This is the center of the 1992 Olympics complex in Barcelona, on the hill of Montjuïc. On the left is the Montjuïc Telecommunications Tower, designed by Santiago Calatrava to represent a kneeling figure making an offering. The central vertical needle casts a shadow on the brick plaza below and can be used as a sundial of sorts.
Bicycling along the Mediterranean in Barcelona was definitely a highlight of the trip. This was my first time riding on a tandem bike. Liz and I got the hang of it right away. The person in front stirring has to be cognizant of the larger turning radius and greater distance required for braking. The person in back just has to trust the person in front because she has no control whatsoever. Pedaling together at the same cadence is a minor incovenience.
Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona is one of my favorite works of architecture. Construction was begun in 1882 and is expected to be completed in 2026. The magnificent towers and facades are unlike any other church I've seen. While Liz and I decided not to pay the entry fee, we spent a good amount of time looking at the Passion facade, which features Jesus crucified on an I-beam (not shown).
This is the Pont d'Avignon in southern France, from the popular nursery rhyme "Sur le Pont d'Avignon." The bridge over the Rhône river was constructed in the 12th century but took a beating from floods and only four arches out of the original 22 remain today. According to the song people danced on top of the bridge, which I could definitely see possible on a warm pleasant summer evening such as the one of our visit.
Pardon me for liking bridges, but this is not a conventional bridge--it's the Pont du Gard and part of a Roman aqueduct 50 km long near Nîmes, France. The downward slope of the aqueduct was just 0.4%, meaning in descended only 12 meters along its entire length. Although it's a profoundly beautiful structure, it was rationally constructed with one specific funtion: carry water from point A
to point B.I'm not much of a beach person, but this is the kind of beach I like (it would be even better without all the other people). This is Calanque d'En-Vau near Cassis in the south of France. The water was blue and chilly, there were big cliffs all around, and you had to hike 1.5 hours, or kayak, to get there...perfect.
This picture was taken during our hike in the Apuan Alps in Italy, not too far from Pisa.
Florence was probably our favorite city. It has some of the finest art in the world (Michelangelo's David is only the start), and a view of the city at sunset from Piazza Michelangelo is awe-inspiring.
Venice is swarming with tourists and prices are outrageous, but it's also sinking and turned out to be a must-see for us on this trip. Cities on a body of water, whether it be a river or the ocean, have a worldly and often romantic ambiance, and Venice takes this to the next level. There's no other place in the world where the ambulances are boats.
This is a very nice mosaic, 2000 years old, from Pompeii. It's one thing to see ancient temples and stadiums. In Pompeii, one has the opportunity to see well-preserved houses, restaurants, baths, and a brothel, to actually go back in time and imagine oneself as a Roman.
This is the Roman Forum, the main marketplace in the ancient city. The best preserved buildings here are the ones that were lucky enough to be converted into churches. I like this picture because it made me imagine what a large modern city, like New York, would look like if it was abandoned, looted, and left to the elements for 2,000 years. I think there'd be a lot more asphalt and concrete and fewer elegant columns. By the way, the white building in the background of this photo is the magnificent monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy.
The Pantheon in Rome was another of our favorite architectural wonders. It is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
This is my sister Liz sitting on the face of a 3,000-year-old statue of Dionysus on the Greek island of Naxos.
The Parthenon, taken from nearby Hill of the Muses. I always find it fascinating that the Greek style of architecture is essentially the same we use today for any important building.
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