Students began to study at Cambridge in 1209. One of the most impressive buildings in Cambridge, King’s College Chapel, was commissioned by Henry VI in 1446. It is the largest building in the picture below. I thoroughly enjoyed walking the streets of Cambridge. Traditions are respected there; I hope this remains the case. History has a home at Cambridge, and I enjoyed being a guest.
Built from 1506 to 1626, St. Peter’s Basilica is a massive church located in Rome, Italy. I was in awe and wonder at the perfection of craftmanship on display inside the basilica. The interior is decorated with a tapestry of perfectly carved Italian marble. I had never seen anything on such a grand scale. We visited on All Saints Day in November, 2007. We were fortunate enough to hear the Pope speak just before we toured St. Peter’s. I included 3 pictures from that day below. The first is of the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica, the second is the beautiful Pieta by Michelangelo, and the third is from the dome of the basilica.
If you have not been to England, go quickly. There is just something about seeing objects that are 1,000 years old. I returned from England with a place in history. So often in the fast current of modernity and progress we are so mobile that we lose our roots. I discovered these roots in England and felt healthier than I have felt for a long time. These objects of permanence do not constrain us, but provide much needed depth and order to our lives. If you have not been to England, go quickly.
I now have a website that enables me to post full resolution pictures for back up purposes and so everyone can purchase fine art prints if interested. The website is through a service called Zenfolio. Zenfolio is a web hosting service associated with MPix, a professional print lab that does great work. Go check out my new website:
I am going to begin posting pictures again regularly and hopefully include a bit more commentary so that anyone interested in learning how to take pictures can learn with me as we go along.
This picture was photographed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I was in Philly for a conference through the Intercollegiate Studies Institute discussing the rise and decline of civilizations. Is Western Civilization in decline? I don’t know, but it certainly was neat experiencing what many of our founders knew as the capital of the United States.
