Cairo...

Our first stop in Cario was to take a ride on a camel. It was pretty cool, but something I would probably never do again. Camels are yucky!

The camel owner made us kiss...it was pretty cute.

Here are the Pyramids of Giza. The one on the left is actually the bigger of the three, but the 2nd one was built about on a hill about 10 yards higher than the other, so it has the illusion of looking bigger.

This is the 2nd tallest pyramid. We liked it the best because it still had some of the outer layer on it at the top.

After going to the pyramids, we visited the Sphinx.

Then we went to Memphis where we saw this enormous statue of Ramses II. They found it buried in the sand and his legs had eroded.

Finally, we went to the Step Pyramid, which is the very first pyramid ever built.

On our second day in Cairo, we visited the Egyptian Museum. We couldn't even take our camera in, so I don't have any pictures to share.

Athens...

Our hotel room had an awesome view of the Aegean Sea. On one of our days in Athens, we spent a very relaxing day at the beach. The water was freezing, but very clear.

Our first stop in Athens was to visit the Acropolis...

...where we were able to see the Parthenon.

From the Acropolis, we could see Lycabettus Hill. Later in the day, we actually climbed up most of that hill and then took a cable car the rest of the way.

We also took a one day cruise to visit three Greek islands...Poros, Hydra, and Aegina.

Our first stop was the island of Poros.

Then we went to Hydra. We liked this island the best. No cars were allowed on the island and everything was so beautiful.

Lastly, we stopped at Aegina, famous for pistachios!

Rome...

In Rome, we visited the Colosseum first. It was spectacular inside and out.

It could hold up to 50,000 people. Quite amazing to see.

Everywhere we went in the city, we found fountains or faucets with cold water that was safe to drink. It tasted really good too. We only had to buy 2 bottles of water and the rest we got for free!

We climbed up the Spanish Steps and at the top enjoyed some gelato (really good ice cream)!

Inside the Pantheon...

...and then on to the Trevi Fountain.

We took a day trip to climb Mt. Vesuvius...the most dangerous volcano in the world!

We also went to Pompeii, the city that was destroyed by an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The volcanic ash eruption preserved a lot of the city. While excavating, large cavities were found. The excavators filled the holes with plaster and found perfect representations of people who died from asphyxiation. This plaster cast shows a person covering their mouth just awaiting death...so sad.

Our last stop in Rome was to Vatican City. We saw the museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square, and St. Peter's Basilica. Everything was amazing.

Paris...

Our first stop in Paris was to visit the Sacre-Couer Basilica.

Then of course, on to the Eiffel Tower.

The next day, we went to the Palace of Versailles...

...and then to the Louvre Museum.

We also went up the Eiffel Tower and saw some amazing views.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was really neat to see as well.