My first stop in Italy was in Genoa, birthplace of Christopher Columbus.  I decided that I wanted to visit Venice, Florence, Rome, and Pompeii by train.  So I took my first train to Venice and began my Italian journey.  Venice is unique to say the least and enchanting with its maze of canals and its famous Rialto Bridge and San Marco square.  I must have gotten lost through the streets crossing the canals more times than I’d like to admit.  Getting lost is inevitable unless you have a GPS with you, in which case you deserve to get lost.  Florence was full of art from the sculptures, to the artists painting on the sidewalks, to the architecture.  It’s one of my favorite cities in Italy and the people are very friendly.  Rome of course is full of history and standing inside the Coliseum gave me a sense of being in the Roman era and listening to the gladiators fight to the death.  You will need at least three days to enjoy most of Rome’s sites as well as Vatican City.  Back on the train heading south to Pompeii I spent a whole day in the old city that was once buried by ash in 79AD after the famous Mt. Vesuvius eruption.  The town is frozen in time and very well preserved.   I recommend spending a whole day in Pompeii to explore all its streets.  On my return to Italy, I plan on visiting Cinqueterre and the Alps.