Ceiling of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Consecrated in 1888 after 17 years of construction, this neo-gothic landmark now attracts over 50,000 visitors a year. The 116 stained glass windows, created by Carmelite nuns in Le Mans, France, add color, light, and airiness to […]
View out over County Wicklow, Ireland. Despite being just south of Dublin, which is experiencing a huge internet-fueled building boom, much of Wicklow remains undeveloped. Small towns and patchwork fields bounded by hand-built rock walls line the coast. Inland, wild scrubland prevails, with soft bracken and hearty gorse covering the gently rolling hills.
One of three large statues on the rooftop of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris looking across the Seine to the Louvre Museum. This statue, entitled Orleans, was created as an allegorical representation of the city of Orleans, which was one of three major cities served by the train line that originated in the building when it […]
View out over Nevada from the top of the 7,600 foot mountain ridge that forms the divide between California and the Silver State at the southern end of Lake Tahoe. Although the valley in view is only 1,500 feet lower than the lake, the Sierra Nevada mountains block much of the rain and snow that […]
Young skiers at Isola 2000 ski field, 60 miles (96 km) north of Nice, France. Set in a high valley inside Mercantour National Park on the dividing line between France and Italy, the ski field gets its name from its altitude (2000 meters/6560 feet) rather than from any association with the year 2000. For full […]
Canal and classically inspired buildings in the Souk Madinat Jumeirah, located just south of the landmark Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel. This relatively new souk is designed to look like a traditional Arabian market. In it you’ll find an eclectic mix of quirky shops, art galleries, antique stores, and high-end clothing boutiques. There are also […]
Sacre Coeur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) in the northern suburbs of Paris. Completed in 1914, it’s the second most visited monument in town, with 10 million visitors a year. Only Notre Dame Cathedral had more last year (12 million). With Notre Dame closed for repair following the disastrous April 2019 fire that gutted […]
The Chagall Museum (Musée Chagall) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, along with the Musée Matisse, which is located just up the hill. Although the collection is relatively small, it provides a satisfying and intimate glimpse into the magical and mystical world that Chagall envisioned. Chagall was closely involved in the design and arrangement […]
Marc Chagall’s mosaic Le prophète Elie (The Prophet Elijah) on the wall of the Musée Marc Chagall in Nice, France. Created in 1970 specifically for the outer wall of the museum, the mosaic depicts religious scenes relating to the many miracles God performed through Elijah. The beauty and simplicity of the work is enhanced when […]
The Matisse Museum (Musée Matisse) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, the other being the Musée Chagall, which is located nearby. Originally housed in a 17th century villa on the outskirts of Nice, the museum was expanded in the early 1990s and now includes a large modern wing where some of Matisse’s larger […]
Mgarr Harbor on the southern side of Gozo island, Malta. The 25-minute ferry service from the island of Malta runs between this small harbor and the town of Cirwekka.
Budapest skyline, showing Buda Castle on the western side of the Danube. The current castle and palace complex was constructed in the 18th century and is now home to the Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery. Pedestrians coming from the Pest side of the river can get to the Castle by crossing the […]
Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat on sale at a mini-market in Dubai, UAE. In addition to this unfortunately named beverage, Japanese consumers can also buy Calpis (which sounds like “Cow Piss” when pronounced by the Japanese) and Moocos (pronounced “Mucus”). Perhaps not as bad as the delicious Japanese chocolate treat Crunky Ball Nude.
Replica of the Statue of Liberty in Nice, France on the promenade behind the Nice Opera House. Erected in 2014, this miniature work commemorates the renovation of the Quai des Etats Unis. The quay, itself, is named after the United States (Etats Unis in French). The quay honors the role America played in helping France […]
Massive beaux-arts clock hanging inside the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France. The clock dates to around 1898 and originally overlooked the passenger platforms when the building was used as a train station. When the space was converted into one of Paris’ best art museums in the mid-1980s, the clock was incorporated into the new layout. […]
The Blue Lagoon on Comino Island, Malta. This photo is unretouched. The waters really are as vibrant and spectacular as they appear here. What’s not visible in the photo are the hundreds of tourists that decent on the lagoon each day. On the day this photo was taken, masses of stinging jellyfish kept everyone out […]
Looking up at the hole in the Pantheon ceiling, Rome. Dating from around 126 BC, this former temple has been used as a Catholic church since the 7th century. One interesting bit of trivia: the height from the floor to the oculus (the hole) is the same as the diameter of the interior of the […]
Stunning views along a desolate highway in northwestern Iceland. Although the country stretches as far as195 miles north to south and 300 miles east to west, it has a population of only 360,000 people. As a result, there are vast stretches of uninhabited, treeless, barren land between towns. Great for taking panoramic pictures, not so […]
Fort St. Angelo on Malta’s Grand Harbour, as viewed from the town of Senglea. This fort takes up the northernmost tip of the town of Vittoriosa, also known as Birgu. Located next to one another, Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua make up the “Three Cities,” a largely residential area across the harbour from Valletta. Because access […]
View of the south side of the Isle of Capri from a beachside cafe at the Marina Piccola (the Little Marina). Although less than 1 1/2 miles from the Marina Grande, where most tourists land on the island, the Marina Piccola is significantly quieter and less developed. Much of that has to do with the […]
Before the huge eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD, the two peaks in this image formed part of a much larger cone shaped volcano. Falling ash and pyroclastic flows eventually buried Pompeii to a depth of as much as 17 feet in some areas. Nearly 2,000 residents of this town, alone, died during the […]
View of Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town from the 16th century wall that completely encircles it. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979, the town suffered significant damage during the 1991-1992 Yugoslav War. Nowadays, though, there are few physical reminders of the war years. And the town has been reborn as a major Mediterranean tourist destination. […]
Country lane, northwestern Malta. Much of the island of Malta and it’s sister islands to the north, Gozo and Comino, look like this. Rolling hills, crumbling seaside cliffs, and hardy trees and scrub brush. Malta is an island of huge contrasts, too. The western side looks much like it did seven centuries ago when people […]
Storm swell washing over the seawall into Sliema Pitch pool, Malta. The pool faces north and takes the brunt of many of the storms that hit Malta during the winter months. Although rainfall is usually minimal, the wind can blow for days at gale-force strength, kicking up 15-20 foot waves in this part of the […]
Gozo Gossiping sculpture by Gozo native artist Joe Xuereb. Carved from large limestone blocks and standing nearly 6 feet tall, this playful statue is described by Xuereb as representing: . . . figures chattering and whispering, a local characteristic that takes place especially when we meet outdoors. It currently stands near the center of Villa […]