Mia Bello Italia

Cameo Factory

We had the chance to go to a cameo factory. The cameos are hand carved from sea shells. The detail is incredible.

This little man is Vincenza. He has made cameos for many years. He is a master teacher for those wanting to learn the art.

This is Vincenza's work station. Look at the detail in the broach with four ladies.

Yummy Sorrento

The beautiful city of Sorrento sits high above the Mediterranean on the Bay of Naples.

These nets are under the olive trees. When the olives are ready to be harvested, they spread the nets out under the trees and then shake the trees. The olives drop into the nets and not to the ground.

They grow lemons all around Sorrento. They are famous for Lemon Cello which is a lemon liquor.

The lady in red made mozeralla cheese for us. The only English word she can speak is "CHEESE"

Love the Bougainvillea

Ty loved the little cars in Italy

The Ancient City of Pompeii

The outer walls of Pompeii. In 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted and covered the bustling city of Pompeii in 45 feet of hot volcanic ash. The entire city was preserved. It is a very intriguing place to visit.

Mike shooting video

The ampitheatre

These stepping stones were put in the road so when water or sewage was running down the streets, people could cross without getting their feet wet.

A counter in a store

This was one of the 29 bakeries in the city. People would bring their bread here to bake. When they excavated, they found 88 loaves of bread in one oven.

Looking up one of the main streets of Pompeii.

This was a two story home. The holes in the wall to the left are where the beams went to make the second story.

I think this was a garden in the back of a house. Cool

a pool in a courtyard

Ruins with Mt. Vesuvius keeping watch

mosaic work along the side of the streets

A beautiful

mosaic walkway

A painting on a wall in a house.

Part of a wall mosaic

Plaster casts of a couple of the victims of Mt. Vesuvius

Some of the artifacts uncovered in the excavation.

A view of the outer wall

More Bougainvillea

Check out the size of these lemons. They were hanging outside a juice stand at Pompeii. They are about the size of a nerf football.

Rome-The Eternal City

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch. It was built to commemorate the triumph of Constantine I in a battle for Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.

The mightly Colosseum

Natalie and Tyler outside the Colosseum

These guys dress up like roman soldiers and charge money for people to have their photos taken with them. I just took one from a distance.

The Forum is on Capitoline Hill. The ruins are where the government sat during Roman times.

All of us at the Forum

A dome outside the Forum

On top of a building outside the Forum.

St. Peter's Basillica is the largest church in the world. It is beautiful and ornate.

Looking at St. Peter's Square from the steps of the Basillica.

The roofline of St. Peter's Basillica is lined with statues of Pope's and Saints. Jesus is in the middle.

Not a very good photo but a glimpse of the Vatican guards in their colorful uniforms.

The front of St. Peter's. The middle balcony is where the new Pope is introduced to the world after he is elected.

A huge, beautiful fountain in St. Peter's Square

This building in the Vatican is where the Pope lives. His living quarters are the entire top floor of this building. When he appears to wave to the people he comes the the second window from the right.

Part of the Vatican

Looking toward the main altar of St. Peter's. It sits right under the main dome.

This is "La Pieta" meaning "the pity". It is a Michaelangelo and absolutely took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. As I looked upon Mary holding the dead Jesus, her perfect son, I couldn't help but think of her as a mother and her as a woman and how she must of felt at that moment when the world thought that all hope was gone. Thank heaven for the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and for the resurrection that brings life back to man.