.jpg) Atlas 109-D Rocket – Cape Canaveral
This is the stuff of my childhood imaginings! The first American to orbit the earth, back on February 20, 1962, was John Glenn in the Friendship 7. This is the very Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle that fired him into space. Once upon a time, long, long ago, we told fanciful stories about a moon made of cheese, and about a man who lived there.
Then, fifty years ago this week, while we all watched on our flickery black-and-white television screens, American astronauts Commander Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin exited their Apollo Lunar Module Eagle and walked on the surface of that same moon, and Michael Collins orbited it in the Command Module Columbia.
Like anyone else of my era, I know exactly where I was when it happened!
It is hard to imagine now, in this age of the 24-hour news cycle, how this single event captured the Western world’s imagination. Twenty percent of the world’s population watched humans walk on the Moon for the first time. We sat, transfixed: watching grainy pictures of two grown men in oversize baggy suits dancing, hopping, and floating across the lunar landscape, collecting not cheese, but lumps of rock.
In those days, the American Space Program was part of a competitive ‘space race’. When the USSR launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik (Russian for “traveller”), into the Earth’s orbit on October 4, 1957, it was seen as an indicator of Russian technological superiority. In an era of Cold War, this generated alarm and anxiety in the United States and in some of its allies. This was compounded when, in April 1961, one month before Alan Shepard’s suborbital flight, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to enter Earth’s orbit.
Public reaction to these events led directly to President John F. Kennedy making a special speech to the United States congress on May 25, 1961, committing American funds and energy to the space race, and promising to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth within the decade. In our Canadian classrooms, we drew colourful pictures of moons and stars, cosmonauts and astronauts, and rockets and space capsules. And, as I said earlier, we all watched, when – eight years later, on July 20th, 1969 – Armstrong stepped out of Eagle, the Apollo lunar landing module and into the moon’s low gravity. Four days later, we held our collective breath as the capsule carrying the three astronauts splashed down safely in the North Pacific Ocean after more than eight days in space.
It was a thrill, on a road-trip through the US some years ago, to be able to review some of this space history on visits to NASA Space Centers in Houston: where the control rooms were/are, and Cape Canaveral: where the rockets were actually launched.
And, with the anniversary of the first lunar landing this week, it was neat to look at these old pictures. Join me for a walk back in time.
.jpg) Space Station and an Astronaut
The Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate museum and the official visitor centre for the NASA Johnson Space Center. You are immersed in the experience from the moment you enter. .jpg) Reflections of Space
The centre prides itself on its extensive STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education programs – but I’m just as interested in the shiny bits!  A Robonaut
Pure science fiction! Designed and built here in Houston at the Johnson Space Center, robonauts are dexterous humanoid robots. Guide Tyler
From the Space Center Houston, visitors can can take an open-air tram tour of parts of the Johnson Space Center. The Power of a Phone
Our first stop is at Building 30, home of the Apollo Mission Control Center. Our guide told us that each of us has more computing power in our mobile phones than Houston Mission Control had in the banks of computers they used to launch the whole moon landing! Zarya – Sunrise
The US-funded and Russian-built Zarya, which means “Sunrise” was the first element launched (in 1998) for the International Space Station. Capsules on the Floor
Building 9 houses the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. (iPhone6) Saturn V Moon Rocket
This workhorse launched 13 times from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida … Saturn V Rocket
… before retiring to the hangar here. Kids in a Capsule
The John F Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral in Florida is a family-friendly place. Saturn IB Launch Vehicle
The Saturn IB rocket has pride of place in the forecourt of the Kennedy Space Center. Saturn IB Skin
In use from 1966 through 1975, the rocket shows signs of hard work. International Space Station
Cape Kennedy facilities have been pivotal in designing, building, launching, and maintaining many International Space Station components. Vehicle Assembly Building
The 160-metre tall Vehicle Assembly Building, used for stacking NASA’s largest rockets, is among the 700 unique facilities on the Kennedy Center’s sprawling site. Mobile Service Structure
A massive service structure allows the assembly and servicing of space ship components. Apollo Launch Control Room
Inside the Apollo/Saturn V Center building, we are treated to an audio-visual presentation of the Apollo 11 launch. Press Clippings
The Apollo 11 moon landing captured people’s imagination the world over. Apollo 11 Patch
Designed by the astronauts themselves, the Apollo 11 logo sits over the Apollo Treasures Gallery. Kitty Hawk : Apollo 14 Crew Capsule
It is hard to imagine three men trapped inside these sophisticated tin cans for any length of time. The Capsule
The tiny porthole does not afford much comfort! Apollo EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) Suits The Rocket Garden None of the later space endeavours captured the public’s imagination in quite the same way as the Apollo 11 mission. And, there are still conspiracy theorists who argue about shadows; the effects of wind, gravity, and inertia; and claim that the landing never happened.
Most of us, though, seeing men on the moon let go of fantasies about the man in the moon, and instead, dreamed of further travels into space.
It was a magical moment in time, full of hope and promise.
And now, tinged with nostalgia.
Until next time.
Pictures: 22May2013 and 02June2013
Posted in Aviation,Museum,Space,USATags: architecture,museum,NASA,Photo Blog,space,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,USA
Dorze Woman
The Dorze people are one of over 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Many of the roughly 30,000 Omotic-speaking members of this group live in southern Ethiopia – in the region of Arba Minch. ‘Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.’
This sense of dislocation – in a positive way – often arises when travelling off the beaten track. In Southern Ethiopia, I was so far off the popular routes that most of the ‘highways’ I was on weren’t paved!
Around the city of Arba Minch – which sits about 500 kilometres south of Addis Ababa – the mountains are dotted with Dorze villages, and the passes are full of cows. The Dorze people live in distinctive beehive-shaped woven bamboo huts. For the most part, life there continues much as it has for hundreds of years, with people spinning and weaving their cotton by hand, herding their cattle, cooking flat bread on the fire, and making liquor from the flesh of the false banana tree. In the absence of electricity, laundry is still done in a tub or in the closest running stream.
In spite of their small numbers, the Dorze have learned how to preserve their culture by packaging it for tourist consumption. By hosting ‘village visits’, they give visitors a little taste of their traditional life, while at the same time generating income and passing skills and stories down to the next generation.
I was in Ethiopia on a small-group Piper Mackay Photo-Tour led by photographer Ben McRae. Together with local guide Danny from Grand Holidays Ethiopia Tours, we flew from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch on our way to the Omo Valley; the visit to a Dorze village was to be our first tribal cultural contact.
Ethiopian Airlines Bombardier Dash 8
Arba Minch is a short flight (or very long drive!) south of Addis Abiba. (iPhone6) View over my Balcony
The view from my little hut at the aptly-named Paradise Lodge was quite idyllic. Small Bills Bundled
We are definitely ‘not in Kansas‘! The tour organisers provided us all with an envelope stuffed with Ethiopian Birr in small notes. Many, many years ago, the tribal groups in the Omo Valley learned to monetise their unique appearance. All photos (and this includes not just portraits, but houses, fences, goats and cattle, etc.) are on a fee-for-click basis. Fortunately for me, a bundle of 100 5 ETB worked out to about $AUD5! (iPhone6) Dusty Roadway
After lunch in the open air, overlooking the mountains and the Rift-Valley lakes, we climb higher into the hills to find our Dorze Village. Dorze Village
These unique elephant-shaped Dorze houses are reputed to be inspired by the beasts who once roamed freely across this region. The huts start out very tall: up to 12 metres of woven bamboo on a wooden frame, with two hooded air holes resembling eyes near the top. When the ubiquitous termites attack the base, the house is lifted, shaved off at the bottom, and moved. So, although the homes can last 60 to 80 years, they get shorter over time. Hand-Spinning Cotton
The Dorze are known for their fine hand-made cotton products, with the women spinning and the men doing the weaving. It is thought that weaving was not indigenous, but was actually introduced from the north. Dorze Woman Stripping Greens
The leaf of the false banana tree has a multitude of uses. Shredding the leaves, as this young woman is doing, creates fibre for rope and pulp for a flat-bread base or for fermenting into liquor. Shredding Banana Leaf
The ensete ventricosum, or false banana tree, is so widely grown and used here that it is commonly known as the Ethiopian banana. I was just as fascinated by this young woman’s long braids! Dorza Man with a Tray
Kocho (unleavened bread) is made from the starchy false banana rhizome and the flesh of its leaves. Dorze Woman in the Smoke
Cooking is all done over small fires; the courtyard is smoky and hazardous to anyone with asthma! Dorze Woman Drivers Gathering
The drivers have heard it all before! They head straight out to the snack table at the back. Dark Eyes and Curly Hair
Those cork-screw curls look so soft and shiny – it was hard to resist reaching out to touch them! Woman in a Headscarf
There was a selection of woven goods for sale (as well as beads and carvings). Naturally, I added to my scarf collection. Doing Laundry
In the absence of electricity and running water, all tasks take longer! Kid in a Tree
Inside the compound under the watchful eyes of their elders, the children were very well behaved. Outside the fence, however it was a free-for-all. Young Child
In no time at all, I was surrounded by adorable little people, begging and trying to sell me things. Landscape
We are a long way above Arba Minch – which sits at 1,285 metres. We pause on our way back down to the city to look out over the landscape. Cows in the Road
Of course, we have to stop to give way to the cattle anyway! Young Girl
Youngsters, well versed in the art of posing for photos, appear out of nowhere. Young Girl Old Woman with a Load
While we are stopped, a number of women of all ages are trudging up the hill, … Young Woman with a Load
… almost doubled-over by the large loads of wood they are carrying, but still smiling. Carrying the Wood Young Woman on the Road  It was a wonderful first day in the tribal villages, and I still had plenty of small notes left for the rest of Omo Valley.
Until next time –
Happy Wandering!
Photos: 15October2018
Posted in Africa,Ethiopia,PortraitsTags: Africa,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Ethiopia,everyday life,landscape,people,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,travel,Travel Blog,tribal life,Ursula Wall
Woman at a Temple
Even though many buildings in the ancient Newari city of Bhaktapur were damaged by the 2015 earthquake, there are people – and there is life – everywhere among the remaining temples and the ruins. The earthquake in Nepal in April 2015 killed more than 8,800 people in that country, injured nearly three times that many, and left nearly 3.5 million homeless. As a further blow to the national psyche, numerous precious historical religious buildings were damaged or destroyed. Many of these were contributors to the 1979 UNESCO World-Heritage listing of the Kathmandu Valley as a site of significant cultural heritage.
Of course, there have been countless disasters – natural and otherwise – around the world since then.
But, disasters in very poor countries like Nepal often have flow-on effects, with the negative repercussions being felt for decades. When I visited in 2017 – two years after the earthquake – the impact was still obvious and palpable.
I was in Nepal as part of a photographic group with travel photographer Gavin Gough and photojournalist Jack Kurtz. I had already observed the after-effects of the quake in the Kathmandu Valley (e.g: Dirt Music; Light and Dark; A Thousand Steps; Dhulikel to Nagarkot; On the Track) and in Kathmandu itself (e.g: Faith, Faces, and Fakes; Light a Candle), and was spending the morning in Bhaktapur.
Bhaktapur, or Khwopa as it is known in the local Newari language, dates back to the early 8th century. It was the largest of the three Newari kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley (the other two being Kathmandu and Patan) and was the capital of all of Nepal until the second half of the 15th century. It continued to be its own city-state until the 18th century, and has long been recognised as having a rich heritage of traditional art and architecture, which is demonstrated in what was the best-preserved palace courtyards and old city centre in Nepal.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake inflicted considerable damage on Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square, a significant heritage site included in the UNESCO World Heritage list: “In Bhaktapur, several monuments, including the Fasi Deva temple, the Chardham temple and the 17th century Vatsala Durga Temple, were fully or partially destroyed.” In all, 116 heritage sites in the city were damaged: 67 of these “completely”, and repairs are slow and costly.
But, life goes on. The handicraft industries – woodcarving, metalwork, stonework, pottery, and weaving – are alive and well, and people go about their lives amid the ruins and repairs. The day I visited, it was Holi, and I have posted a few festival photos previously (see: Happy Holi!).
There is plenty to explore in this site of “Living Heritage”.
Nepali Gurkha Army Soldier at the Golden Gate
Only Hindus are allowed into the inner courtyards of the 55 Window Palace. Armed forced from the respected Gurkha regiments stand guard at the torana – the free-standing ornamental or arched gateway. Entering Durbar Square
Archways, colonnades, loose bricks, ruins, shrines, Nepali pilgrims and foreign tourists: Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is a sensory hodgepodge. The Golden Gate – The Sun Dhoka
This gilded archway, with the 16-armed goddess Taleju Bhawani over the door, is considered one of the most important artworks in the Kathmandu Valley. Theravāda Monks in Motion
Visitors to Bhaktapur come from all over; … Theravāda Monks
… these monks have travelled from Thailand. Buddhist Nun with a Begging Bowl King Bhupatindra Malla Statue
A bronze statue (dated 1699) of King Bhupatindra Malla, king of Bhaktapur from 1696 to 1722, sits high on a pillar in Durbar Square. King Bhupatindra Malla and the Taleju Bell
With his hands in prayer, the king overlooks the Golden Gate and the 55 Window Palace. The rubble remains of the Vatsala Durga Temple – destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, sit behind him. Restored Chyasilin Mandapa
Nepal is no stranger to earthquakes: this was one of the many buildings destroyed by the 1934 quake. It has been rebuilt over a metal core, incorporating original components. Models in the Ruins of Bhaktapur
While I was wandering, models in traditional dress were taking part in a photoshoot. Models on the Steps of Chyasilin Mandapa
With the permission of their Art Director, I made a few shots myself. Looking through Chyasilin Mandapa
With the models elsewhere, the stray dogs go back to sleep. Ruins: Fasidega Temple
Two years after the earthquake, recovery work continues. This is one instance where the ruins might be a good thing: the Fasidega Temple, dedicated to Shiva, was a not-particularly attractive white lump! Elephants: Fasidega Temple
Animals: elephants, lions and cows – still stand guard on the remaining six-level plinth. Woman at the Well
Among the ruins and rebuilding, everyday life goes on. Hindu Shrine
Hindu shrines – large and small – are plentiful in Durbar Square and the rest of Bhaktapur. Life among the Ruins Pashupatinath Temple
Bhaktapur is known for its arts and crafts; shops around the squares and down the alleyways are full of beautiful objects. Artworks also spill into the public spaces. Girl on a Roof Man on the Steps Hindu Icons
Religious iconography and paraphernalia is for sale at regular intervals. Dattatreya Temple
Originally built in 1427 by King Yaksha Malla – supposedly from the timber of a single tree – this temple is dedicated to Dattatreya, who is a mix of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Malla Wrestler
In front of the Dattatreya Temple, there are two stone statues of popular wrestlers: Jaya Malla and Patta Malla. “Ring the Bell”
Hindu shrines always include bells: the sound of the bell announces your presence to the deities and is believed to clear your mind of thoughts. Bhaktapur Street
The narrow bricked streets are full of life and lined with interesting shops. Polishing Brass
Craftsmen keep busy between customers. Marionette (iPhone6) Men in their Dhaka Topi Hats
People find spots to sit and chat and watch the world go by. Bell, Shrine and Loose Bricks in a Courtyard Buddha in an Alcove Deity in a Niche Child in a Window Bhaktapur Street Scene Singing for Shiva
Somehow, it seems appropriate that my last impression of this venerable “living museum”, was of a musical group sitting in an alcove, singing time-honoured songs for Shiva the Destroyer. Non-Nepali visitors to this ancient Newari city pay an entry-fee; this money helps fund the maintenance and repair of the temples.
 I hope it also goes some way towards the continued rebuilding of difficult lives.
Namate!
Photos: 12March2017
Posted in Architecture,Every Day Life,NepalTags: architecture,environmental portrait,hindu,hinduism,Nepal,people,Photo Blog,religion,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf
Hot lights and raspy rock vocals: Miss Velvet has the festival tent in her spell: billed as Janis Joplin mixed with Etta James and Mick Jagger, she brings a high-energy metal edge to Blue Wolf’s psychedelic rock. I love Bluesfest!
Byron Bay Bluesfest, the annual five-day Easter long-weekend festival of blues and roots music from around the world, always includes a line-up of interesting international visitors. Some are big names that take me back to my youth (see, for example: Bring on the Big Names; The Soundtrack of my Youth Musical Name-Dropping; The Sound of Sunshine); others are more contemporary favourites that I am familiar with thanks to their previous Bluesfest attendances; still others are completely new (to me) discoveries. Often, the performers that stand out most are those I wouldn’t normally seek out on my own: having five-or-more artists performing at any given time across the 120-hectare Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm site allows me to sample the unfamiliar without risk.
This year was no exception: I was looking forward to some big names and old favourites (see, for example: Old Rockers, Punk and Protest), but I also added some new finds to my list.
Of course, I appreciate the “looking” almost as much as the “listening”. I revel in the trials of shooting moving-objects-at-a-distance-in-low-and unpredictable-light-while-dancing. These shots are mostly taken on my old Canon 6D with a EF70-200 lens (with no Image Stabilisation!) at f 2.8 and ISO 1600 or 3200. That makes for interesting Lightroom processing challenges, but some of the results turned out ok.
Enjoy!
Tent Tops
Evening falls over the Bluesfest tents, leaving the sky dull and grey outside; … California Honeydrops
… inside the modest Delta Tent, however, the colourful jacket and cheerful sounds of Lech Wierzyński – frontman of the California Honeydrops – have the crowd smiling. Lech Wierzyński
Born in Warsaw, Poland, band leader and front man Lech is an accomplished vocalist … Lech Wierzyński
… and multi-instrumentalist, with a cheeky smile, and a way with (English) words. Ben Malament on Washboard
The California Honeydrops have come a long way since percussionist Ben Malament and Lech Wierzyński were busking in a Californian subway station. California Honeydrops on Stage
The tent was packed and bouncing! Melody Angel
The lighting can make photography tricky: Melody Angel is colourfully backlit in silhouette as I join her in the Juke Joint tent. Melody Angel
… – fiercely Hendrix, with a mix of Prince and Chuck Berry. Samantha Fish
This year’s festival introduced me to another kick-ass female guitarist: singer-songwriter guitarist Samantha Fish, who recorded and released her first album in 2009, and has won a raft of awards – for songs and albums, for vocals, and for guitar – since then. Samantha Fish
Billed as a blues rock/roots rock performer, she embodies rock-chic attitude. The legendary Buddy Guy has recognised her talent on stage. Samantha Fish
I thoroughly enjoyed her music, and returned the next day for another set. Elephant Sessions
From the Highlands of Scotland, Elephant Sessions bring youthful enthusiasm to their modern take on traditional Celtic music; called “neo-trad” or “post-traditional” music, their mix of folk, rock, funk and electronica has won them numerous awards. Elephant Sessions
Their sets were well-attended, high-energy, and lively. The lighting created extreme photo-challenges! “The Auld Triangle”
Irish finishes her set with an a cappella rendition of Brendan Behan’s “Auld Triangle”. I had chills and goosebumps. “I’m with Her”
Sporting yellow jumpsuits that are apparently a branded American style item, rather than a Ghostbuster costume, the Grammy-award-winning American trio “I’m with Her” is comprised of Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aiofe O’Donovan: three successful solo performers in their own rights. They had their name a good 18 months before the Hillary Clinton campaign used the phrase as a slogan. Ruthie Foster
Texan blues and folk singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster is the equivalent of musical sunshine! It was impossible not to smile. Shakey Graves
I could listen to Shakey Graves – another (albeit very different) Texan – all day! Clearly, I am not alone: the massive Crossroad Tent is packed out. Norah Jones on the Big Screen
It’s only 6:30 in the evening, but the crowd has settled in: the inimitable Norah Jones takes to the keyboard, and her voice wends its way around the packed tent. I had been excited to see/hear her, but truthfully, I was disappointed: a festival is not the ideal setting for her intimate songs. The stage was a long way away, people were crushed in, heads were everywhere – obscuring even the big screens – and the people around me never stopped talking or singing along. Miss Velvet: Metal Attitude
Her faultless, screaming vocals have been compared with those of Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf in the Signing Tent
The band members were all delightful and charming to their fans at their signing. I was actually lined up at the signing tent for an act other than Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf – as much as I enjoyed their live sets, it’s not music I’d play at home except for vacuuming – but members of the band still chatted with me and posed happily.
Clearly, like us festival-goers, they are there for the joy of the music.
And that’s what it is all about!
Until next time …
To the Music!
Photos: 18-22April2019
Posted in environmental portraits,Music,musicians,performersTags: Australia,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,music,musicians,people,performance,performers,Photo Blog,portrait,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Il Trenino Giallo di Tirano
It is easy to explore the delightful Northern Italian town of Tirano using their hop-on hop-off tourist train. I’ve said it before – and probably more than once: I love Europe!
I love how you can wake up in Switzerland, explore and have lunch in Italy, and be back in Switzerland – and in a different region and city! – in time for dinner.
My husband and I were enjoying a long sight-seeing rail-loop around Switzerland with friends. Part of our trip included the fabulous UNESCO-listed Bernina Express train from Chur, Switzerland to Tirano in Italy (see: Railway Dreaming and Spirals to Tirano).
We had paused our circuit for an overnight stop in Poschiavo (see: Switzerland for Lunch) which meant we arrived in Tirano mid-morning, giving us a couple of hours to explore before rejoining our friends for lunch, and then boarding a bus for the drive to Lugano, Switzerland. Perhaps more commonly, this is where travellers can alight their Swiss Rhaetian Railway trains, transit the Piazzale Stazione (Station Square), and join an Italian State Railway train to Milan.
Only two kilometres from the Swiss border, Tirano is in the Valtellina – an alpine valley in the far north of Lombardy, Italy – and at the crossroads to Val Poschiavo – the valley of Poschiavo in the southern, Italian-speaking part of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Historically, the Valtellina has been the subject of intense military and diplomatic struggle – especially during the catastrophic Thirty Years’ War – because it allowed access to the passes between Lombardy and the Danube watershed.
Today, the little town boasts relics of its heritage: medieval gates and ancient buildings blend with modern art installations. The centre-piece is the Pilgrimage Church of the Madonna di Tirano, built in the early 1500s on the site of a smaller church. According to the local history, in 1504 the Virgin Mary appeared to a local girl, Mario Omodei, and told her that she would end the plague in Tirano if the town built a shrine dedicated to her. The first stone was laid six months later, and the pestilence ended. The magnificent basilica was built in late Renaissance style, with later ornate Baroque interiors, and is still a major pilgrimage site.
The little yellow hop-on hop-off tourist train made exploring Tirano easy. For €5 each, we could save our feet, listen to commentary (which we promptly forgot!), and get out at various places of interest.
Woman in the Piazzale Stazione
Tirano’s large Railway Square is home to two railway stations: the Swiss Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Italian Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RBI). Sanctuary of Madonna di Tirano
The centrepiece of the town is the Pilgrimage Church of the Madonna di Tirano. Medieval Church of Santa Perpetua
High on a hill overlooking the Sanctuary, a little xenodochium – a medieval hostel or hospital – sits on a rocky outcrop. Tirano Crest in Piazza Della Basilica Piazza Della Basilica
The Basilica Madonna di Tirano is impressive with its colonnaded dome and lovely eight-level belltower. Frieze over the Sanctuary Portal Altar in the Basilica
The very ornate interior of the Sanctuary is decorated in elaborate Baroque style. The high altar is dark: carved in black marble from Varenna by Giobvanni Battista Galli di Clivio in 1748. Chapel of the Apparition
The statue of the Madonna over the left-hand altar was carved between 1519-24 by Giovanni Antonio del Maino di Pavia. This shrine attracts pilgrims who leave votive candles and prayers. Organ
Lucky is the traveller or pilgrim who hears this fill the church with sound! This magnificent 2,200-pipe organ – one of the biggest in Europe – was carved by Giuseppe Bulgarini between 1608-17. Looking Down the Nave Monk in the Piazza Piazza Della Basilica
The large piazza outside the Sanctuary is bordered by little shops and large buildings, including the 18th century Palazzetto del Penitenziere, which now houses the Tiranese Ethnographic Museum. Water Fountain – Piazza Della Basilica
An alcove across from the entrance to the Basilica features a fresco from 1513 depicting the appearance of the Blessed Virgin. Arch out of the Piazza Della Basilica
An arch attached to the Palazzetto del Penitenziere leads out of the square on a tiled roadway. Via XX Settembre
We jumped onto the next train, and crossed the river into the central part of town. Largo Pretorio
There are winding roads and archways everywhere. Courtyard Spaces
Modern art installations blend seamlessly with ancient frescos. Across Adda River
The expanding town has swallowed its old city walls. One of the bridges over the Adda River leads through one of the three remaining gates: the Porta Poschiavina. Bridge at Porta Poschiavina Sculpted Space Street Scene Palazzo Pievani
In the shadow of the surrounding mountains, there are arches and nooks and crannies everywhere, leading into charming cobbled plazas. Fountain Art
Old fountains have been reclaimed, … Tiles in the Fountain
… and turned into colourful art. Archway Chiesa di San Martino Sculpture at the Rooftops
A marble woman in a small square seems to float against the mountains. Selfie in a Window
I couldn’t resist a shot of the reflections in a barred window … Il Trenino Giallo di Tirano
… as we waited for our return train to roll into view. It was a perfect Italian interlude.
After lunch, we hopped onto a red Bernina bus, and made our way back to Switzerland – all in time for dinner!
Happy Travels.
Pictures: 07August2014
Posted in Architecture,Italy,TravelTags: architecture,Catholicism,church,Italy,Photo Blog,religion,sculpture,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,worship
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