Travels in the 2nd half

  No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Roman Forum . This open air museum includes the remains of some of the oldest buildings in the city. A visit to the Forum is an excellent chance to explore ancient architecture and also to people watch. Tradition holds that the Roman Forum was developed as a market and meeting place before 800 BCE, at the end of a war between Romulus, the first king of Rome, who controlled the Palatine Hill, and Titus Tatius, who controlled the Capitoline Hill. The two kings agreed on the creation of a common ground in the valley between the hills. The Forum remained a center of life in Rome for close to 1400 years, as both a market and a home to many of the important temples of ancient Rome. During this time several of those temples were converted into Catholic Churches. By the 15th century, the buildings of Forum had significantly fallen apart. For 150 years Romans were licensed by the Pope to scavenge in the area for materials to build new hou...

  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City always hosts major special exhibits. One of the current shows is a retrospective of paintings by John Singer Sargent.  Sargent and Paris (through Aug 3, 2025)   John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) was born to American expatriates in Europe. His father was an eye surgeon based in Paris. Both of his parents encouraged Sargent’s interest in art, sending him to the Academy of Florence to study, and then supporting him in Paris as he worked under the portraitist Carolus-Duran . En Route pour la Pêche Atlantic Storm Staircase in Capri Portrait of Frances Sherborne Ridley Watts Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra Early in his life, Sargent traveled around Europe with his parents. He continued to travel as an adult, and incorporated what he discovered into his early works. Madame Ramón Subercaseaux Venetian Street Fumée d'Ambre Gris As Sargent matured, he concentrated more on his portrait work. In the 1880’s many artists were pai...

  If I had to guess, I would say that just about everyone has heard of and seen pictures of, Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, especially after the recent naming of a new Pope. I would also venture that many readers of a travel blog have had the opportunity to visit The Vatican. But I would guess that not as many people have had the chance to visit on one of the most important days on the Christian calendar. Well, I had the opportunity to be there on Palm Sunday this year, and it did not disappoint. Saint Peter’s Square was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and opened in 1667. The interior courtyard is 196 m long and 149 m wide, and is designed to hold up to 300,000 people with a view of both the speaking platform and the Pope’s balcony. It is surrounded by colonnades which contain 284 columns that are 16m tall. The covered walkways are topped off with 140 statues of saints and martyrs. Colonnade at Saint Peter's Square At the center of the square is an Egyptian obelisk (25....