Rain and bad weather could not keep cheese lovers away. One hundred thousand people made their way to Bra, Italy for Cheese 2005. This biennial event is organized by Slow Food and the City of Bra. It is the leading international meeting for small cheese producers and aims to promote consumer awareness of artisan dairy products. Everything from cheese preserved in goat skin to yak cheese was featured this year.

The event featured cheese tastings (usually accompanied by wine), education and shopping. About 12,000 people went to the Great Hall of Cheese and tasted 157 cheeses washed down with 30,000 glasses of wine. Approximately 1,000 different wines were available at this year's event.

The history of Rome comes alive in the Roman Coliseum. When you stand in the Roman Coliseum you will feel the excitement that comes with knowing you are standing in a structure that was built almost 2,000 years ago.

The Roman coliseum was begun by Vespasian around 70 AD on the site of Nero's residence (the previous emperor). The structure was inaugurated by Vespasian's son Titus ten years later, although it was likely finished later by Titus's son. The ceremonies and games held in celebration of the opening went on for a hundred days.

The Roman coliseum has been known by a number of different names; The Amphiteatrum Flavium, Amphitheatrum Caesareum, Colosseum, Coliseum or Il Colosseo. It is about the size of an American athletic stadium with seating for about 50,000 and is 160 feet high.

The floor of the arena was wooden and covered with sand. Beneath this floor was a series of rooms and passageways for wild animals and storage rooms for items needed to stage the events.

Uncertain weather and an uncertain world economy has kept tourists away from Italian beaches this year. Somewhere around 1 million fewer tourists will visit one of Italy's fifteen coastal regions this year compared to last year.

Campania and Sardinia were both off around 5%. Veneto, Marche, Molise and Lazio are off around 10%. Calabria suffered the most substantial drop of 25%. Even those communities that had a normal season in June had a drop off in July.

Most people visit Pisa Italy to see the Leaning Tower. If that is your only reason for going to Pisa there is no need to stay in the city, you can make it a day trip from Florence.

In Pisa Italy, you will be in awe of the beauty of the three medieval buildings that make up the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles): the Baptistery, Duomo and Tower (the campanile). The tower was begun in 1173 on a sandy silt soil and started to lean before the third level was finished in 1274. The Baptistery is the largest in Italy and is known for its incredible acoustics.

Galileo studied at the University of Pisa where he was a student of motion and gravity. Legend has it that he conducted experiments on gravity by dropping items from the Leaning Tower. The University is still there and is the center of activity in the city. Today, the University is known for its computer science department.

Where better for an organization called the Slow Food movement to start than in Italy. Italy is a country that truly appreciates the benefits of making a meal an event to be shared with family and friends. A meal in Italy is lingered over whether it is served at home or in a restaurant. You will never feel rushed to finish up and leave in a crowded Italian restaurant.

Carlo Petrini started the slow food movement in response to the opening of a McDonalds in Piazza Spagna in Rome in 1986. A fast food restaurant opening in the heart of Rome's historic center was not something to be taken lightly. Rather than protest, Carlo Petrini chose to show that there is a better way - he started the slow food movement.

The slow food movement is headquartered in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. This is the land of fresh pesto sauces, homemade pastas and hearty ragu's.

Mr. Petrini's goal is to demonstrate that we have a choice when it comes to food and wine. We do not have to settle for the bland, salty and generally unhealthy fare of fast food restaurants.