All posts by ~j

Europe, Italy

The Holy See

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Templum Vaticanum Inscription Vatican City

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
Art Work 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?

Swiss Guard Vatican City
Swiss Guard Vatican City

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!
Europe, Italy

Colosseum

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Columns Colosseum Rome

We were lucky the day we went to the Roman Colosseum and Palatine Hill because it was Ladies Day and I got to go for free. Yay me!

Colosseum Rome
Colosseum Rome

Whenever we visit historical sites, my brain won’t stop wondering what the buildings actually looked like in the height of their use, and what happened that made the civilization abandon the site. I need to do some serious book learning about the Colosseum to find some answers.

Apparently the roof used to be covered with fabric as there were over 200 masts attached on the 4th level. And, there weren’t just Gladiator style events. The Colosseum was also filled with water to have mock sea battles. A book was available when we were there that flipped through what the Colosseum would have looked like in the past, and now I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying it. Who carries unnecessary books around while on vacation?!

Included in the entrance fee for the Colosseum is an entrance to Palatine Hill which has the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus. There is a ton of Roman mythology surrounding Palatine Hill. Read up on Romulus and Remus if you don’t believe me.

Palatine Hill Rome
Arch of Titus Palatine Hill Rome
Orange Tree Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill Rome
 I didn’t expect to see pine trees, palm trees, orange trees or cactus in Rome (which is dumb given its proximity to the Mediterranean!), but there were plenty of all.

And I managed to find this video on Youtube with a reconstruction. The music is uber-cheesy, but the visual (minus the digital flock of birds flying by every 10 seconds) is good.

Europe, Italy

Venice: O Sole Mio!

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Scala Contarini del Bovolo – Snail Shell Staircase Venice
Scala Contarini del Bovolo – Snail Shell Staircase Venice

Venice was supposed to be one of the high lites of the trip, but it was a supreme let down. We were really looking forward to Venice before we left Canada. Unfortunately, the weather was horrible–very very cold and super rainy. We were wearing 4 layers of outerwear some days. I bet if the weather had been better we wouldn’t feel the same way about the Venetian portion of the trip.

The city itself is awesome. We were in Venice just after carnival. There was loads of confetti littered all over the place which was kind of sad. The streets are mazed, but well signed, so fairly easy to navigate. There are no cars or even bicycles allowed on the maritime portion of Venice. Realistically, traveling by car, or anything with wheels really, would be near impossible as there are a lot of bridges and narrow pathways and stairs. Taking the vaporetti boats for transportation is sweet, but more than confusing!

Venice Transport Map

Certain stops happen at certain times of the day, or days of the week or times of the year, and dashed lines or solid lines are different times as well, and solid circles for the stops, or with the line through, under or around or God knows what they all mean! It was easily the most confusing public transportation I’ve dealt with. We managed, but had to pay very close attention to the maps. We didn’t take a gondola ride; they were uber-expensive.

Piazza San Marco Venice Italy
Venice Italy
Venice Italy
Piazza San Marco Venice Italy
 We visited all of the touristy sites. The Venice Pass would have been great if it had worked properly. We had problems with it from the start. Eventually we saw what we wanted to, and made it over to Murano, one of the smaller islands. The glass blowing demonstrations weren’t taking place during February, but it was still interesting to walk around the island a bit and check out the shops.  If it hadn’t have been so miserable weather wise, I’m sure it would have been a stellar way to spend the day.

Venice Italy
Venice Italy
Europe, France

Iconic

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Charles de Gaulle étoile Paris
*Not my photo; I can’t remember where it is from.

One night we started walking the Champs-Élysées with the intention of ending up at the Arc de Triomphe. There is so much traffic on the roadways of the Charles de Gaulle étoile that there is an underground pathway to get to the Arc.

Word on the internets is that motorists are not always insured for accidents that occur on the étoile. Insurance companies might cover each parties losses regardless of who is at fault as long as each company agrees to pay for their own client. So confusing. (ps: I stole the ariel photo from the internet, and can’t remember where to give credit to the photographer.)

We had to climb stairs to the top of the Arc. Surprise Surprise! The view was pretty good, but limited with some haze in the sky. The sparkly Eiffel Tower still looks gorgeous. I could have taken a hundred photos of just the Tower. Sadly, I wasn’t able to take any good photos of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but did get a few of the Arc itself.

Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower
Europe, France

Paris: Musée du Louvre

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Edmé Bouchardon's Barberini Faun, Louvre Paris
Edmé Bouchardon’s Barberini Faun

The Louvre was phenomenal! It is the largest and most visited museum in the world, and after spending an entire day there, it is easy to see why. Yes, it seems odd to take photos of art, but it would have been impossible to remember everything we saw. The building itself is unbelievable. Even the elevator is interesting. But, it isn’t just the walls, or the paintings, or the sculptures–the ceilings are elaborately decorated, and even the very rooms for displaying the works are perfectly set. Loved it, would go back in a heart beat.

There were tons of people in the museum, a lot were on speedy little tours to the Nike of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa and then off to their next touristy destination. We had a good 8 hours at least to wander around. I know whole-heartedly that I didn’t see everything the Louvre has to offer, but I did make a good dent in it, and saw exactly what I wanted to which was perfect. I found the sculpture and European art most aesthetically pleasing. The detail in some of the pieces was insane.

Nike of Samothrace
Venus de Milo
Vénus de Praxitèle
Napoléon 1er en costume du Sacre
Philopoemen
Philopoemen
Sleeve detail
Detail – Le Comte Stanislas Félix Potoki et ses deux fils
The most ironic room I found was the room with the Mona Lisa. Obviously, the Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It is small, walled off by ropes, and covered with thick bullet proof glass. At the opposite end of the room is a MASSIVE painting maybe a half dozen people were looking at. Literally hundreds of people were jostling for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa. I didn’t fight with the sea of people to take a photo. (That one is Jon’s).
The Mona Lisa, Musée du Louvre Paris
Fighting for a glimpse of The Mona Lisa
La Noces de Cana, Musée du Louvre Paris
La Noces de Cana – opposite the Mona Lisa, and no on is even looking. It is the largest painting in the Louvre’s collection!
Europe, France

Versailles: I love Paris in the spring time!

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Palace of Versailles, Paris FranceOne of the best parts of our vacation was the two days we went to Versailles. We went more than once because it was so amazing. The Château de Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is well worth the 30 minute train ride outside of Paris.

The first trip we toured through the Château and part of the grounds. It wouldn’t be possible to tour through the entire grounds even if you had a whole week. The second trip we managed to cover more of the gardens. Thanks to the interwebs, I have Versailles vu du ciel for you. Gotta love satellite imagery.

One of my favorite movies was filmed at Versailles. So before you start shuddering, I too, do not like Kirsten Dunst, but I LOVED the movie Marie Antoinette. I suppose it helps if you like the history of it all, and know some background of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

The weather was cooperative, so we ended up with some great photos, several hundred at least. Obviously I’m not going to upload all of them; you only get a few.  If only we’d been able to see the fountains and gardens at their peak.  Even during the winter/spring the palace grounds were gorgeous, and meticulously maintained.

See for yourself,
~j

England, Europe, United Kingdom

British Museums

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Squatzi London PassVisiting 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.

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.

London BridgeThe 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.
Europe, France, Italy

European Graffiti

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I started collecting photos of graffiti in Paris. There was no shortage for the rest of the trip. My preference is for the stencils–not that it takes as much effort to spray a stencil as it does to spray a huge wall of street art; I just like them better. Parisian graffiti was pretty mellow for the most part. Italian graffiti had some serious anti-Bush sentiment. See if you can tell the difference.
Europe, France, Italy

Panthéon

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The Panthéon, Paris France
The Panthéon, Paris France

The first Panthéon of the trip was in Paris. The second in Rome. Both awesome!

When we arrived, the Panthéon had just closed for the day, but the sun was shining which made for some alright exterior photos. I knew it wasn’t an option to miss out on seeing the inside, so we made a point of going back.  If you’re in Paris, check it out.  You won’t be disappointed.
The Panthéon, Paris France
The Panthéon, Paris France

The Panthéon made me feel very insignificant for several reasons. The size of the building itself is magnificent. There are incredible figures buried in the necropolis–famous authors, philosophers, and scientists. The likes of Victor Hugo, Voltaire and Marie Curie to name a few. To see their tombs was both unnerving and enchanting at the same time. And then, you have Foucault’s Pendulum which is fascinating.

Foucault's Pendulum, Paris FranceFoucault’s Pendulum shows the rotation of the Earth as the pendulum swings. I’m no physics buff, so I won’t try to explain the science behind it. You do your own research!

I’ve have a short video clip I took when we were there. You can tell it was between noon and 1:00pm simply by how the pendulum swings.

“In 1851 it was well known that the Earth rotated: observation evidence included Earth’s measured polar flattening and equatorial bulge. However, Foucault’s pendulum was the first dynamic proof of the rotation in an easy-to-see experiment, and it created a sensation in the academic world and society at large.” (Thanks Wikipedia!)
Europe, Italy

Orvieto Duomo

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Orvieto DuomoWe went to A LOT of churches on the trip. Most were absolutely amazing, but none were quite as fanciful as the Orvieto Duomo (at least on the outside–clearly St. Peter’s Basilica is way fancier on the inside!).

Wikipedia has some learning for you. Abridged version–the Duomo is very glittery; when the sun shines on the front it is gorgeous. Story goes, that in Bolsena, Italy, a traveling priest doubted the transubstantiation as occurs in the Eucharist. His Host began bleeding, bled more, and stained the alter cloth. Upon seeing this miracle, the priest’s faith was restored. This alter cloth is now stored in the Duomo. During Corpus Christi celebrations, the Corporal of Bolsena is displayed on parade around the city.

Now after this Catechism lesson, here’s for the science believers! (Straight from Wikipedia, so you know it is true!)

It is only within the last ten years that the Academies of Science would not have been sorely puzzled to explain so strange a phenomenon. Now, no one thinks of denying it, since the discovery of a microscopic fungus, the spores of which having germinated in the meal or dough, offer the appearance of clotted blood.
Le Jardin de l’Epicure, Anatole France
Orvieto was exactly what we needed after the horrible experience we had in Venice. There was so much to do and see in such a little place. We toured the Orvieto underground, went to St. Patrick’s Well, shopped, had amazing gelato, and a fantastic hotel room. If you’re going to Italy–stopping in Orvieto is a must!
Orvieto Duomo
Orvieto Duomo
Orvieto Duomo
Orvieto Duomo