Tag Archives: mosaic
Is that broken crockery on your pants or are you just happy to see me? Jiannian temple décor in Taiwan
The next time you’re in Taiwan find a temple and look at the roofline: dragons! There are always dragons on the Taiwan’s temple rooflines and they are fantastic. Go ahead and click on this beauty (I put a high res shot in just so you can appreciate the detail.) Notice the dragon’s dynamically twisting form, […]
A Roman amphitheatre, Byzantine mosaics, and an emergency picnic with bragging rights in Durrës
Our rushed day in Durrës went like this; rain, walk, rain, walk, rain, where the hell is the amphitheatre, rain, walk, oh there’s the amphitheatre, oh there’s the archeological museum, oh man am I ever hungry, torrential rain, thunderstorm, emergency picnic, walk, rain, salad, mosquitoes, vagina lamp. I have the impression that Durrës, due to […]
Dazzling mosaics in Cappella Palatina, Palermo and–bonus!–bible stories abridged
Every surface in the Cappella Palatina in Palermo (1140-70) is a pristine work of art. Study the ceiling, the floor, and of course, at the mosaics. Don’t be rushed. This is what happens when great cultures—Arab, Norman and Byzantine–combine synergistically to produce the finest art imaginable. It was created for Sicilian kings to worship in, with […]
Sicily is an abstract painting
Sicily is an open air museum. Sure, there are the sensational sights and the glorious landscape, but the details are just as rewarding. The island is full of off-kilter stripes, a tessellation of tiles, a kaleidoscope of mosaics, crossed-out graffiti, and attractively decaying billboards. Now that I’ve had a brief taste of Sicily’s main attractions, […]
Cefalù: cute costumed children celebrating Carnevale with confetti
Cefalù, in Northern Sicily, is indisputably scenic. It’s dramatically set on the Mediterranean, with a giant rock mountain looming above it, full of golden light, palm trees, and twisty medieval streets. Despite it’s attractive qualities, we spent much of the day irritated with the tourist industry of the town, which has three major sights, two […]
Magnificent Monreale Cathedral, an amazing cloister followed by a beef spleen sandwich
The Cathedral of Monreale in Monreale, Sicily, exceeded my high expectations. Until I have a chance to write more, I’ll tease you with a few photos of the mosaics and cloister. Dating from around 1200, the cathedral and it’s art are pristinely preserved. After a day in Monreale, we returned to Palermo and furthered our […]
No one told me there would be cats in the Hagia Sofia
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is overwhelmingly grand, which I expected. What I didn’t expect were the cats. The cats of Istanbul are apparently unimpressed by this famous Byzantine church-turned mosque-turned museum, and they’re just hanging out or snoozing just as nonchalantly as can be. Actually all of Istanbul was full of stray cats and […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 