Santa Chiara

Courtyard

Nestled just off Naples’ bustling Spaccanapoli, Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara unfolds as a testament to Gothic resilience and Franciscan simplicity. Instantly I find this place both overwhelming and incredible.  Like a little walled world of its own, it must have been even more so, a haven from the outside world, during periods of Napoli’s unsettled past.… Read the rest

Archaeological Museum of Rhodes

Archaeological Museum – Upper Courtyard

The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is housed in a building complex that was originally the hospital run by the Knights Hospitallier, the Knights of the Order of Saint John.  It at the bottom of the Avenue of the Knights, just down from the Palace of the Grand Master. … Read the rest

Prague

Prague

Glorious Prague: Day 1 – 26 August

Prague is glorious.  We have arrived late August in Prague and while the night has a certain chill to it, the days are long and still relatively summery.  Jan greets us at the airport and we have been whisked away on a Czech adventure.… Read the rest

The Apse of San Martin at Fuentidueña

The Apse from San Martin at Fuentidueña

Exploring the Romanesque jewel of Fuentidueña, San Martín’s Apse at The Cloisters, I am transported to medieval Spain.

Fuentidueña

Tucked into the Duero River valley, the fortified town of Fuentidueña was born in the eleventh century, a strategic frontier between Christian and Muslim territories on the Iberian Peninsula.… Read the rest

The Cloisters

The Cloisters

Of the numerous museums and galleries that I have visited, the Cloisters is one of my all time favorites. Both the art and the building itself are magnificent. I have been fascinated by medieval art and history for a long time but there’s something really special about standing in the middle of something so tangible from this period in history.… Read the rest