Santa Catalina Convent, Arequipa

Nuns still live and pray within its brightly coloured walls.  Arequipa, Peru.

Desert landscapes of Peru

Macchu Picchu in life and in art

Sweet girl, Cuzco

Selling sweets on the streets of Cuzco, Peru.

Paris skyline

Looking southwest across Paris towards the Eiffel Tower from the dome of the Basilica du Sacré-Cœur.  Paris, France.

Pantheon, Rome

The pock-marked facade of the Pantheon.  Its dome was the world’s largest for close to two thousand years.

Tuscan countryside

Surrounded by such beautiful scenes, it isn’t too hard to imagine where the great Italian artists of the Renaissance may have gotten some of their inspiration from. The picturesque Tuscan town of San Gimignano is famous for its towers.

St Peter’s Basilica, Rome

The baldacchino and immense dome of the largest church in the world.  St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Palace remain the ultimate symbols of the incredible heights of opulence, wealth and waste that the Roman Catholic Church reached during the 16th century.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens

An Evzone soldier stands guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens, Greece.  The Scots did not have a monopoly on going to war in skirts.  The ceremonial uniform of the Evzones is derived from that of the Greek bandits and guerillas that resisted Ottoman Turkish occupation prior to independence in the early… [Read more…]

Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul

One of the last masterpieces of classical Ottoman architecture, it is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, for the blue tiles on its inside walls.

Mont Saint-Michel, France

Off the coast of Normandy in northern France.  Surrounded by some of the fastest tides in Europe, the thousand year old abbey and fortified island is famous for holding out against the English during the Hundred Years’ War.

Louvre Pyramid, Paris

Credit to I. M. Pei for his daring design and credit to the French for accepting it.  Completed in 1989.

Snippets of Provence

The Pont du Gard, ancient Roman aqueduct: The picturesque village of Gordes: Oppède Le Vieux: The imposing Palais des Papes in Avignon:

Piccadilly, London

Another typically cold winter day on Piccadilly, London.

Great Court of the British Museum, London

Formally known as the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court.  Designed by Foster & Partners and opened in 2001.