Our visit to Sainte-Chapelle was as striking today as when we first saw it. The columns of stained glass that encircle the chapel are a feast for the eyes. The windows in the Gothic style chapel depict 1,113 scenes from the Bible. https://vimeo.com/746770686 Climbing the Stairs to Sainte Chapelle King Louis IX (St. Louis) built …
Author Archives: Michael
Off to Europe 2022
I feel like a hobbit on an adventure. We have never gone to Europe for so many consecutive days. A bit excited and apprehensive. It’s nice to be going without all the COVID requirements. Since we have to be at the airport on Saturday by 4:30 p.m., and since we won’t arrive in Paris until …
Rhodes – Old Town
One of our days in Rhodes we took a guided walking tour of the Old Town (also called “Rhodes”). But before I talk about what we saw/did, some Rhodes history. The island of Rhodes was of strategic importance for trade in the ancient world. It was repeatedly conquered because of its key location between Europe …
Rhodes – Beach
Our three nights on Santorini were a mixed bag. It is the Greek island that is marketed so well. Pictures of the blue domes overlooking the Aegean Sea are on nearly every travel magazine, website, book, etc. While the island is picturesque, I found the island to be dry, expensive, and flooded with tourists. For …
Santorini – Hike
Today we hiked six miles from our hotel to the village of Oia to watch the sunset. The hike along the rim of the volcano overlooking the Aegean Sea is impressive. However, Santorini is dry and dusty as it gets less than three inches of rain per year. As I said earlier, Oia is the …
Santorini – Volcano
The Greeks call the island by it’s original name Thera. Everyone else calls it Santorini. The island is basically the rim of a volcano. From the right angle you see the islands that rim the volcano overlooking the Caldera—the center of the volcano that collapses on itself. Around the Rim facing the Caldera Around 1612 …
Santorini – Arrived
Since we were not vaccinated, the Greek government required that we either have a negative COVID antigen test within 48 hours of our arrival or a positive COVID test within the last 180 days. We had both. We were also required to show the same documentation on any flight from Athens to the Greek islands. …