Sagrada Familia

It rained the day we visited the Sagrada Familia.

Cathedral dance

Walking past the cathedral one evening, we noticed a band warming up. We stayed for the first few tunes of their concert, 

and to our surprise, many in the crowd joined hands and danced traditional Catalan folk dances.

Simon Stevin Square

Walking home from dinner one night, I noticed a photographer setting up his tripod in the Simon Stevin Square. 

The church in the background is the Church of Our Lady.

Storks

There is a large stork population in Alsace. I think most had already flown south for the winter, but there was still a nesting pair on the roof of the church in Bergheim.

Strasbourg cathedral

The bustling Christmas market in front of Strasbourg's cathedral, which Zak thinks looks like a one-eared dog.

Saint-Hippolyte concert

The second Advent concert we attended was performed in the village of Saint-Hippolyte. This is the ceiling of the church where the concert was held. On the recording: le quatuor des soeurs Umbdenstock (the Umbdenstock sisters' quartet).

Morat church

The ramparts and the decorative roof of the German church in Morat.

Reformed Evangelical Church

Without the cross on top, I might never have guessed this is a church.

Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca

This church houses a portrait of Mary, the mother of Jesus, by Luke, the gospel writer. It sits on a hill above Bologna, and is reached from the city by a long arcade with 666 arches (seen on the left). The arcade, with its mixture of stairs and ramps, seemed to be a popular place to exercise. Google images has a nice variety of photos showing the painting, church, and arcade.

Fountain of Neptune

The fountain of Neptune (notice the water-spouting water nymphs around the base) sits in the Piazza Nettuno by Bologna's Basilica of San Petronio. It's prohibited to take photos inside the churches, so I never do, but I wish I could have. The basilica contains the world's largest sundial.

Ferrara cathedral

We spent the next three nights in Ferrara, just a couple minutes' walk from the cathedral and castle. The piazzas 

to the front and side of the cathedral filled up at night with people of all ages.

Reggio bells

We stayed in the Ostello Basilica della Ghiara, a hostel housed in a former convent, in Reggio. A bell rang on the half hour to keep us up on the time, even through the night. Occasionally a carillon played a short tune. The bell that can be heard around 30 seconds into the clip is the time-keeping bell.

Piazza by night

At night, the piazzas become public living rooms, complete with tables, chairs, and couches, with food and drinks served by the surrounding restaurants and bars. This is the Piazza S. Prospero in Reggio.

Esplanade du Mont-Blanc (part 4)

Torse - Chevalier (1959/75) by Alsatian sculptor, Jean Arp
The scaffolding covering the Collégiale church, which is undergoing restoration, can be seen in the background.

Basilica of Saint Ambrose

The plaza in front of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio has been constructed out of previous incarnations of the building. Ambrose was the bishop of Milan in the late 4th century.

Duomo (part 2) – an Italian bride

As we were descending, a large wedding party was climbing to the highest part of the roof.

Duomo (part 1)

On Saturday, we visited the Duomo, Milan's gleaming white, gargantuan cathedral. The interior is dark and filled

with art, tombs, and tourists. This is a view of the lower part of the roof, which you reach after paying five euros
to climb ten flights of stairs.

Heiliggeistkirche Bern

We headed south last week for a trip to the Bernese Alps and Milan, with short stops in Bern, Spiez, and Stresa

along the way. This is the interior of the Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Ghost Church) in Bern. There was a lunchtime

music concert in progress.

Mátyás church (part 2)

Because I loved it so much, another photo of Mátyás church. The roof tiles are porcelain.
This is the last of the Budapest photos.

Mátyás church

 

Every surface of Mátyás church is decorated with geometric patterns. It is stunning.