Tag Archives: Architecture
The spiritual warmth of Deseşti and the wooden churches of Maramureş
So I have this thing about sacred art and architecture. And in all my travels to see religious art in situ, I’ve never experienced sacred spaces as unique as the wooden Churches of Maramureş in Northern Transylvania. During 1000 or so years Hungarians ruled Maramureş, they forbid the Orthodox Romanians from building churches in stone. As a delightful result, a distinct style of […]
Moldovița Monastery and The Real Siege of Constantinople
After a six hour car ride (with several stops to enjoy marvelous views of the Rodna mountains) we pulled up to the entry of the Moldovița Monastery and hurried inside the gate. As we had limited time, HOB and planned to focus on the monastery’s masterpiece: the fresco of The Siege of Constantinople. A few […]
The surprising circus inside San Miguel de Lillo
The rewards for those intrepid travelers who hustle up Mount Naranco in a heavy rainstorm are manifold. Exhibit A: San Miguel de Lillo. This petite beauty has been rewarding water-logged church lovers since 848. Dear readers, I’m afraid I need to insist that you GO TO OVIEDO. Northern Spain is stunning and Oviedo is an architecture lover’s dream. Just […]
Sant’ Apollinare in Classe: giddy with Byzantine mosaics and too much bread
A few years ago I was browsing for cheap airfares (okay, so I do that everyday) when I found a remarkably cheap flight into Northern Italy. People, these tickets were under $400, in late May!!! Obviously I snapped up the tickets in a hot second. Almost as quickly, I drafted an itinerary since I already knew where I […]
A day at Cathédrale Ste-Marie in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges followed by a night of flocked velvet wallpaper
Cathédrale Ste-Marie is a pilgrim magnet. Once you catch sight of this Romanesque-Gothic beauty at the foot of the Pyrenees in the village of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges you are inevitably pulled in by it’s compelling attraction. Don’t you want to come closer? Unlike the scenery, the weather during our visit to Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges was less than idyllic. Not to put […]
Saint-Just Basilica in Valcabrère, recycled Roman ruins, no cheese shops
Saint-Just Basilica is cozily nestled in the tiny village of Valcabrère, population 164, in the Haute-Garonne department of Southwest France. This small Romanesque church built in 11th -12th centuries is handsomely proportioned, with well-preserved portal sculptures. As if the setting wasn’t picturesque enough, what with the red chickens clucking about, antique barns and strategically placed […]
The jauntiness of Bilbao: Guggenheim Museum and caroling Basques
Bilbao is just right: budget friendly, full of lively contemporary architecture, a handsome old town, decent public transportation and of course a spectacular museum I’d really hate to be a pig in Spain. This isn’t even a specialty store–just a regular grocery and your choice of hanging pig legs. The Zubizuri (that’s White Bridge in Basque) […]
I am loving you so hard, Santa María del Naranco
Hey everyone–meet my new girlfriend: This is Santa María del Naranco, also known as my girlfriend. (In case you were wondering, I also have a wife and a husband.) Santa María del Naranco was a summer palace built in the mid-9th century in the kingdom of Asturias, present day Oviedo. At the time, Asturias […]
Faux-Pilgrim’s Progress: how we faked a pilgrimage
Last week as we were walking about in the rain in Santiago de Compostela looking for a post office, we were stopped by the leader of a tour group. “Excuse me” he said politely “I see that you are pilgrims. My group would like to see your pilgrim’s passport stamps. Could you please show them […]
An outbreak of snowball fights in León
When it snowed in León snowball fights broke out everywhere. These naughty boys lobbed snowballs at all the passersby, including us. I returned fire. HOB eating mantecadas, the specialty almond cookie of León. I felt chilled and bought the same scarf all the teen girls are wearing. Casa de Botines by Antoni Gaudi. Painting in our Hostal […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 