Not Visiting the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
The Dome of the Rock, built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is one of the holiest sites of the Muslim faith. Muslims believe this is where Muhammad ascended into … Read more
Photo of the Day
Old City, Jerusalem
Mostly I just wandered the warrens of the narrow streets of the Old City of Jerusalem and looked at a city unlike any I’ve ever seen before.
The Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy
When it comes to church art (and other interesting stuff) it’s hard to beat the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. For quality and quantity, it’s far more important than … Read more
Images of Verona , Italy
We were in the Verona Cathedral at night. Consequently, the light inside was even dimmer than normal in an old church. So, I almost missed this amazing feature of the … Read more
The Pope’s Chair, St. John Lateran, Rome
If you said that St. Peter’s Basilica is the Pope’s “home church” in Rome, you’d be wrong. In fact, the Pope’s chair (cathedra in Latin, hence the English word cathedral) … Read more
Duomo Demons, Florence, Italy
There’s a lot of debate about the Vasari paintings that cover Florence. I think the safest thing to say about Giorgio Vasari was that he was a better businessman than … Read more
Ceiling, San Marco Basilica, Venice, Italy
We arrived on the train from Ljubljana in Venice late afternoon, when the sun was already low in the sky, and the lines to get into San Marco Basilica were … Read more
Edith Piaf’s Grave, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris
We visited the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris on November 11, which is still known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in Europe. It’s a day in which not only … Read more
Mount Olympus in the Clouds, Greece
One of the physical characteristics of Mount Olympus that gave rise to the belief that it was the home of the Olympian gods of Greek mythology is that it is … Read more
Temple of Apollo, Delphi, Greece
It’s quite amazing how much of the shrine of Delphi remains, given 2500 years of looting, earthquakes, harsh weather and general indifference. What you can see of the Temple of … Read more