Tag Archives: quotes

Barcelona: Exploring the Sagrada Familia

February 18, 2015 ~j

We have been to some magnificent churches in our travels–the iconic Sagrada Familia is no exception. As the most visited Barcelona attraction, there was no way we would miss seeing to this unfinished masterpiece. On our very first night of exploratory wanderings in Barcelona, we found ourselves at the Basilica.

Construction on the church started in 1882. Antoni Gaudí took over the project in 1883, and continued working tirelessly on the church until his death in 1926.

In 1936, a group of anarchists destroyed and burned the vast majority of Gaudí’s workshop and plans for the church. Work halted on the project for a period of time, and resumed again in the early 1950’s. As with anything in the public eye, there are opponents to the project who claim the intentions of Gaudí are not being honoured, and the at the project has become an abomination of his original ideas.

Even so, construction is still taking place over 130 years later by a dedicated group of architects. Completion of the Sagrada Familia is anticipated for 2026. This video shows what the completed Basilica will look like. (My apologies for the über-cheesy music.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDmloG3tXU

Two facades of the church have been completed, the Nativity Façade and the Passion Façade. The third, the Glory Façade, is yet to be completed. Gaudí focused on the Nativity Façade, which is atypical of building a church, working on the exterior before the interior main structure is completed. He knew that others would be inspired by the beauty of the building, and continue construction after he had passed.

The Nativity Façade

The Nativity Façade, completed in 1905, was the only side close to completion in Gaudí’s lifetime.

From the three doors that represent faith, hope and charity to the cypress, the tree of life and universal sign of welcome, the whole façade is a hymn to the joy of creation for the birth of Jesus which is expressed in each and every detail.

From: Sagrada Familia informative plaque

No single picture could do this façade justice. The simultaneous enormity and intricate minutiae of Gaudí’s work make that an impossible task.

There are three entrances on this northeast side of the church representing Faith, Hope and Charity. This side of the church is lavishly decorated, and crammed full of symbolism.

The carved stone appears to be bursting with fresh blooms and new leaves, symbolic of the Nativity–life and joy and newness. Every little detail has been added with purpose. For example, even the bunches of grapes and ears of wheat, seemingly innocuous ornamentation, symbolize the Eucharist.

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Their upper parts are decorated with mosaics spelling out ‘Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Hosanna in Excelsis, Amen, Alleluia’. Asked why he lavished so much care on the tops of the spires, which no one would see from close up, Gaudí answered: ‘The angels will see them.

from: www.lonelyplanet.com

The towers are decorated with glittering glass letters, and the spires are topped with adorned with mosaics of Murano glass.

The Passion Façade

The two different design styles of the Nativity and the Passion are disparate, yet they fit together well. The ornate designs of the Nativity story are contrasted by the stark nature of the Passion Façade. This southwest side has been the cause of some controversy amongst Catalans. The sculptor, Joseph Maria Subirachs, used a much more angular approach than Gaudí’s typical flowing style. Subirachs also left crucified Jesus totally nude. (Oh the horrors! Hah!) But, this is a sore spot for many. I really liked the sculptures, and how they represent the Stations of the Cross.

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Subirachs pays tribute to Gaudí’s style with the shape of the Soldier’s helmets similar to the chimneys of Casa Milà. Also, the figure far left of the photo of Veronica holding her veil has the same profile as the sculpture of Gaudí by Subirachs.

The doors of the Passion Façade, also done by Subirachs, are the words of the gospels of Matthew and John cast in over 8000 bronze letters. The door contains a miniature of the cryptogram seen in the photo of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.

The Bronze Doors of the Passion Façade, Sagrada Familia

The upper portion of the bronze doors of the Passion Façade

The Crypyogram by Joseph Maria Subirachs

Bronze door of the Passion Façade

The cryptogram has multiple combinations of numbers that always add up to 33, the age of Christ in the moment of this death. There are two numbers repeated 10 and 14; if they are added together the sum is 48, the same result as the addition of the letters INRI (Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum) according to the numerical order of the Latin alphabet.

The Interior

Sagrada Familia Entrance — Beautiful isn’t it?

Walking into the Sagrada Familia is like being transported into a fanciful forest. The pillars, and the way the light filters through the stained glass windows is absolutely gorgeous. Everything has designed with the inspiration of nature.

The pillars are of different shapes and designs, as well as several different types of stone. The combined effect is otherworldly. A lot of this portion of the interior was completed as recently as 2010.

The stained-glass windows are reminiscent of watercolor paintings, and, in fact, are designed as watercolor paintings first by artist Joan Vila Grau before they are created in glass. He explained his intentions as:

For me it was necessary to create an atmosphere, a grand symphony of colour and light. When you go into a Gothic church, a cathedral or a monastery, the first thing you feel is the atmosphere. After that you are aware that there are windows of different colours and thematic representations. But what is important, before everything else, is the atmosphere that is created by the colours – and if the windows have a theme – well why not? But it is not necessary. In the windows of the Sagrada Família there is no figurative iconography but an atmosphere has been created. from: http:www.vidimus.org

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Since returning home, we’ve watched the documentary “Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation”. The film is a totally nerdy, but worth watching if you’re in for a slow-moving, yet informative couple of hours. I left with a feeling of confidence that the artists involved with the Sagrada Familia and its completion have embodied the essence of Gaudí’s vision, and are continuing to honor his life’s work right through to completion.

The Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as part of the Works of Antoni Gaudí, since 1984 is definitely worth visiting if you ever find yourself in Barcelona. Though the line ups are long, and some of the tower tours may be canceled due to inclement weather, it is well worth it. Save yourself time, and use the online booking options, and then plan to be awed. You won’t regret it!

Asia, Cambodia

Our Visit to the Cambodian Landmine Museum

January 30, 2012 ~j Leave a comment

For years my only knowledge of Cambodia was that there was a need for landmine removal. In the late 90’s, an uncle of mine was stationed there for landmine removal, and at the time, I thought nothing of it. Cambodia was a country that I never dreamed I’d be visiting. To have that opportunity now, so amazing!

Fast forward a decade and half…I’ve learned a lot more! From 1973 to 1997, Cambodia was under the terrorizing rule of the Khmer Rouge. Almost 2 million people died from starvation, exhaustion, lack of medical care, and execution. Between ’75 and ’78 approximately 100,000 people were executed.

People who didn’t conform to the “Peasant Ideal” were systematically executed. That means doctors, professors, lawyers, artists, business men, musicians, etc, etc. all killed. All traces of any unique thought or creativity were erased. Children, young children, were trained as soldiers. The Khmer Rouge was still in power until 1996 when the first elections were held, and weren’t removed until 1998. That said, Cambodia is relatively new to tourism.

Aki Ra and his organization devote all of their donated funds to clearing Cambodia’s rural “low-priority” villages. These villages, populated primarily by poor farmers, do not always receive first dibs for minefield clearance projects because of their remoteness and limited traffic. At times, they’re completely overlooked.

from: www.cnn.com

Over 5 million landmines were dispersed all over Cambodia. It is estimated that it will take about 100 years to clear them all. About 1 in 300 people is affected by landmines in Cambodia today. We visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum and spent a bit of time there, just trying to process what we were seeing. The story of Aki Ra was particularly moving. If you have time it is worth watching the video and reading the article.

Speaking to people our age, who had such uplifting, positive personalities was awe-inspiring. Many of our contemporaries are orphans with indelible psychological scars. And yet, Cambodians were some of the happiest, kindest, most welcoming people we’ve ever encountered.

The country is on the way to recovery, and it will be a long road still. A huge emphasis was placed on education and literature. The writing coming forward is a lot of personal accounts of survivors. One that I read on the flight home was a heart-breaking read– First they Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers.

Anthropologists believe that the Khmer Rouge managed to do away with approximately 80 percent of the country’s literature, even using the National Library of Cambodia as a pig stall. Of the few remaining texts, most were saved because copies were stored outside the country, especially in ex-colonialist France, or by refugees who fled the country.

From: Granges et al. National Geographic Traveler Cambodia 2010 edition.

If you are in Cambodia, and spend any time in Siem Reap Town, be sure to visit the Landmine Museum. You’re able to donate to the cause at the facility. There’s a wish list of items on the website that you can pick up in any of the markets to deliver when you’re there too!

Please give if you’re able to help,

Asia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam

48 days and counting!

February 6, 2011 ~j Leave a comment

It seems like we still have so much stuff to do, but the pressure isn’t on, so the procrastination continues. We do have our travel visas, and have booked all flights, accommodation and any additional trips/tours that we know for sure we’re doing. Here’s a rough map of the travel route.

Thankfully Jon’s much more organized than I am. His travel research knows no bounds, and he’s fully addicted to trip advisor–so much so that they’ve asked him to be destination expert for Peru. (Which I don’t think he’ll accept. It is a little hard to be a destination expert if you’re from another continent!)

At least I know this Asian adventure is extremely well planned. Even so, the best laid plans of mice and men…

North America, USA

Devil’s Tower

November 7, 2010 ~j Leave a comment

In 1906, Devil’s Tower was proclaimed the first national monument by President Roosevelt. The tower is a crazy rock formation. From the pictures it doesn’t really look that big, but the top of the tower is about the size of a football field. Though it looks like an old volcano it isn’t.

The tower is actually an igneous intrusion (Science lesson: Magma pooled under sedimentary rock, it eventually hardened and then the sedimentary rock–being softer, eroded over time and exposed the igneous rock formation of the tower. Munson would be so proud of me remembering all of that from Geography!) Now this I had to use google for: “Devil’s Tower is made of Phonolite porphyry, it is similar in composition to granite but lacks quartz. Phonolite refers to the ringing of the rock when a small slab is struck, and its ability to reflect sound. Porphyry refers to its texture, large crystals of feldspar embedded in a mass of smaller crystals.”

Sad to say that the tower was pretty amazing, but this was probably one of the worst parts of the trip. We drove half way across the country so that Jon could climb at the tower and I could tour the park. But this was the only day of the whole trip that it wasn’t scorching hot. It RAINED so hard that there was no climbing to be had by anyone for the day we paid for, or the day after that. SO HORRIBLE! So, now Jon has a credit in Wyoming for the next time we happen to feel like driving over 2000km and back just for the weekend.

North America, USA, Yellowstone

Yellowstone to Cody

November 2, 2010 ~j Leave a comment

Early evening on day 3 of the trip we left Yellowstone through the East Entrance. We drove through the Shoshone National Forrest and ended up in Cody, WY for the night.

Cody is a small place just under 10 square miles (25km²) with a population of almost 9000. AND, the Walmart is open 24/7. How is this physically possible? We have more than 10 times the population and Walmart still closes at 10pm. I guess the demand just isn’t happening here!

And, the other difference, try not to vomit, you read that correctly. FIFTY! Who needs 50 McNuggets?!? (FYI: I’m willing to bet a 10 piece meal here is almost that much.)

Walmart and Nuggets aside, I really enjoyed Cody. It was an immaculate little town–so clean and beautifully landscaped. Before we shipped off to our next destination we went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Centre. (Not the “It rubs the lotion on its skin” Buffalo Bill, just so we’re clear!)

Cody is actually named after William Frederick Cody aka Buffalo Bill. Wild West history isn’t really something I’m into or very well informed of, but Buffalo Bill seems like a hip dude for his day. He worked for the Pony Express. He was against slavery, he was for women’s suffrage, he fought for the rights of American Indians. He also wanted equal pay for equal work. He fought in the Civil War. And though he hunted buffalo, (that’s how he got his famous nickname) he also supported conservation. That’s pretty forward thinking for the times I’d say.

I for one say let us give our women absolute freedom and then it will do for us to talk about freeing other nations…I believe in Women Suffrage…I’m not one of the kind that think that God made woman to do nothing but sit at home in the ashes and tend to babies…if a woman can do the same work that a man can do and do it just as well she should have the same pay.

—W.F. Cody

The Historical Centre is actually 5 museums in one. In addition to Yellowstone history, Plains Indians history, Western Art and Buffalo Bill history, there is a huge fire arms exhibit. I’ve never seen so many guns in my entire life.

Stay tuned for Devil’s Tower…

Happy Travels,

ps: Cody has a Dug Up Gun Museum. That’s just crazy. No, we didn’t visit.

North America, USA, Yellowstone

Stop, Drop, Roll

October 15, 2010 ~j Leave a comment

Naturally Reseeded by Wildfire — Reseeded by Wildfire in 1988

The park covers 8980km² which is about 2.2 million acres. In 1988 almost 800,000 acres burned. Thousands of fire fighters and 380 million litres of fire retardant were used for one of the largest fire fighting efforts ever, and still it was Mother Nature that eventually squelched the fire with fall rain and snow.

Yellowstone, and the National Park Services have a natural burn policy–as long as a fire is caused by nature (ie: lightening) and isn’t threatening human life, park structures, natural resources or areas of cultural importance the fire is allowed to burn. Obviously fire is important to the ecosystems of the park; I can appreciate that. Allowing 36% of the park to burn in 1988 certainly affected the landscape we saw. One can’t help but wonder what the deforested areas would have looked like had there been no mass fire. It isn’t as though we’re strangers to the scorched earth landscape left behind by wild fires–BC is always on fire. Always. On the positive side, the 20 year old trees appear to be thriving and green where they’re growing back.

Another tree oddity on Cooking Hillside–“Shake then Bake”. From one of the sign posts: “Covered by dense forest until 1978, this hillside changed dramatically after a swarm of earthquakes struck the area. In spite of being jolted again and again, the trees remained standing, but met their demise soon afterward when ground temperatures soared to 200°F or 94°C! Roots sizzled in the super-heated soil and trees toppled over one by one as steam rose eerily between the branches.”

Some more park facts for you:

Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high altitude lakes in North America at 2557m above Sea Level. (Or, 7733 feet.) Yellowstone Caldera is the largest super volcano in North America. We crossed the continental divide several times while in the park. Most of the park is in Wyoming, but also there’s 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. This Map shows the Caldera, the Continental Divide as well as all the roads and other normal map components. It is almost identical to the one given out at the park entrance.

Moving from flora to fauna, in 1926 Wolves were nearly exterminated in the park. By the 1970’s the Wolf was on the US endangered species list. In 1995, and 1996 there was a successful Wolf reintroduction program. To promote bio-diversity, 32 wolves were imported to Yellowstone from BC and Alberta. Word is that the wolves “were back” when we were in the park. Loads of people with spotting scopes were at pullouts in the Lamar Valley. One couple we ran into (who said we had Canadian accents, and that they aspire to be Canadian because “we’re so civilized”–so funny!) had been successful in their viewing that morning. They have lived near the park all their lives, and were super excited to share information with us.

Once they had been watching a small wolf pack for days (can’t remember the pack name, but they knew exactly who they were), they saw the wolves take down a bull Elk, and then a Grizzly came and stole the carcass. They said they whole thing went on for about 3 days until loads of people showed up with scopes and binoculars to watch. We did not see anything even close to that, but then again, we didn’t have days to sit in one spot in hopes of seeing something with binoculars.

I did manage to spot some things with my eagle eyes, and thanks to my new camera I did get photos. These shots were taken from super far away, but you still get the gist. ps: I love the little goat peeking out from his leafy snack a top a cliff in the middle of nowhere.

Mexico, North America

Shrine of Guadalupe

Gallery September 19, 2010 ~j Leave a comment

On the way home from Peru, we had a 2 day stay in Mexico City. There were a few sites I wanted to see, but for some reason I was a little nervous about being there. The Metropolis that is Mexico is home to over 21 million people. It is the largest city in North America, so you can see why it would be a little intimidating! That said, we managed the metro, and navigating the bus system to everything we wanted to see.

Obviously the city is very old which brings along a lot of interesting, dingy, smelly places. The um, how to explain…aroma? of the City was olfactory assault in its highest art form. On certain streets, just walking around brought on an onslaught of odour. Seriously, I can’t even explain it. Surprisingly, the metro system was actually fairly clean. (At least we didn’t see the same amount of human feces on train cars in Mexico as we did in Paris!) There were sanitation people sweeping platforms and stairways 24/7.

The touts were inescapable, but at least humourous on the metro. People would hop on trying to sell literally everything and anything. We were offered crossword puzzle books, ancient computer repair manuals, rulers, CD’s, and my personal favourite–back scratchers.

While in Mexico, we visited the pyramids at Teotihuacan and Templo Mayor as mentioned previously. We climbed the Pyramid of the Sun. (FYI: It is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world.) I didn’t include photos earlier; here they are now.

Teotihuacan UNESCO designation

Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan Staircase

When we arrived at Teotihuacan there was an insane performance going on. Thanks to Google, I now know that it is called the Danza de los Voladores de Papantla. The geek in me loves that the ceremony is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

We also went to the Shrine of Guadalupe. The history of the shrine is similar to that of the Orvieto Duomo. To shorten up the lesson for you–in 1531 a catholic peasant had a vision of the Virgin Mary. She told him to build a church where she was standing so that she could offer love, compassion and protection to the people. The peasant, Juan Diego, spoke to the Bishop. The Bishop didn’t believe him and wanted some miraculous proof.

The Virgin appeared to Juan Diego again, and told him to pick flowers and gather them in his apron. Though it was winter, the flowers grew at his feet, he gathered them and went to the Bishop. An image of the Virgin Mary was imprinted on the apron. Thus, providing the miracle the Bishop wanted and the rest is history.

Shrine of Guadalupe Mexico City

Interior Shrine of Guadalupe Mexico City

The Shrine of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic Shrine in the world. The original basilica that was completed in 1536 is beautiful. There is a new basilica on the site as well. It is kind of gaudy, round shaped, and looks like it should for a building of the late 1970’s. We didn’t enter the new basilica to see the actual apron, or tilma on display above the alter. Church service was going on, and out of respect we stayed out. I was surprised how few people were at the site as I was expecting more visible pilgrimage that I’ve seen elsewhere (e.g.: people crawling or on their knees in hopes that their prayers would be answered.) Still, a site of such importance for so many people is humbling.

Now for science: The cloth has been examined with infrared photography, ultraviolet imaging, and stereo-microscopy. The earliest analysis shows that no under-drawing to rough out the image and no over-varnish on the image. The latter 2 show several layers beneath the current painting with all sorts of different pigments consistent with artist’s materials used in the 1500’s. There are also cracks, flaking of paint and sketch lines that would make it seem that the image was sketched before being painted.

Even with all the scientific analysis to create doubts of the miracle, the tilma still has some pretty impressive attributes. Thanks Wikipedia for the info.

The tilma has maintained its structural integrity over nearly 500 years, while replicas normally last only about 15 years before suffering degradation; it repaired itself with no external help after a 1791 ammonia spill that did considerable damage, and in 1926 an anarchist bomb destroyed the altar, but left the icon unharmed.

In 1929 and 1951 photographers found a figure reflected in the Virgin’s eyes; upon inspection they said that the reflection was tripled in what is called the Purkinje effect, commonly found in human eyes. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann, later enlarged an image of the Virgin’s eyes by 2500x and found not only the aforementioned single figure, but images of all the witnesses present when the tilma was first revealed before Zumaragga in 1531, plus a small family group of mother, father, and a group of children, in the center of the Virgin’s eyes, fourteen persons in all.

Numerous Catholic websites repeat an unsourced claim that in 1936 biochemist Richard Kuhn analyzed a sample of the fabric and announced that the pigments used were from no known source, whether animal, mineral or vegetable. Dr. Philip Serna Callahan, who photographed the icon under infrared light, discovered from his photographs that portions of the face, hands, robe, and mantle had been painted in one step, with no sketches or corrections and no visible brush strokes.

I have no doubt that there is paint on the image–whether the miraculous image itself has been painted upon over the years, or painted completely is debatable, but you have to admit that the eyeball thing is a little bizarre.

ps: Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. Juan Diego was also made a saint in 2002. He’s the first Mexican to achieve sainthood.

Peru, South America

Hearts Café

August 9, 2010 ~j 1 Comment

Someone on a TripAdvisor forum had posted about Hearts Café. Jon knew I’d make him stop there as soon as he read about it. I’m a sucker for charity, especially one that helps women and children, so I couldn’t possibly say no.

Hearts Café is in Ollantaytambo, in one of the corners of the Plaza de Armas square. It is a small unassuming building, but I know it does amazing things for all sorts of people. Let me tell you, this little place moved me to tears. The story of the café’s origin and founder, Sonia Newhhouse, is just insane. It proves that one person really can make a tremendous difference. I’ve added the text from The West Australian Today article featuring the café:

76 Year Old British Woman who lost her heart in the Peruvian Andes
by Chris Olney, The West Australian Newspaper
June 21, 2007

There’s a small cafe in the corner of the plaza at Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, high in the Peruvian Andes, that offers a surprising selection of food.

Besides the best cappuccino in the valley, there’s quarter pounder veggie burgers, lasagna and farmhouse chicken casserole. Not the usual Andean fare.

But the food is not the only surprise at Hearts Cafe.

The driving force at Hearts is Sonia Newhouse, a 76 year old British woman who five years ago decided to cut her ties with the UK and travel to Peru. She arrived in Lima in 2002 with all her possessions packed into two suitcases.

“It was liberating,” she said. “I had no latchkey , no car. I had never been to Peru and I soon realised the first thing I needed to do was learn the language, so I enrolled in a Spanish School.”

Fellow students encouraged her to travel to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. After 2 years, altitude sickness (Cusco is 3450m above sea level) forced her to move to the Sacred Valley, which is a few hundred metres lower than Cusco. There she became involved with the women living in six villages which make up the community of Huaran.

“I was shocked at how poor they are and how few resources they have,’ Mrs Newhouse said. “I decided I wanted to help them become more self sufficient and independent.”

“I formed a working group and asked them what they needed most”

“Of all the things they need they thought only of their children. They wanted a nursery school. It was very humbling”.

The women told her that a Spanish-language nursery school, or pre-primary, would give their children the chance to learn Spanish before attending Government Schools. They only know the native dialect, Quechua, at home. If the children could not speak Spanish they were at a disadvantage from their first day at school.

A mud hut has been allocated for a nursery school in Canchacancha, one of the six villages, catering for about 40 children. But the school needs a teacher and equipment.

That’s where Hearts Cafe comes in. The money raised by selling meals, tea and coffee will help pay for the nursery school. It’s a big ask. Mrs Newhouse estimates $US20,000 $23,600 a year is needed.

Although she has never run a cafe, Mrs Newhouse is a nutritionist and in the 1980s set up one of the first factories in London producing frozen vegetarian meals. She rented a shop in Ollantaytambo and opened Hearts in March. After seven weeks she had raised 1900 sols (about $480).

“I decided to spend this on much needed medicines for the women,” she said. “Many have serious gynaecological problems. We desperately need volunteer doctors and nurses.”

Mrs Newhouse is training local people to cook and run the cafe, which provides another source of income for families. But she spends every day there to make sure things run smoothly.

Ollantaytambo is en route to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, and as the tourist season gets into full swing there is little doubt the cafe will do a roaring trade.

We stopped to eat at the café on the way to Aguas Calientes and on the way back to Cusco. Both times the food was great. Our server was super friendly, and he remembered us from our first visit. I only wish I’d been more prepared, and had brought school supplies or clothing with me instead of just a financial donation.

The NGO, Living Heart Association, is not a hand-out organization. They focus on education and self-help in the projects they’re running. So far, the café is responsible for a water purification project, a home for abused women and abandoned children, and medical support for people living in the Sacred Valley area. The café focuses on Educational Support, Nutrition Issues and Family Planning. They provide breakfast and lunch to 400 school children and abandoned elderly Peruvians every day!

Living Heart focuses on sustainable activities like growing vegetables in scholastic gardens. How many schools in North America have an organic garden on school grounds?! (Really, the kids here are fed nuggets and tater tots, or something equally vile, and have no clue how or where real wholesome food comes from.)

If you’re thinking of visiting Peru, or know someone who is, please tell them about this little place. It is truly a gem. Also, if you want to send anything to Sonia at Hearts Café the address is:

Sonia Newhouse

c/o Hearts Café

Plaza de Armas, Ollantaytambo

Cusco, Perú

Donations of school supplies, medicine, clothing etc are all needed. ps: Packages cannot weigh over 5kg, and all clothing must look clean and new or will be confiscated by customs. If you want to contact Sonia e-mail hearts.cafe@hotmail.com

Europe, Italy

The Holy See

Gallery July 21, 2009 ~j Leave a comment

The Holy See is the smallest country in the world with a population of just under 800 people (none of whom are permanent residents) and a total area of 0.2 square miles, but is a mighty site to see! The atmosphere of such a spiritual/religious/historic site as St. Peter’s Basilica is indescribable. It is absolutely gorgeous, and so opulent, and so humbling at the same time. We toured the Basilica for quite a while, just wandering around and staring at everything. Even the Holy Water font at the entrance was beautiful. (ps: had to google that. I knew it wasn’t a Holy Water bowl, but didn’t know what it was called!)

Crossed Keys St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City

Dome of St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City

Holy Water Font St Peter’s Basilica Vatican CIty

There was an interesting plaque on the wall as we were waiting for the elevator to the midway point of the climb to the top of the Dome.

“Praise be Jesus Christ! The elevator will take you into St. Peter’s Basilica, the heart of the Catholic Church. Make sure your clothing and your behaviour are respectful of this sacred place, built around the tomb and the memorial martyrdom of Peter the Apostle. St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. John Bosco, St. Theresa of Lisieux, S. Maximillian Kolbe, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta all prayed here. May the spirit of the holy pilgrims inspire your prayer and reflection. Peace be with you!”

There are 320 stairs besides the “lift” to get to the top. The staircase becomes very narrow and the walls actually start curving to match the shape of the dome. Definitely one of the craziest staircase I’ve ever seen. It would be a claustrophobe’s nightmare. When we were planning the trip, I knew one of the dorky things I had to do was send postcards from the Vatican just for the postage stamp. Nuns run a little gift shop with all sorts of religious items at the top of the dome. We bought postcards, stamps, and some gifts.

View from St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City

Interior Stair Well St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City

St Peter’s Square viewed from St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City

After gawking our way through the Basilica, we went through the museum. The double helix spiral staircase in the Vatican Museum is also crazy. One side for ascending and one for descending, and it is LARGE! The Vatican Museum is the richest in the world–not surprising given that it does house the Sistine Chapel. Photos are forbidden inside the Chapel, and there are security guards all over the room to make sure all visitors are compliant.

There were people sneaking photos, but they were promptly scolded, and threatened with eviction–kind of embarrassing in an almost silent room. Tourist ignorance abounds–we saw a woman climbing on a statue in the gardens, and she was viciously yelled at by a guard. Seriously, what kind of ass climbs on a centuries old irreplaceable work of art?!?

Double Helix Stairwell Vatican Museums Vatican City

Madonna and Child Vatican Museum Vatican City

Art Work Vatican Museum Vatican City

Golden Pope Mobile Vatican Museum Vatican City

Art Work Vatican Museum Vatican City

Golden Pope Mobile Vatican Museum Vatican City

Only after we returned home did I find that I have a familial connection to the Vatican City since the 1600’s. Who knew?!? I’m not Catholic, but I am related to ancient Commanders of the Pontifical Swiss Guard (*scroll down, find my old last name and you’ll see what I mean. Just bizarre!) I find the Swiss Guard costume comical. Is there a sane reason why they have to wear clown suits?

Everything about the Vatican was impressive. The art work, the architecture, the obscene opulence, and sense of spirituality from the worshippers–there is so much more that I could write about, but I wouldn’t do it justice.

Visit for yourself, and you’ll see what I mean!

England, Europe, United Kingdom

British Museums

Gallery June 10, 2009 ~j Leave a comment

Visiting the British Museum in London is free, and it is absolutely worth the time. (The website has A History of the World in 100 Objects which is pretty cool.) We wandered the entire museum. A few of the high lites – The Rosetta Stone, the Hoa Hakananai’a, Egyptian Art & Mummies. The museum even has a Haida Totem Pole from BC. We also went to the Natural History Museum, and the Tate Modern which are also free. I’d have to say of the three, the British Museum was the best by far.

Moai of Easter Island, British Museum London

During our shortened stay in London we managed to visit several other sites as well. Tower Bridge and Tower of London were interesting. And, the HMS Belfast The Imperial War Museum was kind of neat to see, but there were a trillion school kids on the ship with us and they were not well behaved! All of them were wearing their little school uniforms running around like little psychos all over the ship.

The most mundane part about London that was also one of the best=Marks & Spencer food shops. We need more grocery/food opportunities like this in Canada. M&S has outstanding policies for a retailer. Here’s a quote from their site:

We launched Plan A in January 2007, setting out 100 commitments to achieve in 5 years. We’ve now extended Plan A to 180 commitments to achieve by 2015, with the ultimate goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable major retailer.

Through Plan A we are working with our customers and our suppliers to combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw materials, trade ethically, and help our customers to lead healthier lifestyles.

I don’t know if shoppers actually appreciate that the food has no GMO’s, or that M&S support fair trade, but it was kind of refreshing. If we had not had to deal with the whole passport fiasco, and actually been able to enjoy another day in London, I’m sure we would have seen so much more.

this bird flies

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