WW - Sea shells from Santorini

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RT - The Duomo in Florence

When in Florence, it will be hard to miss the Duomo which seems to dominate the skyline in every direction. It is incredibly huge and it is visible from the moment you leave the train station. With its imposing Gothic architecture and its amazing structures, I was awestruck by the glorious sight of the cathedral.



The facade of the Duomo is covered with intricate carvings, exquisite statues and inlaid marbles.



I love the fact that the enormous red brick dome can be seen in every nook and corner of the city. It's a great reference point if you get lost. Even though part of the building was still undergoing restoration when we visited, the sheer beauty of the cathedral was something to behold.

We didn't have to wait in line to get inside the cathedral, but the queue to climb up the stairs to the Dome was extremely long. We didn't go to the top as there are 463 stairs to climb and having had my fair share of climbing experience at the Vatican City, I thought I'll give this one a miss. It feels like climbing endless stairways when you see upward.



The interior of the Duomo is a vast space with high arches and contains only a few works of art. In comparison to the extraordinary exterior, the interior is a real let down. I was told that most of the art has been transferred to the Duomo museum, leaving behind an empty impression. The good thing is there's no admission fee to enter the cathedral.

There are a few notable art pieces to see though and here are a few shots that I took.


One of the many stained glass windows



Dante and his Divine Comedy by Domenico di Michelino



Vasari’s illustration of the Last Judgement under the dome



Christ Crowning Mary As Queen

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SkyWatch Friday - Winter In Innsbruck

We saw some wonderful landscapes in Austria and Innsbruck was one of our favourite spots. It was cold winter and we were pleasantly surprised by the radiant sunshine and cloudless blue skies that greeted us. The weather showed us some of the beautiful and colourful sights of Innsbruck with the sweeping views of the Alps in the distance. Here are some random shots of the city as we walked along.

First Commenter - Rainfield

PhotoHunt - Sparkle (s)

The shots below were taken on a late evening while wandering the streets of Vienna, Austria.


The street has a myriad of lights and I like how beautifully this unknown building sparkles with energy at night.



What I find particularly attractive is the State Opera House which is not only stunning by day, it is even more glorious at night when it sparkles and shines with hundreds of flashing lights. The building is way too impressive and showy to be ignored when passing by.

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WW- Merry go round in Florence