The World Through Our Lens
Photography of ancient ruins we have visited around the world.
Bob and I were eager to get to Hadrian’s Wall in England, but we wanted to have a whole day to freely explore and experience it. The hours spent in Barnsley and Darfield looking into my family’s past left us with no time to visit the Wall that same afternoon. Read more
Having read countless novels with stories set in medieval England, a visit to Warwick Castle in the county town of Warwickshire in England intrigued us. Owned by the Toussaud’s at the time, the Castle was populated with period actors, and demonstrations and re-enactments promised to keep us entertained. Read more
After finishing our picnic lunch at Newgrange, there was time to make one last stop in County Meath to round out our 2-week stay in Ireland. Near Skryne, the ancient ceremonial and burial site called The Hill of Tara was worthy of exploration. Read more
A must-see for Bob and me while traveling in Ireland was Newgrange, an important passage grave west of Drogheda in County Meath. This megalithic structure is considered one of the most important in Europe and the great national monument of Ireland. Read more
After reading Ken Follett’s novel, Pillars of the Earth, which loosely parallels the construction of Salisbury Cathedral, New Sarum, and having completed Edward Rutherford’s book about Sarum, it was a consensus between Bob, me and our son that we should visit Old Sarum, the location of the original Salisbury Cathedral in England.
It was a damp and dreary afternoon when Bob, our son and I arrived in Tintagel, but our despair was fleeting. Lush plantings along main street soon put smiles on our faces. Gardens held back by drystone walls were overflowing with flowers and bursting with rich colour. What a welcome sight! Read more
Who wouldn’t want to visit Florence to look upon some of the most famous sculptures in the world: Michelangelo’s sculpture David, Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune, and Donatello’s heraldic lions? The artistic and architectural heritage of Florence goes far beyond those sculptures and led to this city, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, being called the birthplace of The Renaissance. Read more
Recognized as the first location in North America visited and settled by Vikings from Greenland, l’Anse aux Meadows in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. New research released in 2021 proves that Vikings were living at l’Anse aux Meadows as far back as 1021, a thousand years ago. Read more
Having left the hustle and bustle of Paris behind, Bob and I next planned to spend a few days in the countryside. On our list of must-sees were some of the Loire Valley Castles such as Château de Chenonceau, seen above, as well as Monet’s Garden in Giverny and a tour of the Palace of Versailles. Read more