Saint Peter’s, Rome, Italy

Saint Peter’s Basilica features a limitless number of opportunities to take great photos. Of the many I took, this is my favorite so I put it here first in the post:

DSC_3328The light was perfect and the light is what matters most in any photograph. Going back to the beginning, here’s a view from outside:

DSC_3344People line up to enter the basilica. We were lucky to avoid that line by entering via another tour. Going back inside, don’t miss the statue of Saint Peter, worn by millions of people touching his foot:

DSC_3305The interior of this massive structure will impress and amaze:

DSC_3292No doubt about it:

DSC_3297It was pleasant inside as nearly all visitors show great respect for the site:

DSC_3326Linger as long as you can. There’s plenty to see.

Sistine Chapel

As part of the “Waking the Vatican” tour, one can enjoy the Sistine Chapel with a few dozen other visitors. This is a marvelous experience, seeing the work of Michaelangelo in an almost private moment. As large as the chapel is, it does feel private. Here’s a video showing the chapel.

Amazing. Seriously. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend this experience. Do your homework about the art and history of the place in order to get the most out of it. Linger as long as possible.

Hall of Maps, Vatican Museum

The Hall of Maps is surely one of the highlights of the Vatican Museum. During the “Waking the Vatican” tour, a visitor has the privilege of standing in the darkness as the key master switches on the lights. Here’s a video showing our reaction:

It was an impressive experience. Of course, once your eyes adjust to the light the maps are easy to see and brilliant renditions for the time they were created. This tour is worth every cent. I’ll post photos showing some of the maps at a later date.

Published in: on October 28, 2018 at 11:19 am  Comments (1)  
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Cathedral of Toledo, Spain (2017) exterior

It had been 13 years since my last visit to Toledo, Spain. Far too long. Of course, I had to see the Cathedral, which has had some sprucing up since my last visit. It’s hard to capture this structure’s exterior in a single photo. Here is one attempt:

DSC_2923And that’s really only a small part. There’s a massive tower:

DSC_2944But as you can see, the closeness of the other buildings makes it a challenge to get a fair perspective.

DSC_2924In my next post, I’ll show some of the interior, which is equally impressive and ornate. Check back soon!

Published in: on December 27, 2017 at 1:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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