Bella Italia. I hope to return one day, to a world I would never have known if it wasn't for this trip. A world I hope to embrace once again when I move to Assisi and la dolce vita.

I leave you with this, Ciao mi Amici!

Emily