Rome

When in Rome: Throw a penny on into the Trevi Fountain, walk around ancient ruins, eat gelato on the Spanish steps, stick your hand in a rock, say a prayer in the Vatican, buy a painting in the Piazza Nuvona.

Florence

In Florence, I walked slowly.
In Florence, I bought an Italian purse in olive green.
In Florence, I saw Michelangelos' David.
In Florence, I ate a Cannoli for the first time.
In Florence, I sat on the steps of Santa Croce and sketched. 
In Florence, I finally found the pace of Italy.

Venice.

Venice was heartbreaking. It showed me green, clear water under sinister gray skies. It got my shoes wet in the first five minutes. It was beautiful, even from beneath a hood. It had cappuccinos that drove me wild, Gondolas rides for 50 cents, and endless spiderwebs of canals.

The Basilica San Marco was the most divine church I have even seen. The gold gilded ceilings and intricate tile floors that made the long Easter mass more bearable. When I went into the church the skies were gray and cold, and when I came out it was warm and blue. A real Easter miracle.