PARIS

This has become a very popular romantic gesture: your initials on a lock that is hung on the railing of one of the bridges over the Seine.

PARIS

More bridges over the Seine with locks. The Grand Palais in the background.

PARIS

Notre Dame. Celebrating its 850th birthday with tulips.

PARIS

Fabulous Berthillon ice cream. We got ours. Everyone else is waiting in line.Just across the river from Notre Dame.

PARIS

Celebrating 100 years of the Tour de France with pictures on the Luxembourg garden fence.

PARIS

Putting in new color at the Luxembourg Gardens.

PARIS

One of our favorite Paris gardens—the Parc Floral. The first time we have been early enough to see rhodies and azaleas in bloom.

PARIS

The tulip display at the Parc Floral. We saw Dahlias last time we were there.

PARIS

At Monet’s garden in Giverny.

PARIS

The famous water lily pond and Japanese bridge at Giverny.

PARIS

Plantings to match Monet’s house at Giverny.

PARIS

One of the lakes in the Bois de Boulogne park. You can almost see the Eiffel Tower in the background.

PARIS

The Bois de Boulogne is a popular place for dog walking.

PARIS

Parc de Bagatelle—the fantasy of rich royalty and now public.

PARIS

The Pompidou Center. All the insides are on the outside.

PARIS

A plaza outside the Pompidou Center, where the Modern Art museum resides.

PARIS

A view of Paris and Sacre Coeur on the hill from the top of the Pompidou Center.

TORINO

Torino has lots of grand plazas.

TORINO

Torino has beautiful shopping arcades.

TORINO

The river Po crosses the city. It was very high from rain when we arrived, but dropped about 3 feet in a couple of days.

TORINO

A famous landmark called the Mole Antonelliana. It now houses a fun Museum of Cinema.

TORINO

One of the best museums of Egyptian antiquities in the world is in Torino. The museum building is currently under construction.

TORINO

Scenes from the Giro d’Italia bicycle race.

TORINO

Scenes from the Giro d’Italia bicycle race.

TORINO

Important thunderstorm warnings and castles in the hills above the river.

TORINO

Really good gelato!

LAKE

COMO

The Frecciarossa super fast train we took from Torino to Milano.

LAKE

COMO

The Frecciarossa at 272 km/hr. It topped out at 300 km/hr.

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COMO

The Milano train station.

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The local trains. We took one of these from Milano to Lake Como.

LAKE

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At the train station in Varenna—across the lake from where we stayed. The train goes through a tunnel on the way north.

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COMO

At the ferry dock in Varenna on the way to our hotel.

LAKE

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Our walk to the hotel and views from our window.

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Things you can see in a walk along the lake.

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COMO

Walking up the hill to the bicycle museum.

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More sights on the way up the hill to the bicycle museum.

LAKE

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The Museum of Cycling at Madonna del Ghisallo.

LAKE

COMO

The Madonna del Ghisallo chapel named for the hill it tops. The pope admitted the Madonna as the patroness of cycling.

LAKE

COMO

Ferries on the lake and “Vias” (walkways) in the towns.

LAKE

COMO

The Villa Melzi gardens on the lake.

LAKE

COMO

Rainbow out our window after a thunderstorm, one of our favorite restaurants and more villas on the lake.

LAKE

COMO

Villa Carlotta gardens and inside the villa.

LAKE

COMO

Moon on the lake near the hotel.

LAKE

MAGGIORE

At the ferry docks in Stresa and Baveno. Swans on the lake.

LAKE

MAGGIORE

Our private park below our apartment in Lesa and our view from the balcony.

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MAGGIORE

Lakeside after dinner in Lesa.

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Villa Pallancino zoo and gardens near Stresa.

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Oak at the entrance to Villa Taranto garden.

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MAGGIORE

Villa Taranto

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MAGGIORE

More Villa Taranto with tornado damage.

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MAGGIORE

La Posta—our favorite restaurant in Baveno.

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MAGGIORE

The island gardens on the lake. Isola Bella in the foreground.

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MAGGIORE

Gardens and grotto at Isola Bella.

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MAGGIORE

Isola Madre garden with sculptures & birds.

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MAGGIORE

More silly birds hiding from the rain at Isola Madre.

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MAGGIORE

More sculptures in the Isola Madre garden.

LAKE

MAGGIORE

The famous Cashmere Cypress at Isola Madre was toppled by a 2007 tornado. It was winched back up by helicopter and is back in place with peacocks roosting in the branches.

MILAN

The train station.

MILAN

The Milan Cathedral on the Plaza Duomo. The main tourist attraction. Setting up for a rock concert on the plaza for the weekend.

MILAN

More Milan sights:The Peace ArchSforza castleModern Art museum garden

MILAN

And great gelato!