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Italy is a breathtakingly beautiful country that will always be one of the highlights for anyone's travel to Europe . It has everything from the impossibly blue Mediterranean Sea to the spectacular Alps, with fabulous food at every stop along the way. And while you are there, you can't help but trip over history with every step you take. Here are few things you cannot miss when you travel to Italy:

Venice. Think about it. How many movies have you seen that were set in this romantic city? Well there is a reason. If there is a city with more charm and magic than Venice, someone is keeping it a very tight secret. (Oh sure, I can just hear those Parisians objecting that their's is the most romantic city, but those folks are hardly objective. Besides, this is an article about Italy.) The "streets" are waterways and the city is gradually sinking into the Adriatic Sea. But don't worry, it will still be there by the time you get there to see it all.

The Roman Colosseum.Talk about the original home for extreme games. You can almost hear the ghosts of gladiators clashing their swords and signing multi-drachma contracts with their agents. The Colosseum is both a spectacular and grim place, considering the many senseless acts of violence that occurred here. Kind of like the beauty pageants are today.

Florence. If you aren't already an art lover, you will be after visiting Florence. Walk in the footsteps of Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael and your life will be forever changed. One word of warning however, if you are already prone to feelings of penis envy or inadequacy, Michelangelo's 18-foot statue of David, may not be your cup of tea.

The Vatican. The art, architecture, history and sheer aura of this place will leave you speechless. (Well except for breathless comments like, "magnificent," "unbelievable," and "where's the bathroom.")

Wine country. The folks in France won't admit this either, but Italian wines are often every bit as good (sometimes even better) than their French counterparts. Take a tour and you will enjoy the tastings all the more after having seen the sheer craftsmanship and patience that goes into making fine wines. And need I remind you to purchase a few of your favorites so you can bring them home to impress your friends with your refinement and worldly sophistication.

The Italian Alps. OK, I will admit that I kept thinking, "these mountains cannot be real. I bet some Hollywood film company put together the ultimate background to impress the tourists." But in actual fact, they are real. And they are beautiful beyond anything you have ever imagined before in your life. What has always amazed me was that Hannibal surprised the Romans by bringing elephants through the Alps. Elephants were the ancient warfare equivalent of our modern tanks, so you can bet Hannibal had the Romans running for their adult Pampers as soon as they saw his army coming over those mountains.

I read somewhere that Italy is the home of more American ex patriots than any other country. So you should be warned in advance that if you stay too long in Italy, you might never want to come back. With that in mind, proceed with caution.

COPYRIGHT (c) 2006, C.H. Brown. All rights reserved.