Category Archives: Europe

Aboard The Azamara Pursuit

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We had never taken an ocean cruise before but after taking a river cruise we decided to try it. We selected the Mediterranean because we figured it would be calmer than the Atlantic or Pacific. Research was discouraging because either the ships were too big or if smaller than real expensive. We selected Azamara because they seemed to offer the same sort of luxury that Regent,Viking and the other small ships but at a better price point. The Azamara Pursuit was their newest ship and completely refurbished.

Azamara is a brand of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines aimed to compete in the small ship luxury market. The ship had 770 passengers and 450 crew. We were upgraded to a small suite and the service was exceptional. The ship had everything you could want want and because of the small size able to go to smaller ports like Elba and Port Vendre in France. We were always one of the smaller ships in the harbor. One of our guides pointed to an MSC Cruise Ship and told us it had 7000 plus passengers. We I sw that ship I knew we had chosen wisely and now we are thinking about our next adventure.

Aboard The Azamara Pursuit

Aboard The Azamara Pursuit

Aboard The Azamara Pursuit

Aboard The Azamara Pursuit

Holocaust Stumbling Stones (Stolpersteine ) in Rome

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In each city they are called something different. In Munich and Prague they are called Stolperstein. In Rome they are called stumbling stones. You see them in what was the old Jewish ghetto outside the houses in which they lived. Each plaque is detailed with the victim’s first and last name, date of birth, date and place of deportation, and date of death in a Nazi Death Camp. We make sure we visit these sites as we travel.

We visit the synagogue, walk in the streets of the old ghetto and have lunch. The ghettos are quite nice now and in some, Prague and Rome they have Museums and working synagogues and a growing Jewish population. We make sure we visit these sites NOT only because we were raised as Jews but because we live as human beings and must assure that the world does not forget the long history of violence against the Jewish people. We honor the gentle people that were led to slaughter and pray it never happens again.

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Holocaust Stolpersteine

The Sagrada Família

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La Sagradia Famila is regarded as Gaudi’s Masterpiece. Yet he did not start the project and it still remains unfinished, In 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned,Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural style. The church combines Gothic and Art Nouveau styles.

The Catholic Church does not support or fund this Cathedral and many consider it to be almost obscene. Unfortunately we did not get reservations and could not gain access to the structure. Still the exterior itself is magnificent and these photos give some idea of the detail that is persistent within the structure. It is massive and impossible to photograph in its entirety. The Church will have three grand façades: the Nativity façade to the East, the Passion façade to the West, and the Glory façade to the South which is still under construction.

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Sagrada Família

Sagrada Família

Sagrada Família

https://sagradafamilia.org

The Pipe Organ at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome

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This church, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, was fascinating for a number of reasons. It was built in the ruins of the Diocletian Baths of Ancient Rome. There are fenced off ruins right next to the basilica but visitors are not permitted. In addition to the beauty of the Basilica which I will share in another post, stuck in the corner is this magnificent pipe organ.

I was so busy looking at the glass, artworks and ceiling I didn’t notice the organ until the organist began to practice. The sound was amazing and we sat and listened for a while.

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Basilica of Santa Maria Pipe Organ

Outside The MACRO

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The Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome or MACRO is an amuse bouche from the ruins, churches,monuments and obelisks that dominate the city. It is also FREE! It is not large but very interesting. The roof top gives you an opportunity for a view of a couple of great murals. These two are artists that had a workshop they were running. In between sessions they seemed to be struggling to set up a camera to photograph this mural. It was entertaining.

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Outside The MACRO

Outside The MACRO

The Windows of La Pedrera

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Casa Milà is one of Gaudi’s last works. The courtyard of this residence is in itself a work of art. If you look closely you can see the roof sculptures in one of the windows. The green and blue colors are for the sea which was the inspiration for this construction.

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Casa Milà

Casa Milà

Street Art In Firenze

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I am fascinated by people who create miraculous art only to know that in hours or days it will be gone forever. Artists that do sand sculpture or ice sculpture or in this case a sidewalk painting all while knowing it will only last for hours. The next day it rained all day in Firenze and all I could think of was the temporary nature of what this man does. It must take a strong personality to cope with that.

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Street Art

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

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The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is the cathedral of Florence, Italy and commonly known as Il Duomo. It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed by 1436. Unfortunately it is one of those places that is almost impossible to photograph without a crane or a drone.

It is located in the Piazza del Duomo surrounded small streets and thousands of people. This shot taken 20 years ago from across the river in The Piazza of Michelangelo gives you an idea of the size and scope. Click Here

In this close view you can see the beauty and the style of marble used to create this sanctuary.

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Il Duomo

The Casino of Monte-Carlo

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Few things meet expectations as much as Monte-Carlo and Monaco. We cruised there after two days of rainy and windy weather and it was sunny and beautiful. We have all seen many movies including two featuring James Bond that featured the exquisite Casino. It did not disappoint. A beautiful temple of bankruptcy, we did opt play but appreciated the venue.

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Casino of Montecarlo

Casino of Monte-Carlo

Casino of Montecarlo

Casino of Monte-Carlo

Lady Luck

Tempio Maggiore di Roma

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We have made an effort when traveling through Europe to not only visit famous Churches but also the Synagogues. In each city we find the ancient ghettos and houses of worships that our ancestors visited. Tempio Maggiore di Roma is truly one of the most magnificent Synagogues on the planet. Like most Synagogues and few Churches it is guarded by the military the necessity of which makes me sad.

Our tour was allowed in at the end of a wedding which made our visit even more special. There is also a wonderful Jewish Museum which I will cover in a future post.

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Tempio Maggiore di Roma

Tempio Maggiore di Roma

Tempio Maggiore di Roma