Yup

I still love the old religious statues found in many foreign countries...

that mosaic is also quite beautiful...thanks again for sharing...

Beautiful

I love Italy! When I was 15, my parents took us four kids on a European art tour.

Fell in love with the sculptures and architecture by Michelangelo. I stood transfixed, rapturously drinking in The Pieta', the exquisite sorrow on Mary's face, deep folds of marble, the lovely composition.

My family swarmed around and out the door. Jerking back to reality, I looked around for them. Gone.

One of the smart things my parents did was make us memorize the name of our hotel in each city. And change our money into the country's bills.

Running down the steps of Saint Peter's Basilica, I got my butt pinched by a man in his 30s. "Dirty old man!" I thought, appalled.

Hailing a taxi, I told the driver the name of the hotel. Arriving at the hotel, he turned and asked for 100 lira. Fumbling with unfamiliar money in the dark, I handed him 10,000. He looked at all that money.

"Americano?" he asked gently. "Si." He laughed and handed back my money.

Grainy family photo (Mom took the picture), July 1970 in Rome, Italy. Looks like the Coliseum. I'm wearing a striped dress I made.

From left: Lynne, 16; me; 15; Dad; Beth, 10; and Lee, 12.