In 2005, I visited Vatican City right after Christmas. Here is their life sized Nativity Scene and Christmas Tree. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
A river god reclines by a water basin at the Vatican's Museo Pio-Clementino. It is believed to have been made in the time of Emperor Hadrian but based on an older Greek work. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.
The small Venetian island of Murano is known for its fine glasswork. On a rainy New Year's Day I picked up these small quarter sized pieces of Murano glass that were created into necklaces as they were the cheapest "Murano Glass" I could afford. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.
One New Year's Day years ago I took a snowy, foggy, gondola ride in Venice, Italy. It was an otherworldly experience to be out on the water. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
It was a lovely sunny day at Philae Temple in Egypt. This photo reminds me of another I took in Italy of a Roman Arch of Constantine. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
Juno "The Saviour" is a goddess that protected ancient Romans during the perilous winter month of February. She wears a goat's skin and is armed with spear and shield. This 2nd-century statue is viewable at the Vatican's Museo Pio-Clementino. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.
I love taking photos of doors and windows. Here are some of my favorite from the little island of Burano, near Venice, Italy. I had the chance to wander around the deserted streets of Burano on New Years Day a few years ago and to peek into the windows and see the families celebrating together. I also enjoyed the chance to see the beautifully decorated doors amongst the multi-colored houses. Every other week Travel Thursday brings you travel tips and information on the amazing sights and activities the world has to offer.
Source Do you know what that is? No? Consider yourself lucky. What those are, are little styrofoam balls called Micro-Beads and they are found in a lot of those travel neck pillows that people have. I discovered what was inside mine the hard way on a tour of Italy. I think it was halfway through the trip, somewhere around Florence or Tuscany when it happened. I remember my black neck pillow had fallen to the floor and gotten stuck. I was late getting off the bus, so I tugged as hard as I could, and it still wasn't
Antinous was a lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian who drowned in Alexandria in October 130 AD. After his death Hadrian commemorated him with many different statues and elevated Antinous to an almost god-like hero/deity. This version shows Antinous as Osiris, an Egyptian god who came back from death after his body was scattered in the Nile. This is actually a remarkable Roman take of the typical Egyptian statue pose of royalty, with one foot forward. It is on display at the Vatican Museum. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.
The Palio is a 90 second horse race in Siena, Italy that takes place twice a year in the heart of the city at Piazza del Campo. It is a race for honor and prestige for the winer representing one of the 17 Contrade (districts) within the city. Of the 17 Contrade, only 10 are randomly chosen to participate in the race. They then go on to get randomly assigned a horse, and then must find a jockey to represent them. There are very few rules to the Palio, its sort of a "anything goes" and rivalry between the different