Since 1934, the Hagia Sophia has been a museum and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1985) cherished by Christians and Muslims alike. For over 80 years, it has served as a monument of relative harmony and a symbol of the secularism that was a part of the foundations of the modern Turkish state.
Category Archives: Travel
Pandemic Delight: Patio Dining in Art & Life (Renoir)
Local suburbs are helping restaurants stay afloat during the pandemic by allowing them to carve out patios on sidewalks and streets to increase seating capacity. I love dining in outdoor cafes; it makes me feel very “European” even if I am in a local café. Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party is one such place!
Art for Father’s Day 2020: Honoring Our Father (Michelangelo, Sistine Ceiling, Italy)
Who better to honor on Father’s Day, then our heavenly Father, Father of us all. And what better image than Michelangelo’s creation of Adam (also father of us all) on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome, Italy.
Golden Rule: Do Unto Others. . . in Art & Life (Rockwell)
Pondering famous art pertinent to the horrendous current events of racism and violence this past week with the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minnesota, this verse and artwork came to mind. If we all applied the Golden Rule to our lives, the world would be a much different place.
Leaning Tower of Pisa (Art & Travel to Italy)
After time in Spain and France on this [cancelled] trip was Italy. Having been to Pisa before, I sought a new experience. This time, arriving by sea and not by land, I wanted to pretend to be a medieval seafarer and view the baptistery roof as medieval travelers once did!
Irises: Home & Abroad, in Art & Life (Van Gogh)
One stop on our cancelled trip was the southern coast of France. I will miss seeing their irises, but will enjoy the irises in own garden on my Minnesota Stay-cation, which I typically miss during our traditional May travels!
“Look! There’s a Lichtenstein!” (Art & Travel: Barcelona, Spain)
I love outdoor sculpture; I can touch it! This sculpture has many layers: Lichtenstein (American) honors Barcelona and its artists.
What Day IS it??? (Art & Life in Dali’s Melting Clocks)
Are you confused about what day it is? Seems you are not alone! Staying home during the pandemic has thrown off our perception of time. This reminds me of Dali’s famous melting clocks Surrealistic painting. Dali describes our life today; his surrealistic art is meant to “systemize confusion and help discredit completely the sense of reality.”
Guernica & A Bucket List Deferred in Art & Travel (Picasso)
In 2020, one of the things I was so excited about was to finally visit the last art museum on my Bucket List from Rick Steves’ Top Art Museums of Europe: the Prado and view Picasso’s Guernica. Sadly, not this year.
Ireland Illuminated (Book of Kells; Art & Travel to Ireland)
Illuminated manuscripts flourished during the Middle Ages when art, literature and culture were kept alive by the monks in Medieval European monasteries when literacy had all but disappeared.
