At the end of our day at Fort Ticonderoga, we discovered a bonus: the King’s Garden. The King’s Garden is one of the oldest cultivated gardens in the United States. It’s a quiet space for wandering, and it’s a completely different experience from the grandeur of the fort. The garden wall is anchored at the […]
Gulf Shores, Alabama
We are in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for Spring Break. We rented ourselves a condo unit at a large complex called the Beach Club. We’re on the 11th floor, with nice views of the Gulf of Mexico. We are west of the actual town of Gulf Shores, wisely out of earshot of the spring break revelers, […]
Fort Morgan Casemates
The Fort Morgan casemantes were originally designed to protect cannon, but they were rarely used for anything more than storage of goods and sometimes housing for soldiers.
Russell Square
We stayed near the British Museum when we were in London. We enjoyed passing through Russell Square every time we headed to the nearby Russell Square Tube station. (See the map below. There are other routes, but we always went through the square.) Russell Square a fine garden park, with an ornamental fountain in its […]
Tower of London
There’s something pleasing about the buildings that make up the Tower of London, and it was a great day for panorama shooting. I love it here. I could sit in this courtyard all day. It’s so modern in many ways, it’s a surprise to remember it was started by William the Conqueror 1,000 years ago.
Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris
What is it about a Gothic cathedral? I could walk around the outside of Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris a dozen times and never get tired of seeing new angles, bits of grandeur, gargoyles, windows.
Eiffel Tower
I haven’t stood next to the Eiffel Tower in 32 years, and I’d forgotten it’s actually a beautiful, rusty, organic brown – not black.
Jardin des Tuileries
The Jardin des Tuileries is a stunning garden and courtyard in between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.
Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola
Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola keeps watch over the quintessential Roman piazza, with its cobblestones, apartments and outdoor cafés. We passed through many, but in my mind’s eye I always picture this one – the Piazza di Sant’Ignacio – when I think of “that piazza with the church.”
Piazza di Campo de’ Fiori
Campo de Fiori is a rectangular public space near Piazza Navona. It’s known for its tremendous daily produce market, in operation since 1869.
Chiesa di Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza
Designed by Francesco Borromini, the Baroque Chiesa di Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza was completed in 1660. Its spiral lantern is like no other church in Rome. Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza rises above the courtyard of Giacomo della Porta, which is only open to the public for a short time each day. I was fortunate to find the door to the courtyard open on a walk back from Campo di Fiori with the kids.
Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti
Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti (aka Spanish Steps) were built in 1717, and tourists have been climbing them ever since. At the top is the Piazza Trinità dei Monti and its dominant landmark Chiesa Santissima Trinità dei Monti (1585). The Roman-constructed obelisk was moved to the Piazza Trinità dei Monti in 1789. At the bottom […]