My first visit to Europe was a wonderful 12-day journey through the northern part of Italy. It was a wonderful trip with only a few days of rainy weather to make my wife and me appreciate the sun when it burst through the overcast. At the end of the photographs I’ve included a map of the route we took to give you an idea of some of the cities and areas we enjoyed.

We booked a tour hosted by Collette Explorations and were not disappointed. The “Explorations” category of Collette tours is limited to no more than 24 people which makes for a comfortable, easy going schedule. Our tour manager and guides were very knowledgeable and readily answered any questions or concerns. I would highly recommend them for tours of Italy and any other international destinations they offer (http://www.gocollette.com).

These photographs are not intended to be a day-by-day view of cathedrals, museums and iconic landscapes, although I have plenty of those types of sights. Rather, these are simply a selection of a few scenes that caught my eye along the way. Click on any of the thumbnails to enlarge the photographs.