As Villa del Balbianello appeared in both a James Bond and a Star Wars movie (Casino Royale and Attack of the Clones, respectively), I was expecting something amazing. I was not disappointed. Villa del Balbianello sits on a promontory above Lake Como. It, along with its extravagant gardens, are built vertically and seem to tumble […]
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Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, or Saint Peter’s Basilica
If you want to beat the 20,000 other people who visit St. Peter’s daily, get there early! We arrived at around 8 a.m. and were delighted to walk right in. This massive structure is overwhelming, so best to view it as empty as possible. The cathedral stands on the site where St. Peter was allegedly […]
Forum Romano, Part III
Phew! Finishing up the Forum. Hopefully you are walking it with these posts in hand and are just as wowed as I was. Only three Corinthian columns remain from the Tempio di Castore e Polluce, built for the twin sons of Zeus and Leda to show gratitude for the victory in the Battle of Lake […]
Forum Romano, Part II
I like my posts to be bite-sized, and since my original Forum Romano one was anything but, I broke it into a few pieces. So, continuing on… Only the front portico remains from Tempio di Saturno (from 5th century B.C), at one time one of Rome’s most important temples. It was used as the state […]
Forum Romano
It’s hard to believe that the Roman Forum used to be a city center. Once upon a time, all of Rome gathered in this collection of shops, courts, temples, basilicas and government offices. The forum was the place for triumphal processions, elections, speeches, trials and even gladiatorial matches. The forum was originally developed in the […]
Il Vittoriano
You can’t help but continually encounter Il Vittoriano, this monstrosity that sits like a giant iceberg amongst blocks of old, mid-rise structures. Turn a corner, there it is. Catch a ride in a taxi, there it is. It seems easy enough to avoid Piazza Venezia, the square in which it is located, but somehow you […]
Musée Rodin
There’s nothing quite like a visit to Musée Rodin on a sunny day. While the permanent collection is impressive and the temporary exhibits are interesting, the garden is the real draw. It’s thrilling to sit amidst The Thinker and The Gates of Hell with the golden dome of Hôtel des Invalides poking above the treetops. […]
Musée Gustave-Moreau
Upon entering small, serene Musée Gustave-Moreau, you will not only be transported back more than a century, but you will also be overtaken by your inner artist. You’ll be inspired to pick up a pencil or paintbrush and create! This museum displays the life and work of French symbolist painter Gustave Moreau. Even if the […]
La Carriére Wellington, Arras, France
It’s hard to believe these medieval chalk quarries served as a strategic base and living quarters for 20,000+ British soldiers while they prepared to attack the invading Germans in the Battle of Arras. Conveniently, vast quarries were spread throughout this front-line area, so it only made sense to put them to use. In 1916, British […]
Les Boves
You would never know that a vast underground circuit of cellars and passages runs underneath Place des Héros! These tunnels originated in the 10th century as limestone quarries. By the 12th century, when extractions stopped, the cool, dark cellars stored merchants’ unsold produce. The miles of tunnels turned out to be useful for other purposes, […]
