The World Through Our Lens
Photography of cultural events and things from our travels around the world.
After Bob and I left the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we continued west towards the coast of the Ligurian Sea. Our goal was the region known as Cinque Terre, a narrow coastal strip that comprises 5 villages sandwiched between the sea and the mountains. It is fondly referred to as the Italian Riviera.
Years ago, Bob traveled to Shanghai, China, and during that trip, he took time to visit the City God Temple of Shanghai. As Bob discovered, the ceremonies of worshiping the City God of Shanghai is a solemn and dignified event.
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
The day that Bob and I headed out to explore Florence, we were anxious to discover everyone’s fascination with the highly renowned Florence Cathedral, in Italian known as the Il Duomo di Firenze. After arriving in the city, we did not go directly to Piazza del Duomo but instead heightened our anticipation by viewing many other sights in the city.
Of particular interest to both Bob and me when we visited Florence, Italy, was the famed medieval stone bridge known as Ponte Vecchio. Read more
The Irish National Heritage Park near Ferrycarig, County Wexford, Ireland, is an open-air museum that explores the world of Ireland’s cultural history in a beautiful natural setting. As Bob and I traveled across Ireland, we were constantly reminded of its more recent past in the ruins and castles that we saw, but for an understanding of history dating back to prehistoric times, we had come to this 35-acre Park. Read more
An initiative by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday resulted in this marvelous compilation of 150 stories that examine what it means to be Canadian living in Ontario. Each story is paired with a relevant photograph. Read more
It was with notions of mystery and intrigue, memories of historical facts and a sense of spiritual respect that Bob, our son and I headed to Salisbury Cathedral. After recently reading Sarum and Pillars of the Earth, we could hardly wait to set eyes upon this magnificent cathedral whose spire has dominated the Wiltshire skyline in rural England since 1320. We were in awe! Read more
San Gimignano is a well-preserved medieval hill town in the Italian province of Siena that is famous as the town “with a thousand towers”. Dominating the horizon from its perch, San Gimignano creates an unforgettable skyline complete with its encircling stone walls and towers. No wonder it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read more