Urbino

 AW, Grand Circle didn't come through with the thunder storm!! No rain!! Just a little overcast. So a great day!

Urbino is a walled city in central Italy. It's known for the turreted, 15th century Ducal Palace (Duke's Palace). 

Inside the palace, the National Gallery of Art features paintings by Titian and Raphael. Raphael was born in Urbino.

Urbino is also a university town.

(to be continued) 

San Marino

 Our tour guide, Silvia, told us that the local people of Pesaro aren't used to having tourists in their town yet. It's just opening up to tourists. So you will see in the photos that two local ladies stopped Silvia to ask what was going on with this large group of people she was leading around. She said they ask if she was a terrorist (I think they meant tourist!) Anyway, they had a lively conversation!

(to be continued) 

San Marino

 They tell us to embrace the unexpected. Well, they have certainly given us experiences we didn't expect!!

We came back to Italy from the country of San Marino. Pesaro is a small town on the Adriatic Sea, down the mountain from San Marino.

 It is known as "the city of music" because of Gioacchino Rossini, the famous composer born in Pesaro in 1792. He wrote 39 operas as well as some sacred music, songs, chamber music and piano pieces.

(to be continued) 

San Marino, Republic of San Marino

 We entered a new country today!! The Republic of San Marino!! It's the third smallest country in the World; next to the Vatican and Monaco. 

It is a mountainous micro-state surrounded by north-central Italy. Its capital, also named San Marino, is a medieval walled town with narrow cobblestone streets.

 Its Three Towers, castle-like citadels dating to the 11th century, sit atop the mountain peak.

(to be continued)