Rome!

Our last stop on the trip was Rome. And I thought it would be best to start off with none other than a picture of moss (I'm sure by now you know my fascination with moss). This particular bit of moss/vine was growing on the wall surrounding the Vatican.
Here is a photo of one of the streets surrounding the Vatican. I took this while waiting in line to get into the part of the Vatican which holds the Sistine Chapel. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside (obviously), but I must say, next to the David, it was the single greatest piece of art that I've ever witnessed. My particular favorites of the chapel included the wall which holds 'The Day of Judgement' as well as the painting in the center of the ceiling, 'The Creation of Adam.' The rules of the Chapel is that you must be modestly dressed, there is no photography, and most of all, there is (supposed to be) no talking as it is a sacred place. It was really frustrating to see so many people disrespect these rules. I was especially appalled at two children fighting with each other and being completely obnoxious. Their parents neglected to tell them to be quiet or stop fighting or explain to them how important the ceiling they were standing under was.

The only wish I had when at the Sistine Chapel was that Michelangelo hadn't died before he could paint the entire thing (not that he was necessarily commissioned to do this, but I think it might have happened eventually). And the most interesting thing I learned while at the Sistine Chapel was that Michelangelo thought of himself as a poor painter in comparison to his skills as a sculpture. He was such an incredible artist that it's amazing to think that he ever thought any of his work was anything less than amazing.

Here is a photo of the Vatican and the main area to which all the papal addresses are delivered.

Here is a picture overlooking the majority of the ruins. It was taken from an overlook at a museum that we went to (that didn't turn out to be quite as interesting as we had hoped!). It's amazing to think about how many more ruins might have been destroyed when present day Rome was built or might still be buried under the ground. In fact, just this year they uncovered more ruins in this area that suggests a building which may have been the living place of the governor. Most interestingly, this building featured a rotating column which would allow the d



This next photo was taken in the ruins and shows a place which was likely used for Olympic-type athletic events. The main track around the outermost perimeter of the building was likely used for chariot races.


Here is a photo of the Colosseum taken from the highest vantage point inside the ruins. It looks so beautiful contrasted against the modern city around it. Parts of it are gone because it was dismantled and scavenged for useful building materials, but I'm glad that they didn't destroy it entirely--so much would have been lost.

This is a photo of inside the Colosseum. The forward most part is a portion being constructed where the floor would have been. The further portion in which the floor has been torn away exposes the underlying channels which were likely used for boating competitions.
Here is a photo of the iconic Trevi fountain. I think the picture gives a good idea of its beauty and grandeur.

Here is a photo of the pantheon, another relic of ancient Rome. The columns have been reconstructed in order to suggest what was there initially, but the top and parts of the columns are from the original structure.

Florence, Italy

Next stop on my tour of Italy is Florence. I was really expecting it to be my favorite of all the places I went, but other than seeing Michelangelo's David, it paled in comparison to Venice.

This is the best shot that I got of the David, but I really like it, I think it turned out rather artistically. It was incredible to see a work of art so monumental and significant to the rest of all history. The creation of David solidified the way in which all artists after portrayed the proportions of the human body. It was simply breath-taking. I've seen a lot of sculptures (even a lot of famous ones) and I've never seen sculpture that looked so life-like. The only way I could describe him is that he looks as if a 15 foot tall man just woke up one day and turned to stone, so incredibly real!

This next photo is of one of the rivers running through Florence. It was a really beautiful city and a really beautiful river. Every day there were these vibrant markets that filled the streets, they were just lovely.

This next photo was taken in a square which displayed several copies of Michelangelo's work. In the background to the right of the statue here, you can see a replica of David. It was much less impressive than the one in the museum and I'm glad that the work got moved from the square and to a more appropriate place which isn't so exposed to the elements. Even for as long as David was outside, he suffered no damage whatsoever. It is incredible. Anyway, this statue I thought was particularly striking from this angle, it shows the beheading of a figure lying at the be-header's feet.

Here is a picture of one of the many busy walkways in Florence and to the right is one of the famous cathedrals. We toured through it, but weren't allowed to take photos of the inside.



Finally, this is a picture taken of the city looking down from above. The city and surrounding landscape are just gorgeous, I think the picture speaks for itself.

Pisa! (And the Leaning Tower Thereof...)

Next stop on the tour of Italy, Pisa! We only spent two days here, since our primary reason for visiting was, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was a really nice little town, and some parts even looked tropical. (See above, palm trees everywhere!)

When I first saw the tower, I was surprised how leaning it actually was! I knew that it was leaning, but I really didn't expect it to look as unstable as it did. And it used to be even worse: ten years ago they corrected it by 10 degrees. Before it was corrected a bit, it wasn't safe to go up to the top, but now you are allowed to climb the spiral staircase inside all the way to the top, which we did.



But before we went to the top, we saw the cathedral next to it as well. Below is a picture of the inside, the paintings and mosaics on the ceilings in wall were really intricate and beautiful. You can see one of the mosaics on the dome like ceiling in the front of the church in the picture below.

This next picture I took just before we started climbing the staircase to the top. It's amazing how far off center it is! It became difficult to take pictures with the horizon straight in the background. I kept wanting to take pictures as if the tower was straight and the horizon tilted. As an engineer, it's amazing to me that they continued to build something that was so structurally unsound (and so expensive! It was made almost entirely out of marble).

Here is a view of the city of Pisa from the top of the tower. It was really beautiful and though I'm not afraid of heights, I really had no desire to stay at the top for long! Since it was so off center, it really felt that at any given moment I might slide right off the top. It was a really strange feeling!

This next picture is of the bells inside the tower, not exactly on the top but pretty close. I don't believe that they are functional, but they are beautiful.


This last photo I took from the very top platform and I tried to capture the un-levelness of it, but I'm not sure if it came out very well!

Venice

After seeing Paris, we got on a plane and flew over to Venice. It was storming when we arrived and so we thought it might be a good idea to take a taxi to our hotel. So, we asked a cab driver to take us there, and he looked at us with a really goofy expression and then informed us that we would have to take a boat. I was so tired from the traveling and such that I had completely forgotten that cars aren't allowed on the islands. I felt pretty stupid at the time (and I hated contributing to the American stereotype) but afterwards it was pretty funny.

Aside from that, Venice was amazing. Hands down, it was my favorite city in the entire string of places that we visited. Maybe it's just because I love the water and I hate being around cars, but really, it was incredible and I'd love to go back the next chance I get. That being said, I think the best way to give a sense of Venice is through pictures. The one at the very start was taken looking down the length of one of the many many markets that seem to be running every day of the week.

At every one of these markets you'll find loads and loads of masks that are worn during Carnival time in Venice. Lots are fake knock offs for tourists, but I hunted down and awesome authentic one while I was there (And it cost the same as the fake, cheap looking ones. Go figure!). Some of the really expensive ones are just gorgeous and ornate works of art.

This next picture is of the main footpath over the Grand Canal. It was always really crowded with people, as was all of Venice, but since there were no cars or motorbikes allowed on the island, it didn't seem as stressful or annoying.

This next photo is one I took while standing on the footpath from the picture above. So, this is a view of the grand canal. The picture doesn't do it justice, but all of the buildings are these beautiful, earthy tones. Orange, Rust, Tan. Those sorts of colors, which I happen to love.


This next picture is of graffiti that I found. I love finding poetry spray-painted onto walls (not that I condone vandalism). Anyway, it was such a striking phrase, that I couldn't help but take a picture.


Here is a picture of a group of gondolas docked along one of the canals. It gives a little glimpse of the colors I was mentioning before.

On one of the days, we took the boat bus (it is literally a bus which is a boat, how awesome is that?) to Lido, which is the island that is on the Mediterranean. The picture below is of one of the beaches on the Mediterranean side. In high season (summer) it would be loaded with tourists, but since it was only early spring, there weren't many people around. But even with hardly anyone around, a man selling scarves and other tourist merchandise was trolling around trying to solicit the handful of people there. That is the one aspect of Italy that I really didn't enjoy. They can be pretty aggressive! (But that story is saved for Rome...)


Here's another photo of some gondolas, I thought the colors turned out well, so I included it. :)


Same for this next one, I just had a fetish for taking pictures of gondolas, I guess.


Here's another picture of the Grand Canal, opening up on the west side of Venice, I believe.


I'm sure this is no surprise, but here is another photo of gondolas. This canal is the one that we took on the boat bus to get to Lido.


Also while I was there, I got to peek into lots of different cathedrals and the mansion of the past 'governor' of Venice. They didn't allow pictures, so I don't have any, but they were all very ornate and beautiful. Inside the governor's mansion he had these giant globes, they stood nearly as tall as me. It was pretty cool.

Now, onto Pisa!

Paris!

Seeing Paris was literally a dream come true. I was only there for a couple of days, but in that short amount of time I got to see so many things that I had always wanted to see that it took my breath away. It was overwhelming how much that city has to offer (especially in the realm of art)! So, being the art fanatic that I am, it seemed pretty obvious to me that the first stop would be the Louvre. (Here's the iconic glass pyramid below.)

When I first walked in I was already overcome by how much was actually in the museum. I had always known that it was large and extensive, but I am completely serious when I say that I really don't think they could fit another single painting into it. It is completely maxed out. So as such, I set up my strategy to see my favorites and then whatever I could on top of that, but I kept in mind that it would be impossible to see everything. I think that's the best mind-set to start with. I guess I'll just have to come back again some other time! :)

The first of my favorite pieces that I saw is shown in the picture below. It is called Winged Victory and it is likely from the early 3rd to 5th century (they don't know an exact date for it). It was adorned to the bow of a war ship (probably viking) and the likeness of the ship that it was probably on is replicated below it. Even though it doesn't have its head or arms anymore, it is still such a powerful image. I'm inspired by what it represents and the power and beauty of the human form (although in a magical realism portrayal) that it suggests.


And of course, I had to see the Mona Lisa. I'll be honest when I say that it's not my absolute favorite painting (I prefer other works by Leonardo better), but it was fascinating to see the crazed crowd of people around it. It's also amazing to see a painting that revolutionized the way we understand art and the way we portray the world around us. This painting, for me and I'm sure others, is significant not because of the portrait, but because of the genius of what is happening in the background. This is one of the first times that Leonardo demonstrated atmospheric perspective (the idea that layers of atmosphere build to obscure the details of what is in the distant background. Traditionally, painters would just portray everything, including those far away things, in vivid detail which made it look cartoon like an not very realistic. By taking into account the humidity in the air and how it obscures the light, this technique makes the painting incredibly more realistic) and it shook the Renaissance world.

Next up on my favorite art works is the Venus de Milo. It was discovered a relatively short time ago by a farmer in Milo, Italy (hence, de Milo). And it was named "Venus" based on the Greek mythology that it suggested. This sculpture is important because of its attention to detail and accurate portrayal of the human form. Just look at the abdomen. It was even more incredible in person, but even in the picture, I think you can get the sense that it looks like a real person who has just turned into marble.


Here is a photo from inside the museum, looking up at the glass pyramid. I thought it was a visually interesting photograph, so I included it for no other reason than that. Also in the picture is a sculpture by a contemporary artist whose name slips my mind. It is constructed of wood, but gives the appearance of sandstone or something very desert like (at least I think so).


Finally, here's a photo of me standing next to the museum entrance sign.


Next up on my tour of Paris was Notre Dame Cathedral (which, from my French class, I have learned means "Our Lady"). It's an impressive building, especially from the outside. The inside was a bit less ornate than the outside, but it was still beautiful. I loved its Gothic architectural styling.


Here's a picture that I took which I absolutely adore, for many reasons. For one thing, I think it really portrays the Gothic structure that I mentioned especially well (check out those arches!) and I love how striking the lighting is. The only thing that would make it perfect is if there weren't a television screen in the lower right hand corner. Technology always seems to interfere...


This is another angle of Notre Dame, from the right hand side of it. This also give a better idea of what the whole cathedral looks like as a whole since my first photo


This is just another photo of Notre Dame, taken from the very back. It was the only part of the rear of the building which wasn't obscured by trees or bushes or vines or something. I was surprised that with such intricacy and beauty that they would allow the plants to overtake it's view from the outside.


After leaving Notre Dame, I walked over several bridges and noticed this strange thing. All the fences along the bridge (and as it turns out, other places as well) there were thousands of locks with inscriptions written on them. In the picture below, there aren't as many locks, but some of the fences had so many that locks were locked to other locks and the fence was warped under the weight. I thought it was amazing and really pretty. A very interesting alternate take on graffiti.


This next photograph is a picture inside the Concierge which was a prison where many people during the French Revolution were held, tortured, and indeed, killed. But for all of that grim activity that occurred in this place, the building itself was beautiful. (I love the arches! Again, Gothic.) Back during its use, it only had a few small windows and the rest of the room was lit (and heated) by four giant fire places. I think it would have looked even more beautiful (and I suppose ominous) with that sort of lighting.


This photo is also inside the Concierge, and it is of a spiral staircase that I just found visually interesting.


Being an engineer, I couldn't very well go to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower! So the next several pictures are my favorites of the dozens that I took throughout the day. When I was there I learned that at one point, the French were going to simply tear the tower down, since its only purpose was to be an exhibition at the world fair. I'm glad that that never happened! I also found that around the first tier of the tower, Eiffel inscribed the names of the prominent French mathematicians and scientists of the day. It was exciting to see all the names, my favorite of which was Leibniz (who discovered Calculus around the same time as Newton but wasn't credited).

This picture was taken from quite a long walk away, and I love how beautiful the sky looks. It had started off as a fairly overcast day, and I was disappointed that I wouldn't get any blue in my pictures. But the sun finally broke through, and I got this lovely shot.


This picture is from a bit closer and the other side (the side that has a long mall, which you can see in the picture).
This picture is of me and my fiance, Jason, who came with me on my travels. It turned out to be a lot more artistic of a picture than I had intended, but I'm glad it came out so well.

This is a photo of the tower up close and at night (obviously) when it was all lit up. I took this right before we went up to the top.

This is one of my pictures from being on the top of the tower. The city looks beautiful at night, and I was glad in the end that I had decided to go up to the top (I was thinking that maybe I didn't want to). I love the lights on the bridges spanning the river and the different buildings lit up around it.


After getting back down, we walked back down the mall and I took this picture, which turned out really well, I think. I'm not sure what exactly the bright spot in the night sky is. I didn't doctor it, it just turned out that way. My best guess is that it is a cloud that was illuminated by the city lights. I like to think that whoever wanted to tear it down saw the tower like this and then decided that it couldn't be done. How could you ever even consider destroying something so beautiful?

After seeing the tower at night, we hopped on the Metro and went over to see the Arc de Triumph. The famous arch in Paris. I've seen in in movies and photos a million times before, and seeing it in person was simply surreal. Amazing, but surreal.

Then, since it was only one more tube stop away, we went to take a picture of the iconic Moulin Rouge. It turned out to be a lot more touristy looking than I thought it might. The guide books made it seem like it'd be really authentic and this wasn't what I expected. But the picture is really pretty with all of the neon lights at night.


The last day that I was in Paris, I went to the Rodin museum. This was almost more exciting for me than seeing the Louvre, because Rodin is my all time favorite sculpture (and maybe artist, but I'm not sure if I can commit to that). Here is a picture of a telephone pole which had been covered in stickers that the museum gives. I just like the colors.


When I went to the museum, I was really disappointed that it wasn't more crowded. I was really expecting more people to be as excited as I was, but that just wasn't the case. The museum was housed in a mansion that Rodin lived and worked in during the later parts of his life and includes an expansive French-style garden. This first picture is of 'The Kiss' my favorite sculpture. It seemed so strange to be standing so close to something so incredible. It was also strange that it wasn't in a bigger more distinguished display room or something. Instead it was just placed into one of the rooms in the mansion just like everything else.

This next picture was taken in the garden area and is of Rodin's 'The Gates of Hell' It was intended to go onto the front of a cathedral, but you might imagine that something called the "Gates of Hell" might not go over so well for that type of setting. But even so, it is a beautiful (although grotesque) piece and it's a shame it didn't ever get a 'home' other than the museum. The Gates feature several of Rodin's most famous sculptures which were recreated in more detail and larger later. These include the Three Shadows (seen at the top) and The Thinker (just under the Three Shadows). The Gates were based tightly on Dante's Inferno and includes hundreds of individual and unique sculptures of the human form.

Here is a photo of the enlarged sculpture of the Three Shadows. It is three copies of the exact same figure but oriented in a different way which makes it appear almost as if it is three different figures. In the background is a portion of the mansion.


This photograph is of the iconic 'Thinker' which is also a larger rendition of the sculpture on the Gates of Hell.


Here is a picture of the French-style garden stretching out toward the mansion (now museum) in the rear.

Finally, this is a picture of the mansion that Napoleon resided in during his rule. I didn't have time to go inside, but this is a picture of a small portion of it. It was huge!


All in all, Paris was a whirlwind adventure through a lot of art that I had always dreamed of seeing in person. I am so happy that I got to go, and I'm excited to go back the next time I get a chance.

Now, onto Venice!