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This Cathedral is the final destination of the famous El Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), a pilgrimage undertaken from the Pyrenees mountains at the border of France to the northwestern part of Spain in the province of Galicia, a distance of roughly 700kms. People come walking, biking or on horseback either for religious reasons, sport or just for the love of hiking in a foreign land. One day, I plan to try this pilgrimage myself.
The Mirabell Gardens is a good example of a typical baroque park. It was built in the 18th century following the plans of the famous architect Fischer von Erlach. Countless statues inspired by Greek myths can be seen throughout the park and they symbolize the four elements of nature: fire, water, air and earth. This is also where, right by the Pegasus fountain, Maria and the Von Trapp children started that famous "Do-re-mi" ditty in The Sound Of Music.
Location: Salzburg, Austria
The Baroque style Salzburg Cathedral is one of the main draws of the city aside from the Hohensalzburg fortress which sits on a hill where I shot this view. Mozart was baptized in this church.
Location: Salzburg, Austria
The Doges’ Palace was a municipal center and residence for the doges or elected leaders of the former Venetian Republic. The splendid perforations of the marble Gothic loggias that look like stone lace, give it an appearance of lightness despite its massive size. Best viewed from the sea, I was so much in awe staring at it that I forgot to take a photo from the boat before we docked!
Location: Venice Italy
The Byzantine-style St. Mark's Basilica is the most famous church in Venice. Standing right next to the Doges Palace, it faces a huge square where people and pigeons congregate together. Built in the 11th century, its basic structure has changed little though the interiors have been redecorated many times over. Gold mosaic tiles adorn much of the ceiling, walls and front facade attesting to the power and wealth of the Venetians during those times.
Location: Venice, Italy
This white limestone bridge over Rio di Palazzo that connects the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doges Palace was christened the Bridge of Sighs by Lord Byron. It comes from the notion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells. A local legend says that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the bridge. Well, I heaved a deep sigh of regret when I was told by the gondolier the prohibitive cost ($80) of hiring the boat for the minimum half-hour ride down the canals.
Location: Venice, Italy
With the trees bare during winter, you get photo ops like this showing the detail of Hotel des Invalides. I've tried to take close-up pictures of this building during other visits to this city but always ended up with a clump of trees blocking the view with only the golden dome showing above the treeline. The Invalides was built by Louis XIV in 1676 as a home for wounded soldiers. Napoleon's tomb lies under this dome.
Location: Paris, France
Strolling around the grounds of the Louvre at midnight is a good time to view and admire the surroundings minus the crowds that overwhelm the place from morning till evening closing time. The sound of falling water is also quite pleasant as you sit by the infinity pool that vividly reflects the contrasting architectural styles of the steel and glass pyramid against that of the classical forms of the old structure.
Location: Paris, France
The Greek word Meteora means "suspended in the air", and the words meteorite and meteorology come from the same root. The conglomerate rock at Meteora, Greece, has fantastic peaks upon which medieval monks built monasteries, several of which are still active. The Grand Meteora Monastery, founded in the 1300's AD, was built on this steep pinnacle.
Location: Meteora, Greece
Eighty kilometers from Athens, you will find Delphi, the center of worship of the god Apollo. The oracle of Delphi was a spiritual experience whereby the spirit of Apollo was asked for advice on critical matters relating to people's lives or affairs of the state. This is what remains of the Tholos temple, the most recognized structure in the site because of the color of the marble and the fact that it's a round temple, a rarity in Greek architecture.
Location: Delphi, Greece
The Temple of Poseidon, built in the 5th century, is in Doric style. Located at the top of the hill that juts out into the sea, it's a fitting place for its namesake. People used to scribble graffiti on the columns (the most famous by Lord Byron) but you can't do that now since the place is fenced off. We took a bus from downtown Athens and arrived 2 hours later just in time to watch the sunset over the Aegean Sea. Beautiful place to be.
Location: Sounion, Greece
The wedge-shaped design of this building formed by the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue earned it the nickname Flat Iron. Designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham (who masterplanned Baguio City) in 1902, this is widely considered, at 87 meters, the world's first skyscraper.
Location: New York USA
Peering down from the top floor of the Guggenheim Museum, I was intrigued by these concentric geometrical patterns. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this building was controversial when it opened in 1959 because one climbed the lift to the top then walked down a spiral ramp to view the modern masterpieces displayed on the walls. Critics complained that the walls were concave making it difficult to hang paintings, viewing space was limited, and there wasn't enough lighting. Today, it is a revered iconic piece of architecture.
Location: New York, USA
I was trying to get a good vantage point to shoot the Empire State building when I chanced upon these cherry blossoms lining a park on the Lower Eastside. Though quite cluttered with only the tower clearly visible, I still like this shot.
Location: New York, USA
