1. Roar like a gladiator as you make your way through the arches and into Rome's Colosseum.

2. Prevent your mouth from falling agape as you look up at Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.

3. Smooch beneath the city lights during a romantic sunset gondola ride along the Venice canals.

4. Shop for stylish new shoes in Milan before they become available anywhere else in the world.

5. Stop for a mid-morning espresso in a seaside village after hiking along the Cinque Terre.

6. Drive alongside locally built Maseratis and Lamborghinis (if you can keep up the pace, that is).

7. Cock your head for a straight-on view of the leaning tower in Pisa.

8. Stand on the old rock walls of Elba island and contemplate Napoleon's exile.

9. Explore what's left of Pompeii in the wake of the A.D. 79 Mount Vesuvius eruption.

10. Eat spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a local Chianti. Throw some Parma ham on the side, and enjoy a cannoli for dessert. Save room for the next day's Sicilian pizza, penne with pesto sauce, and gelato. And the next day's Parma ham, provolone cheese, and biscotti.