Tom Bartel

Rumbula Massacre Holocaust Memorial, Latvia

June 30, 2024July 6, 2014 by Tom Bartel

We had never heard of the Rumbula Massacre until we visited the Latvian Museum of the Occupation in Riga. The museum itself is an eye opener to the terror the … Read more

Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Wroclaw, Poland

October 20, 2023July 6, 2014 by Tom Bartel

In Wroclaw, there’s an island of churches which has, among others, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. But just a short … Read more

St. Mary’s Basilica, Krakow, Poland

October 20, 2023July 1, 2014 by Tom Bartel

Every so often, you walk into a church, expecting nothing special. And then you get something like this. St. Mary’s Basilica on the Main Square of Krakow is simply, one … Read more

Altar Portrait of John Paul II, Basilica, Krakow, Poland

October 20, 2023June 28, 2014 by Tom Bartel

In Krakow, there is no more popular figure than Pope John Paul II. He, along with Lech Walesa, deservedly get a lot of the credit for Poland’s independence from Moscow. … Read more

Saints Peter and Paul Church, Vilnius, Lithuania

October 20, 2023June 25, 2014 by Tom Bartel

We were warned that when we came to Vilnius, Lithuania that we should be prepared for Baroque overload. Well this is it. Saints Peter and Paul are, of course, probably … Read more

Art Nouveau Facades, Riga, Latvia

October 21, 2023June 23, 2014 by Tom Bartel

The art nouveau streets of Riga, Latvia are perhaps the city’s most charming facet. We went into a couple of churches, and they aren’t much to look at. I think … Read more

Struve Geodetic Arc, Tartu University, Estonia

June 30, 2024June 19, 2014 by Tom Bartel

Struve Gedetic arc observatory Tartu University Estonia

The Struve Geodetic Arc is a series of triangulations done by Tartu University astronomer and geographer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve between 1816 and 1855. The measurement of the meridian used the observatory at Tartu University in Estonia as its base point.