travel beyond the obvious
I first went to Europe in college as part of seminar studying war and peace. Our long list of stops in Western Europe also included a few days behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Read More …
Lakewood Cemetery is probably the preeminent cemetery in Minnesota. It isn’t the state’s oldest, or even the oldest in Minneapolis (that honor goes to the Minneapolis Pioneer and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, which was clearly visible Read More …
This is a gorgeous evening – not hot, but warm and humid enough to feel a bit sultry. It is a night that begs to be enjoyed. The Blue Mosque draws us in, moths to Read More …
Hagia Sophia is to the left. . . the Blue Mosque is straight ahead. . . and the Bosporus filling the space between. Next post: Night in the City Previous post: Sultan Ahmet Camii (the Read More …
The Blue Mosque was built early in the 17th century to rival the Hagia Sophia. Today it remains among the most splendid buildings in a city rich in magnificent architecture. Today the mosque’s courtyard bustles Read More …
We approach the ancient church of Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) – now a museum – from the grassy plaza that links it to the Blue Mosque. Inaugurated by the Emperor Justinian in 537, the “church Read More …
Our guide in Thailand was very proud of her culture and country and would regularly take add additional stops – usually ones with a magnificent Buddha of some sort – to our itinerary.After a long Read More …
Previous post: Orvieto at Night We have been staying at the Istituto San Lodovico, a convent and former women’s school connected to the church of San Lodovico. Today it is run by the Sisters of Read More …
The Egyptian government has undertaken the restoration of the ancient Coptic Christian Monastery of Saint Anthony (Deir Mar Antonios). photo by Miami Love 1 (on Flickr) Along with restoration of the structures and paintings, the Read More …
Previous post:We are in Northern Ireland mostly because we have friends here. This is a good thing for many reasons, including the fact that they have taken my rather scatter-brained ideas about what we would Read More …
Previous post: EnnisWe head north out of Ennis, driving through rolling green meadows on our way to the Burren Center in Kilfenora. The Burren Center is in a non-descript modern building that we spot beyond Read More …
Michael has to work for awhile today while we are off playing, so we drop him off at work, which gives us a chance to see Stanford’s Memorial Church during the day. Next Post: Filoli Read More …
We stop to visit the Memorial Church at Stanford at night when the building glows. The “chapel” at Stanford University is an ornate church decorated both inside and out with intricate mosaics. At night, the Read More …
I was expecting that the Grand Mosque of Paris would be by the Arab Institute, but it is not and, despite the lovely minaret, it takes a bit to find it.When we do, we circle Read More …
Previous Post: Inside Notre-Dame de ParisEven though we could have been first in line to go up in the bell tower, we so much time inside the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, the that we Read More …
We start our morning with a return visit to Notre-Dame in the heart of Paris. I can’t really imagine how this place would have been experienced by the mostly poor and illiterate people who worshiped Read More …
Previous Post: Luxembourg GardenThe exterior of the church of Saint Sulpice is undergoing renovation. I’m convinced we won’t be able to get inside, but of course we can. Good thing too. Next post: The Marais
An evening walk through the Latin Quarter near our hotel takes us up to the Panthéon. Begun in 1764 as a church honoring Saint Geneviève, it was completed in 1790 during the revolution – when Read More …
My friend Jeff has recommended we visit the church of Saint Séverin, another Medieval beauty that is an easy stop on the way back to our hotel. As we enter, the sound of the magnificent Read More …
Along with Notre-Dame, the other highlight of Ile de la Cité is a visit to the royal chapel of Sainte Chapelle.The chapel is tucked away in a complex that today serves as the Paris law Read More …
I’m a little surprised by the massiveness of Paris. Everything is so BULKY. It’s lovely, but big. Buildings seem to hog whole blocks, making the city seem a bit larger than life. I don’t recall Read More …
Before leaving for Hawaii, my manager at work gave me a short list of things I must see. One of them was the Byodo-In, a serene replica of an ancient Buddhist temple in Japan. Previous Read More …
Wadi Naturn is a depression in the desert that lies below sea level, so there is water is at or close to the surface in many places. Although never settled by them, this area was Read More …
This probably should be titled “the sacred and the profane.” Friday is a day off in Egypt, so the streets are crowded with shoppers. We too are going to a market – the Khan al-Khalili, Read More …