So it’s time to go up the famous Leaning Tower. Before I started researching logistics for this vacation, I wasn’t aware of the purpose of the tower (I probably should have picked up that tidbit of information years ago!). The structure is actually a bell tower – which in retrospect seems obvious I guess! Access…
Construction started in the year 1064 on Pisa’s duomo, or cathedral, which is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta (St, Mary of the Assumption). I think it has a very interesting and pretty exterior. Yet the inside is what really shines, with gorgeous paintings, icons, and sculptures. It is inside the cathedral where Galileo is said…
Across the square from the Camposanto is the Sinopie Museum. This museum houses the full-scale sketches that were used to create the frescoes inside the Camposanto. Although it probably receives even fewer visitors than the Camposanto, the museum is certainly a valuable part of your trip to Pisa. Perhaps the idea of looking at someone’s…
Despite the beauty and incredible preservation of Pompeii, there is a sadness to visiting it as well. An estimated 2,000 people were estimated to have fallen victim the Vesuvius’ cataclysmic eruption. Of those, the remains of over 1,000 have been discovered during excavations in addition to the remains of animals. After being buried by the…
In the ruins of Pompeii there are a range of structures from the small dwellings of its poorer residents to the massive houses of the wealthy. Amazingly the detailed decorations of the houses – fine mosaic flooring and fresco interior walls – remained intact after the eruption. These few photos don’t really do justice to…
We awoke to a slightly cooler and drizzly morning on the day of our side trip to see the famous ruins of Pompeii. The high-speed Frecciarossa train took us from Rome Termini to Napoli Centrale station, where we transferred to the separate station for the local Circumvesuviana commuter train to Pompeii. While waiting for the local…
First off, my apologies to REM for the title… Scavi (Excavations) Tour We actually went underneath St. Peter’s Basilica before we went inside it! The Vatican offers a tour of the necropolis underneath the basilica, where St. Peter’s tomb is located. Archaeological excavations during the last century uncovered a rather extensive group of graves dating…
The 1st century AD Arch of Titus looms large upon entering the Roman Forum. One of many such honorary or triumphal arches in Rome (and elsewhere in Europe for that matter), it was constructed as an homage to Emperor Titus by his brother, Emperor Domitian. Titus earned fame within the Roman Empire for leading many…
Naturally we had to pay a visit to the Flavian Amphitheater, aka The Colosseum. Getting there was pretty straightforward as our hotel was near the Republica metro stop. This meant we only needed to go one stop to the Termini metro stop and transfer to the “B” line to the Colosseo stop just across the…
Temple of Vesta I’d say that the Forum was my favorite spot in our visit to Rome this past spring. Although it’s a small piece of the ruins, I had really looked forward to seeing the remnants of the Temple of Vesta. As a boy, my parents would occasionally play the song A Whiter Shade…
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Adventures in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
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The life of PASSION
Pencil sketches and colors of life in line drawing with inspirational poetry
The Granite Globe 