"I defy anyone to stand in the middle of St. Peter's basilica and not be impressed."

I know plenty of people who fit that bill! When you're in a bad mood -- I mean a reallllllly bad mood -- nothing is impressive.
:(

All the artwork around every corner for a week in Rome 2 years ago. Especially visiting many churches in Rome where I was spellbound. Back to Rome in May,but this time adding Florence, Sorrrento, and Venice where I will once again be awed. So looking forward to this trip.

The incredible quality of the art, seemingly everywhere.

Dining and singing with the locals at the Onda contrada street dinner in Siena the night before the Palio--only in Italy!!

Jinx Hoover

Entering Venice on the ocean liner Splendor of the Seas at 5 in the morning, each time i think of it I get goose flesh!

Those first few moments after exiting <the station in Venice and crossing the bridge is like stepping into the Land of Oz. I was utterly unprepared for it, and I can't tell you how thrilled I was. 16 years later, I still have goosebumps.>

I know exactly how you feel....as I crossed the bridge and stopped and looked at Venice for the first time it took my breath away......I also was not prepared for that! TOTAL goosegump moment! Well, put! :)

&gt;&gt;<i>Back to Rome in May, but this time adding Florence, Sorrrento, and Venice where I will once again be awed. So looking forward to this trip.</i>&lt;&lt;

One of my favorite things in Venice is wandering, half-lost, and ducking into one of the many local churches to see the artwork. Random splendors everywhere!

Of course, we <i>expect</i> to be impressed with the likes of Rome, Venice and Florence. But I just remembered another place that desreves mention.

One of the truly impressive unexpected pleasures we've had was up on the hill called the Sacro Monte above the town of Orta San Giulio in the Lake Country. In the middle of nowhere are dozens of incredible temples with life-size terracotta figures depicting the life of St. Francis. They're hundreds of years old, and still in remarkable condition. Amazing stuff, and virtually unknown to most travelers!

I have experienced several memorable moments in Italy; probably too many to list. The one that always brings a smile to my face is when I sat in a small piazza in Venice with my husband, sipping wine and watching the people. I felt as though I belonged.

Laying in bed in a canalside hotel in Venice, watching the moon on the water. Anywhere in Tuscany, just soaking up the atmosphere, and taking it SLOWLY. The only way to enjoy Italy.

There are so many beautiful moments in Italy. Which do I pick? The Forum was incredible to me as was the Coliseum. I loved Portofino's chic shopping and lunches by the water. Portovenere's ancient streets and azure water? Which to pick? I will have to say the real moment that stood out to me, which was quite simple, was the realization while we were driving from the airport into Rose that there were palm trees everywhere! I never expected that!

There are so many things, but the most personally touching was our visit to the small village where my father-in-law was born. We parked in a small piazza and noticed a small engraved obelisk. How surprised we were to find his name and his brother's name there. They were both WWI veterans and thus their names were on the obelisk. It brought tears to my eyes and also to my husband's and brother-in-law's.

My daughter's First Communion on the main altar at St Peter's on Easter Sunday. Standing with my son, alone, at the top of The Spanish Steps in the pouring rain. It doesn't get any better!

Exiting the train station in Venice to view the Grand Canal

St. Peters at Dawn, when it's you and five other people

Rounding the corner to see the Pantheon

Nuns on bicycles in Florence

I will not get to see my first glimpse of Italy until this fall. But I can guarantee you that just thinking about standing in the Sistine Chapel makes my eyes well up. I will be a crying loon at St. Peter's and on the Grand Canal, too, I'm afraid. I hope my adult daughter will not &quot;dis me&quot; for doing so! :)

Entering Venice from the airport in a water taxi. Watching the floating blur on the horizon grow larger and larger as the taxi sped thru the lagoon. Then all of a sudden coasting into the city itself as the driver cut the engine to reduce speed.

From that blur in the horizon, we were suddenly tranported into a unique world like nothing we'd experienced before.

Too hard to choose any one thing. All of Italy impresses me! My granddaughter says the Borghese Gallery.

The gorgeous Italians!

Baffetto's pizza in Rome. The best pizza in a little alley way near the piazza navona...ask anyone there they will know of it!

The country scenery of Tuscany! Absolutely beautiful! My Contiki trip stopped in San Gimignano, it was a sweet little town I must say.

Such a range of impressions ...

The best smell(out of so many to remember): pizza with truffles in Orvieto ... one left the kitchen and was carried by us soon after we were seated, and at least part of our dinner was immediately decided. (we followed the pizza with steak, also with truffles. Yes, Franco, Umbrian truffles!)

Most impressive sight: I can play them like a movie in my head, as so many of you can. But to be honest, the thing that sent my emotions rolling was the interior of St. Peter's Basilica. I was raised Catholic had many ideas of what to expect, had, in fact, already seen the beauty of Rome's oldest, and most glamorous, and most beautiful churches. But the basilica of St. Peter was hard to take in. To be honest, it broke my heart a little.

The most impressive thing about Italy to me is the continuing and ever changing impression that continues to grow. The beauty, the passion and the people are at the heart of that, but I don't ever expect to fully understand it, nor do I need to. To share it is enough, and to be stimulated, seduced, lulled and entertained by it.