Italy is a land of mystery, magic, and mafia. Thankfully, during my four months in Rome with the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies, I had all three on my side. Our leader Franco seemed to be greeted with bigger and warmer displays of friendship the farther south from Rome we traveled. When a road block was instantly opened by the Sicilian police to allow the swift passage of our tour bus, I had a hunch Franco was connected. And when an armed undercover Caribineri guarded us while our group skinny dipped off the coast of Sicily that night, it was like icing on the cake.

      Characterized by endless ancient ruins, huge churches, and Romans who when asked for directions will only offer the advice "sempre dritto" (straight ahead), Italy is filled with sacred sites. This slide show takes you from a mysterious church to the aqueduct of Aqua Claudia, from Florence to St. Peter's, and from the magical hallways of Sicily to the ancient streets of Pompeii. Not included in this slide show are a clock and church from Sienna, and a scene from Hadrian's villa.

       All of the photographs in this slide show and in InnerGardenArt.com were taken with my Canon AE-1. Enjoy viewing and learning about the other magical places in the Inner Garden.