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Index of Pictures

Picture 1: Genève - I [heart] trains

I like trains so much that I even ride Amtrak. European trains are much better (generally). The picture shows a Swiss local train and a TGV high-speed train in the Genève station, where I was stuck trying to get to Barcelona.


Picture 2: Zürich - Schweizerisches Landesmuseum

I wandered over to Zürich since I couldn't get to Barcelona. Right by the Zürich train station is the Swiss National Museum, housed in an impressive building with extensive parks.


Picture 3: Zürich - Proof that James Joyce is everywhere

A plaque at the Platzspitz in Zürich (where two rivers meet, near the train station), which bears an inscription to James Joyce. It's like he's haunting me.


Picture 4: Zürich - The waters part

Or merge, if you want to be picky about it. This is another view of the Platzspitz (the inscription is above the 'Limmat' (those are the names of the merging rivers)).


Picture 5: Zürich - Zürich train station

Looking across the Limmat River you see the Zürich train station on the left and the National Museum on the right. European train stations are almost as awesome as European trains.


Picture 6: Zürich - Zwingli!

Humanist leader of the Swiss Reformation (1484 - 1531). Of all the Reformationists, however, he undoubtedly has the best name. More information.


Picture 7: Zürich - Zürichsee

More of a big lake than a sea, the Zürichsee is sourrounded by Swiss villages (as well as Zürich's suburbs) and nice hills. Most details, unfortunately, did not come out well in this picture.


Picture 8: Zürich - Zürichsee

The Zürichsee is too big to fit into one picture. This one focuses on the region to the right of the previous picture.


Picture 9: Zürich - A useless picture

I have a friend who keeps going on about Pat Metheny. There were also posters in Roma, but taking this single picture was useless enough already.


Picture 10: Genève - The Jet d'Eau - "Because We Can"

The Jet d'Eau shoots five hundred litres of water per second up to an altitude of around 140 metres (450 feet). It is one of Genève's most famous landmarks. More information.


Picture 11: Genève - Cloudy Genève

A view of the fog/low clouds across Lac Leman (also known as Lac de Genève). In the foreground is the Jardin Anglais. Genève is often cloudy, though there's not all that much rain, since the clouds have to come over the mountains to get here.


Picture 12: Genève - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Not my favorite philosopher, but apparently Genève's (see the introduction to "On the Origins of Inequality" for a possible explanation). This statue is on the Ile Rousseau, right where the Rhône flows out of Lac Leman.


Picture 13: Genève - Weird trees

In front of the small church-like building are a few strange trees that unfortunately didn't come through very clearly. I saw these trees throughout Genève, and was struck by how weird they are.


Picture 14: Genève - Island in the Rhône

A sort of palace or something on an island/quay in the middle of the Rhône. You can walk all the way around it, which is cool - the water in the Rhône and Lac Leman is so clear you can generally see all the way to the bottom.


Picture 15: Genève - Politics in Genève

Posters about two referenda held in Genève on June 5, one on closer relations with the EU and the other on civil unions for homosexual couples (both passed, I believe). The multiplicity of political parties is striking.


Picture 16: Genève - The light breaks through

A patch of sunlight illuminates the ritzy side of Genève (CERN is in the exact opposite direction). The image was striking, but didn't really come through in the picture.


Picture 17: Genève - Panoramic: Cliffs, Jet, City

To the north and west of Genève are the Jura Mountains. To the south are the French Alps, which are what you see in the background in this picture.


Picture 18: Genève - Clouds over Lac Leman

Lac Leman is one of the (if not the) largest lakes in Europe. The water quality is apparently very high, and the clouds blowing over the water very striking.


Picture 19: Genève - Cervantes

A statue of Miguel de Cervantes, the (Spanish) author of Don Quixote. What a statue of him is doing in Switzerland, I don't know, though I think the plaque may say it's a gift from Spain.


Picture 20: Genève - European drinking fountain

The plaque on the bottom-right says "Eau potable". Drinking fountains like this (or even more elaborate) were in all of the cities I went to. The first ones startled me a bit and inspired a photograph.


Picture 21: Genève - United Nations Flags

Lots of flags line one of the entrances to Genève's main UN site. This entrance was closed - the next picture shows the entrance everybody seemed to be using.


Picture 22: Genève - United Nations Entrance

The main entrance to the UN. The funny angle is due to my hunch that the security guards who were checking everybody trying to get in would not appreciate being photographed.


Picture 23: Genève - Monument Brunswick

I'm not sure what exactly is the significance of this tomb-like monument, but it made a nice place to eat dinner. It would have made a nice picture had I not stuck my finger in the way.


Picture 24: Genève - Monument Brunswick, Jet d'Eau, clouds

Another finger-less view of the monument, with the Jet d'Eau across the lake in the background. One of those funny trees is just to the left of the monument.


Picture 25: Barcelona - Plaça d'Espanya

An impressive statue in the middle of a huge roundabout. Note also the funny spelling - it's Catalan, which I was taught is only a dialect of Spanish but which many Catalunyans I met insisted was an independent language. Apparently Catalan and Spanish are both official languages in Catalunya - I saw books and announcements printed in both.


Picture 26: Barcelona - El Palau Nacional (with plazas and gardens in front)

This impressively large art museum on its impressively high hill is just down the street from the Placa d'Espanya. On the other side is Montjuïc, the main site of the 1992 Olympics.


Picture 27: Barcelona - View from the Palau Nacional

You can see the Placa d'Espanya right through the two towers near the center of the picture, which gives an idea of how high this hill is. I should note that the discoloration is not (completely) due to the camera - air quality is poor as there's a lot of smog.


Picture 28: Barcelona - View from the Palau Nacional

Looking out over the city from roughly the same location as the previous picture, just rotated a bit to the right. As I was saying in the previous comment, Barcelona has almost as much smog as LA.


Picture 29: Barcelona - Casa Mila (La Pedrera)

An impressive house known as "The Quarry" not far from the Sagrada Familia. Built in 1906-1910, it is reportedly "the last example of Gaudi's civil architecture".


Picture 30: Barcelona - Plaça de Mossèn Jacint Verdagder

An interesting park with some statues right in the middle of the Passeig de Sant Joan.


Picture 31: Barcelona - Monument in the middle of the street

A closeup on the monument visible in the previous picture, with some nearby buildings thrown in. Unfortunately the picture came out to blurry for me to read the plaque and be able to recall what it is a monument to (my original plan).


Picture 32: Barcelona - Sagrada Familia - Construction Continues

The Sagrada Familia is a monumental cathedral designed in a modernist style by Gaudi in the late nineteenth century, and still not finished. It's so big you can make it out from Montjuïc, on the other side of the city.


Picture 33: Barcelona - Sagrada Familia Towers

Four towers over the main entrance of the Sagrada Familia.


Picture 34: Barcelona - Sagrada Familia Main Entrance

A closeup on the main entrance, to give an idea of the scale and level of detail. Also notable is the unique, almost organic style of the design. Admission was pricey, so I didn't go in.


Picture 35: Barcelona - Sagrada Familia Towers Closeup

Looking up at the four towers from right outside the main entrance (you can see the overlap between this picture and the previous one). I'm not sure whether or not that's my finger in the upper-right.


Picture 36: Barcelona - Sagrada Familia - Right

Looking to the right of the main entrance. If I had some photo manipulation skills I would try to merge all these pictures together into one giant panoramic of the main entrance to the temple.


Picture 37: Barcelona - Sagrada Familia - Left

Looking to the left of the main entrance. Interesting how the style in the background seems so much different than that in other directions.


Picture 38: Barcelona - Church on Passeig de Sant Joan

A pretty church only a few blocks from the Sagrada Familia. Though it's a nice sight, I suppose it sort of pales in comparison - my map doesn't even bother to mark it.


Picture 39: Barcelona - Statue in Plaça de Tetuan

A striking statue in the Plaça de Tetuan. From Panoramic Earth: In the center of the square is a large statue, the Monument a Dr Bartolomeu Robert. Dr Bartomeu Robert i Yarzábal was born in Mexico and moved to Barcelona. He became the mayor for 6 months and in that time refused to impose a new tax on the city as he carried out a census. As a symbol of Catalan national identity the statue, which was originally unveiled in la Plaça de la Universitat in 1910 to large crowds. Franco wanted it destroyed because of the Catalan symbolism, but the then mayor had the monument discreetly removed and stored in a shed in the Carrer de Wellington where it rested until 1975. After much restoration the monument was then re-erected in the Plaça de Tetuan with an unveiling in 1985. (Thanks to Peter Watts for the tip.)


Picture 40: Barcelona - Arc de Triomf - No, not that one

Paris isn't the only place with an Arc de Triomphe. The funny tilt is due to an oddity of my camera: it will occasionally wait 2-3 seconds before responding, tricking me into thinking it might be turned off and lowering it to check (at which point it takes a crooked picture).


Picture 41: Barcelona - Arc de Triomf - A Better View

A better view of the Arc de Triomf and the (curiously) almost deserted plaza (Passeig Lluis Companys) in which it sits.


Picture 42: Barcelona - Closeup on the main entrance of the Palau de Justicia

The Palau de Justicia to the side of the Passeig Lluis Companys is an impressive building. Unfortunately, it was difficult to see through all the trees, so I just took this closeup shot of its main entrance. The three flags above the entrance are (from left to right) those of Catalunya, Spain and the European Union.


Picture 43: Barcelona - Palau de Justicia

An attempt to take a shot of the Palau de Justicia that didn't work out too well because of all the trees. Still, you can see some of the interesting architectural features over the tops of the trees.


Picture 44: Barcelona - La Rambla at sundown

Looking northeast from the sea end of the famous La Rambla. Crowds were thin down here - most people were crowded into bars watching Milan and Liverpool play in the UEFA Champions League final. (Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties after a 3-3 tie.)


Picture 45: Barcelona - Mirador del Colom

Statues and monuments to Cristobal Colon (or Colom in Catalunyan) and Miguel de Cervantes are all over Spain. For some reason, he's pointing southeast, which is not the way he ended up going. Ironically, his posture is similar to that of Lenin in many Soviet statues. I suppose one could make a snide comment about how the Spaniards still celebrate Colon and Cervantes because they haven't had anybody else worth celebrating since then, but I'm too nice to do that.


Picture 46: Barcelona - Montjuïc and Duana

In the foreground is the Duana de Barcelona, right next to the Mirador del Colom. An impressive building with classic architecture. More interesting is the Muntanya de Montjuïc in the background, which I climbed the following day.


Picture 47: Barcelona - Colon from the other side

Another image of the Mirador del Colom, in which you can sort of see his Leninesque point to the future (or in this case, possibly India). A bit too dark to turn out well, though.


Picture 48: Barcelona - Montjuïc and Las Golondrinas

Again you can see the Muntanya de Montjuïc looming in the background. In front of it is a strange sculpture in the Bracelona Port. If I'm reading my map correctly, it's known as Las Golondrinas. I have no clue what its point or symbolism is - or even if it's supposed to have any. An interesting sight nonetheless.


Picture 49: Barcelona - Fog on the side of Montjuïc

The next day I decided to climb Montjuïc, not realizing how high it was (though the fact that it's called "Muntanya de Montjuïc" could have been a hint). So I climbed it in sandals with a full pack. The day was foggy, and as I climbed above the clouds, mist blew in from above the Mediterranean, which I tried to capture in this picture.


Picture 50: Barcelona - Montjuïc gardens in the fog

Looking at the gardens on the side of Montjuïc (Jardins Mossèn Costa i Llobera) through which I had just climbed. It's hard to make things out in the picture - except for the camera strap which fell in front of the lens as the picture was taken.


Picture 51: Barcelona - Fountains of the top of Montjuïc

Though there was nobody else climbing up the side of Montjuïc, there were a lot of people at the top (coming off of buses or cable cars), where there were great views as well as an elaborate system of fountains (possibly dating from the 1992 Olympics).


Picture 52: Barcelona - Castell de Montjuïc

Overlooking the harbor and the Mediterranean from the top of the Muntanya de Montjuïc is the Castell de Montjuïc. This is the front entrance - observe the drawbridge at the right end of the main bridge across the (dry) moat.


Picture 53: Barcelona - Clouds over the Mediterranean

On the other side of the mist/fog/cloud layer is the Mediterranean Sea. I stuck a cannon into the picture so y'all would have something interesting to look at in addition to imagining the Sea stretching out to the horizon.


Picture 54: Barcelona - Panoramic of the Castell de Montjuïc

The Castell de Montjuïc is a big place - you can see it stretching from the far background to the near foreground, and I wasn't even all the way to the end when I took this picture. To the right are the clouds above the Mediterranean, again.


Picture 55: Barcelona - Looking across the city from high on Montjuïc

In the foreground (well, past the grass) are some Olympic buildings dating from 1992. Further out you can see the city stretching to the hills.


Picture 56: Barcelona - City and Palau Nacional

Another (inferior) view of the city from the north side of Montjuïc. The interesting thing in this picture is the Palau Nacional in the center through the trees. That, you'll recall, is where I took some pictures overlooking the city a while back. Then it seemed high, but it's nothing compared to Montjuïc.


Picture 57: Barcelona - Barcelona Catedral tower from inner courtyard

Looking up at a tower on the Barcelona Catedral from the only area open to the public - a ring of shrines around a small courtyard. The vertical black lines are the bars keeping us from actually getting into the courtyard itself.


Picture 58: Barcelona - Inner courtyard of Barcelona Catedral

A pool and some nice sculptures in an inner courtyard of Barcelona's Catedral. Again, the camera tricked me into thinking I had turned it off and then took the shot just as I moved it to check. That's why there's a big bar in the way.


Picture 59: Barcelona - Street next to Cathedral (Barri Gòtic)

Picture of a very elaborate sort of bridge over a street nearby Barcelona's Cathedral. The area is known as the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). It's the oldest district of the city and contains lots of nice narrow winding streets and old buildings.


Picture 60: Barcelona - Roman wall and tower

A fragment of the ancient Roman walls around the city of Barcino that gradually evolved into modern-day Barcelona. Unfortunately, most of the walls are blocked out by my finger, which is a shame, since I found them very impressive.


Picture 61: Barcelona - Main tower of Barcelona Catedral

Like everything else in Spain, the Catedral in Barcelona was under heavy construction. Only the very top of its main tower was visible above the scaffolding. (Though note how they painted some sheets to sort of look like the facade.) This is the same tower shown a few pictures ago from the perspective of a courtyard off to the right.


Picture 62: Barcelona - Random Church

A small church I passed while wandering around Barcelona. Though very different from the main architectural sites of the city, it had an interesting charm, helped by what seems to be eastern influences in its design.


Picture 63: Barcelona - Barcelona Catedral - long shot

A shot of the Catedral from the distance that manages to avoid most of the construction and scaffolding and give a rough idea of the building.


Picture 64: Barcelona - Correus i Telegrafs

Besides being a nice classical building, I was trying to remember if the Post and Telegraph building had been mentioned in Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia". After all, as a communications center it would be a main target in any struggle for control of the city. It seems my recollection was incorrect, however.


Picture 65: Barcelona - Llotja

A building next door to the Correus i Telegrafs that my map mysteriously labels "Llotja". Again, a building I mistakenly thought might have been mentioned in "Homage to Catalonia". Unfortunately it's all under scaffolding. So you can admire the trees in the courtyard out front, I guess.


Picture 66: Barcelona - Capitanía General

An impressive building facing the harbor. I was impressed by the statue on top of the dome (which didn't come through very well), but looking at my map, it seems that may actually be part of the building behind the Capitanía General.


Picture 67: Barcelona - The Mediterranean

The clouds broke up overnight, so I was finally able to get a picture of the Mediterranean itself. This discoloration is all the camera's fault. (Or possibly the photo shop's.)


Picture 68: Barcelona - Barcelona Beach

There are tons of beaches around Barcelona, all of them pretty crowded. What is shown here is only one end of one of the beaches within city limits. There are many more in neighboring towns.


Picture 69: Barcelona - Parc de Cascada

A very large monument and pool in La Ciutadella - Barcelona's equivalent of Central Park. The Parliament de Catalunya is also located in La Ciutadella, as is the Barcelona zoo.


Picture 70: Barcelona - Parliament de Catalunya

The Basque country isn't the only place in Spain with separatist sentiments - I discovered a surprising amount of separatism in Barcelona and Catalunya, which is why I took this picture of the regional Parliament. In later discussions, I learned there's also quite a bit of separatism in Galicia in the northwest (which also has its own language related to Celtic and Basque), and even some in Andalucia in the south.


Picture 71: Barcelona - Torre de les Aigües

An interesting tower just sitting in a small park just to the north of some of Barcelona's main beaches. Like everything else, it is under construction.


Picture 72: Madrid - Fuente de Neptuno

Madrid is stuffed full of fountains, many of which I felt compelled to photograph. This is the first one I saw, just across the street from the Museo del Prado on the way from the train station to the hostel.


Picture 73: Madrid - Palacio Real

In the background is Spain's royal palace, where Spain's royalty live. In front of it is a statue/fountain whose significance I can't quite recall.


Picture 74: Madrid - Once he was the King of Spain

There were lots of statues of what I suppose must be old Spanish rulers in a couple of places in Madrid. This one, Ataulfo (outside the Palacio Real) was the oldest I could find (fourth?-fifth century).


Picture 75: Madrid - Once they were all the King of Spain

Some of Ataulfo's neighbors, other early rulers of Spain. There are many more that I didn't bother to photograph.


Picture 76: Madrid - Catedral de Nuestra Señora Almudena

The Royal Cathedral right next door to the Royal Palace. It's largely been turned into a museum, in which I wandered around a bit until I was accosted by a security guard.


Picture 77: Madrid - Courtyard of the Palacio Real

A nice view of the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) and its inner courtyard. The Catedral of the previous picture is behind me - the two buildings are right next to each other.


Picture 78: Madrid - Overlooking the City

I like to take panoramic shots of cities from high up. This shot isn't so good, but it was the highest I could find until I stumbled across the Templo Debod (about a dozen pictures further on). It's taken from right behind the Catedral.


Picture 79: Madrid - Palacio Real from Jardines de Sabatini

Looking up at the Palacio Real from some gardens right next to it. Although the gardens and Palace are right next to each other, the building is on ground a good ten meters higher up than the gardens.


Picture 80: Madrid - Río Manzanares

A view of a bridge over Madrid's Río Manzanares. I generally like river shots, but this one wasn't so impressive. It certainly wasn't helped by the construction on the left bank.


Picture 81: Madrid - Antigua Estación de Atocha

The Madrid Atocha train station was very impessive, though under construction. What I really should have done was take a picture of the inside, which was truly stunning - especially the older part, which has been converted to a kind of indoor park.


Picture 82: Madrid - Plaza del Emperador Carlos V and Ministerio Agricultara, Pesca y Alimentación

A fancy building for a dull Ministry. To the left is a fountain in the middle of the Plaza Carlos V outside of the Atocha station.


Picture 83: Madrid - Cervantes

As I said earlier, statues and monuments to Miguel de Cervantes (as well as Columbus) are everywhere in Spain. I think the building behind it may be the Museo del Prado, but I'm not completely sure.


Picture 84: Madrid - Plaza de la Lealtad

A statue in the Plaza de la Lealtad (a slightly creepy name, but so be it) to those who have given their lives for Spain. I was most impressed by the eternal flame which is burning at the base of the pillar.


Picture 85: Madrid - Monumento a Alfonso XII

An absolutely huge monument on one side of a large Estanque in the middle of Madrid's Parque del Retiro. Alfonso XII is known as "the Peacemaker" because he smashed the short-lived First Republic and restored the monarchy in the nineteenth century.


Picture 86: Madrid - Alfonso XII

A closeup of the central tower in the Monumento a Alfonso XII shown in the previous picture. Alfonso is (of course) the one on the horse at the top.


Picture 87: Madrid - Palacio de Cristal

Another site in the Parque del Retiro. The Palacio de Cristal is visible through the trees, along with a fountain and waterfall in the small lake in front of it.


Picture 88: Madrid - Parque del Retiro

The huge Parque del Retiro is Madrid's equivalent of Central Park. I'm not sure exactly where in the Parque this shot was taken, so just admire the shrubs, statues and so on.


Picture 89: Madrid - Palacio Communicaciones

Another impressive building for a not-so-impressive organization - the post office. The building is off the Plaza de Cibeles, where the Paseo del Prado turns into the Paseo de Roceletos just north of the Museo del Prado.


Picture 90: Madrid - Puerta de Alcalá

I'm not completely sure, but I believe this is the Puerta de Alcalá in the Plaza de la Independencia at the northwest corner of the Parque del Retiro. Note the banners: Madrid was a candidate city for the 2012 Summer Olympics (along with Paris, New York, London and Moscow), and had started their countdown to the day of reckoning before I arrived.


Picture 91: Madrid - Biblioteca Nacional

The main entrance to the National Library (closed when the picture was taken). I'm sure there's a statue of Cervantes somewhere (there are statues of Cervantes everywhere in Spain), but I can't recall or make out which is which. I took a couple of pictures of libraries since my mother is a librarian.


Picture 92: Madrid - Plaza de Colón and Biblioteca Nacional

I'm reasonably sure this is yet another statue to Colón just north of the Biblioteca Nacional. In fact, the building in the background is probably the Bibliotea itself, from a much greater distance than in the previous picture.


Picture 93: Madrid - Templo Debod

An Egyptian temple in the middle of Madrid (donated by the government of Egypt). It was technically closed, but the security guard didn't show up to angrily chase people away until I walked onto the platform.


Picture 94: Madrid - Glorieta San Vicente

Another roundabout with a large fountain in the middle. I believe this is the Glorieta San Vicente, located in between the Jardines del Palacio Real, the Templo Debod and the Río Manzanares.


Picture 95: Madrid - Yet another train station

If I recall correctly, this is the Estación Príncipe Pío, another European train station in a more impressive building than most anything in the States.


Picture 96: Madrid - World Year of Physics 2005

I wandered up to the University of Madrid during my last day in the ciy and found this World Year of Physics 2005 banner outside of the physics department. The World Year of Physics really is a worldwide phenomenon.


Picture 97: Madrid - Arco de la Victoria

Yet another Arc de Triomphe imitator, over nearby the Ciudad Universitaria. Part of the University was off my map, and I got a bit lost wandering around the area.


Picture 98: Madrid - Yet Another Fountain

A smaller fountain, which I believe is in the middle of the Parque campo del Moro, next to the Jardines del Palacio Real. Have I mentioned that Madrid has lots and lots of fountains?


Picture 99: Madrid - Plaza España

A monument and fountain in a nice park just down the street from my hostel. As always, the theme is Cervantes. On the other side of the fountain are statue of Don Quixote and Sancho - I thought I had taken a picture of them, but apparently not. Either that or the cheap photo place didn't develop it (there didn't seem to be enough photos on some of the rolls they returned to me, which could be something worth investigating).


Picture 100: Madrid - Old Church in the Old Town

I spent some time wandering around the old town near the Palacio Real and took a picture of this small church I passed. I'm not completely sure why, though it does seem to be an old building.


Picture 101: Madrid - Consejo de Estado

A government building nearby the Palacio Real. The red flag with the seven stars is the flag of Madrid. I'm pretty sure there are a couple of pictures missing around this point that would put this picture and the previous one in perspective and remind me why exactly I took them.


Picture 102: Madrid - Manic Street Preachers

I was entertained for an hour or two by a large group of (American) Evangelical Christians in the Plaza Puerta del Sol in Madrid (they probably comprise half the audience as well as the two guys in the center shaking their fists and the hourglass). We chatted for a while and I was probably far more polite than I should have been. In the background is the symbol of Madrid, a bear eating strawberries from a strawberry tree.


Picture 103: Madrid - Dead Kennedys Graffiti

I spent a lot of time checking out the graffiti in these cities (especially anarchist vs. fascist). This was one of my favorites, just down the street from my hostel in Madrid.


Picture 104: Madrid - Anarchist Central

Madrid had the most fascist graffiti of any city I was in, but there was an anarchist presence, especially at the Plaza Tirso de Molina, where I took this picture of a CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo - a famous anarchosyndicalist union) banner. Over the weekend there had been a large gathering of anarchists and communists in the Plaza, but I didn't want to freak them out by taking pictures.


Picture 105: Madrid - Glorieta Puerta de Toledo

One last monument in the middle of a Madrid roundabout. Actually, there should be another one, I believe - the Glorieta de las Pirámides - but that apparently was not developed.


Picture 106: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral Entrance

One of the many entrances to the Sevilla Catedral, which is (according to my map) the largest Gothic building in the world, and one of the largest Catedrals in Spain. It was built (in the 15th-16th centuries) around the old Moorish Grand Mosque, and was far to big to be able to fit in a single photograph.


Picture 107: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral - Right

The Sevilla Catedral was far too big to fit in a single photograph. This picture shows the area just to the right of the main entrance shown in the previous picture. Note the dome, which I believe dates back to the Grand Mosque originally on the site.


Picture 108: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral - Left

The Sevilla Catedral was far too big to fit in a single photograph. This picture shows the area just to the left of the main entrance shown two pictures ago. If I'm not mistaken, those are examples of the famous flying buttresses they made you learn about in your Western Civ. course.


Picture 109: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral - Side altar

A side altar in the Sevilla Catedral. All that's clearly visible (flash photography was banned) is the stained glass window at the top. Apparently the Sevilla Catedral has no fewer than five naves. To which I reply: "And all it takes is one."


Picture 110: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral Organ

Only a part of the huge organ in the Sevilla Catedral. Pipes are visible both to the left and to the right. There are more that did not fit into the frame.


Picture 111: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral Main Altar

The main altar in the center of the Sevilla Cathedral. You can actually only see the top of it - in front of it in the bottom is an area for the choir and organ.


Picture 112: Sevilla - Rose Window

Another nice stained glass window above the (closed) back entrance of the Sevilla Catedral. If you haven't picked up on the fact by now, this place is huge and I only took some pictures of small parts of it.


Picture 113: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral Main Altar

An attempt to photograph the main altar in the center of the Sevilla Catedral from one side. It didn't turn out too well. The bars in the way were just too thick, and the area in front of the altar was off limits. I think you can still get an impression of how impressive a site it is. I should also add that down toward the bottom of the picture is a space for a small orchestra - some of the larger instruments are still sitting there.


Picture 114: Sevilla - Giralda

The Catedral's belltower was built over the minaret of the Moorish Grand Mosque originally on the site. (The statue originally at the top was actually being put back into position when I took this picture - that's the reason for the scaffolding.) I believe the bottom of this picture is still a few floors above ground level, so there aren't any people visible and it's hard to get a sense of how huge this tower is.


Picture 115: Sevilla - Sevilla Catedral

One last shot of the Sevilla Catedral, to the right of the belltower. I believe the dome may be part of the old Grand Mosque. According to my map, the Patio de los Naranjos may be behind it.


Picture 116: Sevilla - Giralda in the Sun

Another, more distant shot of the Catedral's belltower. I hesitated to take it because I was looking into the sun. However, I tried to stand in the Giralda's shadow, which seems to have worked to some extent.


Picture 117: Sevilla - Pond in the gardens of Sevilla

There's a great complex of parks and gardens to the south of Sevilla, near the Plaza de España. This is a picture of a gazebo and island in the middle of a small pond somewhere in the gardens.


Picture 118: Sevilla - Plaza de España

The Plaza de España is a huge semicircular plaza with high towers, several floors of galleries (whose rooms have now been taken over by government offices) and dozens of niches with artwork celebrating each of the provinces and major cities of Spain. Supposedly there's also a fountain and pond (going all the way along below the galleries), but they were dry due to construction (as you can see under the nearby bridge to the right). So instead we had huge piles of dirt and debris, which I did my best not to photograph.


Picture 119: Sevilla - Tower in the Plaza de España

This is a view of one of the two towers at the ends of the semicircular galleries of the Plaza de España (I'm standing in the other one while taking this picture). Through the trees you can see a huge pile of dirt and debris. The ditch in the lower right should be filled with water.


Picture 120: Sevilla - Galleries of the Plaza de España

A view of the semicircular galleries of the Plaza de España. You can sort of make out the niches celebrating all the provinces and major cities of Spain - they're located just below the arches, at ground level.


Picture 121: Sevilla - Palacio de San Telmo

A palace in Sevilla just across the street from the town's river, the Canal de Alfonso XIII. The name (Palacio de San Telmo) is more impressive than the building itself.


Picture 122: Sevilla - Yet another Monumento a Colón

As I said, they're everywhere. This monument to Columbus is actually located at the edges of the complex of parks and gardens I mentioned earlier.


Picture 123: Sevilla - Bridge over the Canal de Alfonso XIII

A view of Sevilla's river, some trees along its shore, and the most interesting bridge I saw in the city, the Puente de la Barqueta. It has a sort of sleek, very modern style to it.


Picture 124: Sevilla - Parlamento de Andalucía

Sevilla is the capital of Andalucía, a large province that stretches across the south of Spain. There's not as much separatism in Andalucía as in the north, but there's still a bit. So here's a picture of the Parlamento de Andalucía to symbolize it.


Picture 125: Sevilla - Murallas

A section of the ancient walls of Sevilla are still standing. I assume they date back to Roman times, though the Moors certainly made use of them. They twisted around so much that it was hard to get a good view of much of them in my camera; this shot is my best attempt.


Picture 126: Sevilla - Monasterio de Santa Maria de las Cuevas

A large monastery northwest of the city. Its surroundings are, interestingly enough, the sort of suburban wasteland you see around LA or in Macomb county. The only good thing about them are that all the streets are named after scientists and inventors.


Picture 127: Sevilla - Some sort of interesting building

I'm not sure what this building is, but I found its architecture interesting. Its definitely heavily influenced by Moorish styles, though clearly modern. The building is somewhere on Calle Max Planck, between Calle Charles Darwin and Calle Albert Einstein.


Picture 128: Sevilla - Street in the Shopping District

While I was in Sevilla, workers were putting up these shades over the streets to prepare for the summer. I only saw them in the main tourist shopping district, which happened to be relatively close to the old town. They both helped block out the sun a bit and create a neat atmosphere and visual effect.


Picture 129: Granada - The Alhambra from the Mirador San Nicolas

A view of the Moorish fortress/palace/walled city Alhambra from the Mirador San Nicolas in the Albaicin, the oldest district of Granada, where I was staying. In the background are the Sierra Nevada mountains.


Picture 130: Granada - Mountains and Alhambra

A picture looking just to the left of the previous one. I was trying to get a better view of the mountains in the background while still keeping part of the Alhambra in the frame.


Picture 131: Granada - Streets in the Albaicin

These are acual streets in the high Albaicin, which is the oldest part of Granada and was not designed for cars. That, of course, doesn't mean that the cars stay out. A funny sight I saw several times was a car parked on some stairway (generally not as steep as this one), with its front tires on one step and its back tires on another. There was even bus service in the Albaicin, though they had to use adapted vans and not full-sized busses. Note the patterns put into the streets by laying down light and dark stones. This cool effect was one I saw everywhere in Granada, but especially in the Albaicin.


Picture 132: Granada - Sacromonte

A view of the Sacromonte hill from the Albaicin. Worth noting are the ancient walls on the hill and all the caves (at least some of which are apparently inhabited). I didn't have enough time to wander around the Sacromonte, though it's something I would have liked to do.


Picture 133: Granada - Albaicin Biblioteca

Another picture of a library, this one in the Albaicin. There's a definite contrast with the Biblioteca Nacional I took a picture of in Madrid.


Picture 134: Granada - Walls and Gate in Albaicin

These next two pictures are both of a gate in an ancient wall off the Plaza Largo in the Albaicin. I'm not sure why two pictures were taken (not what I meant to do), nor am I sure why their colors turned out so differently. Note the decoration in the stones in front of the gate.


Picture 135: Granada - Walls and Gate in Albaicin

This picture and the previous one are of a gate in an ancient wall off the Plaza Largo in the Albaicin. I'm not sure why two pictures were taken (not what I meant to do), nor am I sure why their colors turned out so differently. Note the decoration in the stones in front of the gate.


Picture 136: Granada - Albaicin Walls

Looking up at a tower in a section of the ancient walls in the Albaicin. These are the same walls that run out onto the Sacromonte.


Picture 137: Granada - Bridge next to the Alhambra

Finally out of the Albaicin, this is a shot of a bridge over a small stream that runs past the Alhambra. As you saw several pictures ago, the Alhambra is at the top of a steep hill, and this stream runs around the bottom (joined by some waters running down the hill as well). It's not big enough to make an effective moat, but it does make nice scenery.


Picture 138: Granada - Looking up at the Alhambra

A picture that didn't turn out too well. I was impressed by how high up the Alhambra was, and so took this picture looking up at it from the base of its hill. Not a very good angle, in the end, though the cliff doesn't look bad.


Picture 139: Granada - Church below the Alhambra

A small church in the Plaza Nueve at the base of the Alhambra's hill. My favorite part of this shot is the Alcazaba (the main fortress of the Alhambra) visible in the upper-right with its flags flapping in the breeze. There's a closer picture of the flags a bit later on.


Picture 140: Granada - Alhambra Gate

An impressive gate in the steep road up to the Alhambra. I waited to take the picture until some people were passing through to help give a sense of scale. The wall containing the gate actually only extends to the fortress itself.


Picture 141: Granada - Granada Church

A view of some decorations above an entrance to a church in Granada, along with a statue to the left and the top of its dome just visible in the background.


Picture 142: Granada - Puerta de Elvira

A large gate in the city's walls that gives access to the Albaicin. I'm not sure I've remembered the name correctly, but I am sure the gate is off of the Plaza Del Triunfo and the street that passes through it turns into the Calle de Elvira, a narrow but busy street that runs all the way across the lower Albaicin.


Picture 143: Granada - Granada Catedral Entrance

A shot of the main entrance of the Granada Catedral, with some shades similar to those I saw in Sevilla visible to the left. The beggars around the Catedral in Granada were the most aggressive I met (those in Roma were the most persistent).


Picture 144: Granada - Granada Catedral and Birds

Another shot of the Granada Catedral around the shades over the square. You can see some small birds flying overhead; I saw those throughout Andalucía.


Picture 145: Granada - Huelga!

On my way to the Alhambra, I stumbled across a demonstration against the Ministerio de Justicia of the Junta de Andalucia by some unhappy workers. I followed them around for a while hoping they would burn the minister in effigy (look just left of center), but they hadn't by the time I got tired and headed off back toward the Alhambra.


Picture 146: Granada - Waterfall on Alhambra Hill

A small stream falling down the Alhambra's hill. It seems to be falling down manmade steps; I found another a little later on that seemed a bit more natural. It is, of course, essential that a fortress have its own secure supply of fresh water.


Picture 147: Granada - Backdoor of the Alhambra

As I climbed up the Alhambra's hill, I found this backdoor open and headed in. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see, since all the interesting areas of the Alhambra were guarded by people checking tickets. I eventually broke down and bought one.


Picture 148: Granada - Sacromonte from the Alhambra

A view of the Sacromonte and a bit of the Albaicin from the public areas of the Alhambra. There are some better pictures later on, taken after I bought a ticket and was able to get to the highest parts of the fortress.


Picture 149: Granada - Hills, Gardens and Fortifications

A view just to the right of the previous picture, looking out at the closest hills of the Sierra Nevada. In the foreground are some of the Alhambra's fortifications and gardens.


Picture 150: Granada - Alcazaba

A look at the main fortress of the Alhambra, the Alcazaba, from the public area into which I had wandered. I eventually bought a ticket and was able to get into the Alcazaba itself.


Picture 151: Granada - Palacio de Carlos V

The Palacio de Carlos V is an interesting museum in the public area of the Alhambra. This picture looks out over its main courtyard.


Picture 152: Granada - Gardens of the Generalife

At this point I have now purchased a ticket and am looking at some of the gardens of the Generalife, a non-fortressy area of the Alhambra where government offices were once (and may still be) located. The official focus of this picture is a fountain under the two evergreens, but it's pretty hard to make out.


Picture 153: Granada - Looking toward the Alcazaba from the Generalife

This picture was taken while I was standing in one area of the Alhambra looking out toward another (which lets you get a sense of the size of the place). The picture shows the more fortified areas of the establishment; it was taken from the more residential/palatial Generalife.


Picture 154: Granada - Sacromonte and the Albaicin from the Generalife

Looking again at the Sacromonte and Albaicin, this time from the Generalife. The angle is now from behind the wall that was visible in earlier pictures; the caves are on the other side of the wall (facing away from the camera), and so generally invisible.


Picture 155: Granada - The Albaicin

A view of the Albaicin from the Alhambra. Recall that the first picture I took in Granada was of the Alhambra, taken from the Albaicin. In fact, the Miradon San Nicolas, where I took that first picture, is visible on the far right (just below the white tower).


Picture 156: Granada - Through the Alcazaba

The Alcazaba was a very cool section of the Alhambra. This picture is looking from the back of the Alcazaba toward its extreme end overlooking the city. The flags are the same ones that were visible from below in the background of picture 139.


Picture 157: Granada - Circular stairway

This was the steepest circular stairway with the narrowest steps I've ever seen, leading down into the depths of the Alcazaba fortress. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a good angle that would show how cool this little how was.


Picture 158: Granada - Alcazaba

Looking back now from the tower at the extreme end of the Alcazaba. This picture is essentially the mirror image of 156 and shows the interesting maze in the main square of the Alcazaba (the circular stairway of the previous picture is also visible near the low trees just left of center).


Picture 159: Granada - Four views from the Alcazaba - Left

Looking out to the left from the top of the tower shown earlier in picture 156. The view is of the Sierra Nevada, some sort of interesting building in the trees, and one end of the city of Granada itself.


Picture 160: Granada - Four views from the Alcazaba - Center

The bell and flags at the top of the highest tower of the Alcazaba - proof that I actually made it up there. The flags were first seen from the Plaza Nueve in picture 139, and later in picture 156. From left to right (though they're blowing over each other), they are the flags of the European Union, Spain, Andalucia and Granada itself.


Picture 161: Granada - Four views from the Alcazaba - Center-right

A panoramic view of the city of Granada itself. The Catedral is the large building right in the middle of the frame.


Picture 162: Granada - Four views from the Alcazaba - Far right

Another view of the Albaicin, similar to the previous one. The Mirador San Nicolas is again visible to the right.


Picture 163: Granada - Palacios Nazaries - Wall

My ticket to the Alhambra included a tour of the Palacios Nazaries, the old residence of the rulers of Granada (very near the Alcazaba, far from the Generalife). The Palacios were simply stunning - it seemed every surface had been covered with intricate patterned scultpure and painting. I only took pictures of some of them, which you will see in the next few pages.


Picture 164: Granada - Palacios Nazaries - Wall, windows and door on courtyard

There were many courtyards within the Palacios Nazaries (which do not look nearly so large or impressive from the outside). This shows one side of one of those courtyards - even this outdoor surface was intricately decorated.


Picture 165: Granada - Courtyard in Palacios Nazaries

A look at an entire courtyard in the Placios Nazaries. Note how the arches above the columns have been sculpted to such a point that they seem hollow. They aren't but it's a beautiful optical illusion.


Picture 166: Granada - Generalife from the Palacios Nazaries

Looking out toward the Generalife from the Palacios Nazaries. This picture is in a sense the opposite of picture 153. Have I mentioned my belief that the Alhambra was the single most impressive site I visited in these three weeks of travelling? That way I can excuse taking so many pictures of it.


Picture 167: Granada - Waterfall on the other side of the Alhambra

Walking down the hill from the Alhambra (a different way than how I climbed up it, of course), I happened on yet another waterfall coming down from the fortress, this one looking slightly more natural than the one I encountered on my way up.


Picture 168: Granada - Panoramic of Granada

Another picture taken while looking out over the city while descending the hill on which the Alhambra sits. The Granada Catedral is visible to the left side of the frame.


Picture 169: Granada - Makuto Guesthouse

The hostel where I stayed in Granada, in the heart of the upper Albaicin (it's through the arch to the left, just before the "The Who" graffiti). And yes, there was traffic on the road - cars would have to turn off a bit further down, but motorcycles would blast through. (By the way, Makuto was a great place, and I heartily recommend it should you ever happen to be looking for a hostel in Granda.)


Picture 170: Granada - Granada Sunset

Looking out over the city from the upper Albaicin, with some hills of the Sierra Nevada in the background. Granada was a great place, and as the time came to move on, I found myself wishing I had spent less time in Madrid and Sevilla so I could have spent more in Granada.


Picture 171: Roma - Foro Romano

A first look at some of the ruins of the ancient Roman Forum. Roma was a drastic and not entirely welcome change from Granada. The history and ruins were cool, but the whole atmosphere of the city was not as enjoyable (and pedestrians had to fend for themselves to a far greater extent than was the case in any city I had visited in Spain). To put this picture in context, the Coliseum is immediately off to my left.


Picture 172: Roma - Arco di Constantino

I took a picture of this while circling around the Coliseum trying to find a good angle to take a picture of that. At this point the Coliseum is still off to my left, and the Foro Romano is off to the right.


Picture 173: Roma - The Coliseum (Portrait)

If you're in Roma, you have to go see the Coliseum. It's probably th most famous structure in the city (only the Vatican can compete). Check out the people on the second level to get an idea of the scale.


Picture 174: Roma - The Coliseum (Landscape)

If you're in Roma, you have to go see the Coliseum. It's probably the most famous structure in the city (only the Vatican can compete). Check out the people on the second level to get an idea of the scale.


Picture 175: Roma - Coliseum Interior

The charge to get into the Coliseum was 10 Euros, which I wasn't willing to pay. By circling around its exterior, though, I got a lot of good views inside, of which this is one.


Picture 176: Roma - Coliseum - Long view

By heading over toward the Foro Romano (note the columns in the foreground), I was able to get a picture that included most of the Coliseum.


Picture 177: Roma - Altare della Patria from the Foro

Walking along the Via dei Fori Imperiali that passes alongside the ruins of the Foro Romano, I took this shot of the rear of the Altare della Patria. For a better view of this monumental building, skip forward two pictures.


Picture 178: Roma - Foro Romano

Another view of the ruins of the Foro Romano from the Via dei Fori Imperiali, which runs alongside them. I would eventually find an entrance to the Foro and take some pictures from up close, but that would take a while.


Picture 179: Roma - Altare della Patria

A truly immense building (check out the people on the steps) made completely out of marble with a bunch of huge statues and sculptures scattered all over it. It's located on the Piazza Venezia, just down the street from the Coliseum.


Picture 180: Roma - Pantheon Interior

A random corner of the Pantheon. It was hard to take pictures in there because of all the tourists and considerable construction. Eventually I got this shot of an altar with some nice columns and decorations.


Picture 181: Roma - Pantheon Entrance

The entrance to the Pantheon. The swarm of tourists on the porch gives a sense of its scale.


Picture 182: Roma - Pantheon Porch

The front porch of the Pantheon. Construction of the temple was begun in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippus, which I think is roughly what the inscription over the door says. (It was rebuilt in the second century.)


Picture 183: Roma - Quirinale

Some sort of huge military building halfway between the Pantheon and the Termini train station. I saw several columns of soldiers pass by (presumably reporting for training), but didn't want to antagonize them by taking photographs.


Picture 184: Roma - Villa Borghese - Galleria Borghese

The next day I wandered north to the Villa Borghese on a circular route to the Vatican. The Villa Borghese is basically a huge park in the middle of Roma with lots of old mansions that have been turned into museums, including this Galleria Borghese


Picture 185: Roma - Piazza del Popolo

A view of the obelisk in the center of the Piazza del Popolo, behind which are visible two nift mirror-image buildings flanking one of the three roads leading out to the south. The Piazza was technically a pedestrian-only zone, which didn't stop the cars from sneaking in and wandering around at random. (The church Santa Maria del Popolo featured in Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" is off behind me and to my left, even though according to Brown in should appear in the left side of this picture.)


Picture 186: Roma - Trinità dei Monti

That's actually a church under the scaffolding at the top of all those steps - I originally thought it was just an unusually monumental monument. The Trinità dei Monti is just off the Pizza di Spagna, and apparently a very popular gathering spot (check out the crowds and be sure to compare the shady areas with the sunny ones). Nearby streets were filled with expensive stores so famous even I had heard of them (that sort of thing doesn't really interest me).


Picture 187: Roma - Mausoleo Augusteo

Augustus's mausoleum - a large, impressive, curious circular structure. I'm not sure if it's always been so far below street level or whether the city has been built up in the millennia since it was constructed.


Picture 188: Roma - Palazzo de Giustizia from the Tiber

Crossing the Tiber river now to approach the Vatican, one passes a series of monumental buildings - the Palazzo de Giustizia (pictured here from out on a bridge over the river to try to fit more of it into the frame) and the Castel Sant'Angelo (coming in a couple of pictures).


Picture 189: Roma - Tiber River and Saint Peter's

A view of the Tibur River and one of the many bridges over it. In the background is Saint Peter's Basilica (i.e., the Vatican), which is where I was heading when I took this shot.


Picture 190: Roma - Palazzo de Giustizia from the shore

Another shot of the Palazzo de Giusticia, this one taken from the near shore of the Tiber - down the street a little so more of the facade and the statues in front of the building could be included.


Picture 191: Roma - Castel Sant'Angelo

I had to go to the far end of the Ponte Sant'Angelo (bridge over the Tibur) to get a decent portion of the Castel Sant'Angelo in the frame. An impressive building which plays an important role in Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" (though he mislocates it slightly).


Picture 192: Roma - Approaching the Vatican

A view of St. Peter's from the Castel Sant'Angelo. The view is looking down the broad lamp-lined Via della Conciliazione straight toward the Piazza San Pietro.


Picture 193: Roma - St. Peter's Square and Basilica

One of the most famous places in Roma (if, indeed, it even is in Roma). I don't know whether the hundreds of plastic chairs are a permanent feature or are leftover from the Papal succession earlier this year. This place is also critical to Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" - and he also gets things wrong about it.


Picture 194: Roma - St. Peter's Basilica Facade

The facade of St. Peter's. I was struck by how most of the Saints et al. at on the top were toting weapons. Dan Brown of "Angels and Demons" fame somehow manages to count 140 of them (off by perhaps a factor of ten). He also claims the facade is about 7 times wider than it actually is. Oops. But, hey, come on, it's fiction, you know? Oh, yeah - I'm pretty sure that's Peter himself in the foreground.


Picture 195: Roma - St. Peter's Basilica

Looking down the nave of St. Peter's Basilica (again, flashes were forbidden, so things are darker than is ideal). It's an impressive place. I headed down to the crypt and got to check out Wojtyla's tomb (a plain rectangle of marble). It was a major attraction.


Picture 196: Roma - Dead Popes Society

A great big list of all the Popes, going back to Saint Peter. It's impressive that they've managed to stay around so long, in one form or another. Does any other dynasty apart from the Japanese have them beat?


Picture 197: Roma - St. Peter's Basilica Altar

The altar at the far end of St. Peter's Basilica. Too dark to see much besides the window above it, unfortunately.


Picture 198: Roma - St. Peter's Basilica Main Altar

The main altar in St. Peter's Basilica is located right in the center of the building, under this very curious canopy made of dark wood that's been intricately carved to look twisted. Unfortunately, it's hard to see details with so little illumination.


Picture 199: Roma - So, they expect attackers will just laugh themselves to death?

The Vatican's Swiss guards have some of the funniest uniforms I've ever seen (moreso than the beefeaters, even). It's hard to take them seriously as a fighting force.


Picture 200: Roma - Overlooking Roma

Heading south from the Vatican, I came upon some high ground in the Gianicolo and was able to take a couple of shots overlooking the center of Roma. This one is looking pretty much straight across the Tiber (Tevere) - you can see the Altare della Patria off to the right, with the Coliseum mostly hidden behind it.


Picture 201: Roma - Overlooking Roma

Another shot from the high grounds in the Gianicolo. This picture is looking a bit to the left (northeast) of the previous one. Unfortunately, all the detail seems to have blurred together, which makes this picture a bit less interesting than it should be.


Picture 202: Roma - Piazzale Garibaldi

Since this picture was taken in the Piazzale Garibaldi, I can only assume that's Garibaldi himself on the horse. He was an important figure in the unification of Italy in the nineteenth century. More information.


Picture 203: Roma - Old temple, which I mistakenly thought was the Tempio di Vesta

The real Tempio di Vesta is actually behind this one. The next picture is a better shot that manages to show both. Still, those are some nice flowers off to the left, eh?


Picture 204: Roma - Tempio di Vesta

The Tempio di Vesta is to the left, the one with which I confused it is on the right. It dates from the first century BCE and was important enough to be put on my map, so I figured I should take a picture of it.


Picture 205: Roma - Terme di Caracalla

Ruins of the ancient Roman baths, also important enough to be featured prominently on my map. I suppose it's not necessarily a good thing when most of the interesting attractions in a city are millennia-old ruins, eh?


Picture 206: Roma - Circo Massimo

A long shot of the ancient Circo Massimo, the old chariot-racing grounds that are now a park (on the left). Some ruins of the Palatino, part of the Foro Romano, are visible to the right.


Picture 207: Roma - A Pyramide in the middle of Roma

The pyramide, if I recall correctly, was a gift of the Egyptian government; I'm not completely sure what the other structure is (though it has a cool look to it). Practical information: there's a great sandwich shop in this plaza that's really cheap.


Picture 208: Roma - Back to the Foro Romano

I finally found the entrance to the ruins of the Foro Romano, and was able to take some more pictures of them. It's a neat place - just been sitting there for hundreds of years, as far as I can tell ignored by the city around it.


Picture 209: Roma - Ruins of the Forum

This picture of the Foro Romano was taken with my back to the Coliseum (you can see the Altare della Patria in the background to the right). I tried to get as much as I could into one picture, and didn't do too badly, I think.


Picture 210: Roma - Ruins of the Forum

I'm not sure exactly what this structure up on the hill in the Foro Romano is, but it's considerably different from the columns and open spaces that dominate the rest of the area. I think it may well be the Curia, the Senate hall.


Picture 211: Roma - One last site in the Foro Romano

The largest structure still more-or-less-standing in the Foro Romano, it seemed to be some sort of amphitheater. I'm not completely sure what exactly it is, though. This is only a view of the rightmost arch - the other two were being used in some sort of event.


Picture 212: Venezia - Welcome to Venezia

Venezia is the only city I visited that managed to be, overall, cooler than Granada. Its downsides are the huge swarms of tourists on the major streets, but it's possible to get away from them. Balanced against that are the canals, the total lack of car/motorcycle traffic and the small winding streets (I especially enjoyed the sotoportegos, which have been built over and basically turned into tunnels between the buildings. The final blow was seeing posters advertizing a Linux party (unfortunately, after I left). Oh, yeah, this picture just shows the Grand Canal and an impressive classical building across from the train station.


Picture 213: Venezia - Bridge over the Grand Canal

There are only three bridges over the Canal Grande, and I made a point of walking over each of them. This one is the least impressive, located right next to the train station.


Picture 214: Venezia - Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica

I didn't find the exterion of the Doge's Palace (to the right) to be that exciting, and I didn't want to pay to get in. The Basilica in the background had a huge line that I didn't care to stand in. Its exterior is very cool, though.


Picture 215: Venezia - St. Mark's Square and the Basilica

I can't stand feathered rats, and St. Mark's Square was full of them. I also don't enjoy huge crowds of tourists that much; the Square was also full of them. But that doesn't detract (much) from the Basilica in the background.


Picture 216: Venezia - St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile

The Basilica, built in a Byzantine style, is approaching 1000 years old. To the right is the Campanile, its belltower. (To the right of that is a bit of the Doge's Palace.)


Picture 217: Venezia - Dogana di Mare

A large and impressive church on the far southern end of the main cluster of islands. Just out of the frame to the right is a Punta di Salute, which is a cool monument I meant to squeeze into the picture (which was taken from just outside St. Mark's).


Picture 218: Venezia - The Arsenal

The entrance to Venezia's Arsenal. I tried to walk all the way around it and got stuck on a deadend into an apparently abandoned military zone. However, the walk was fun (much of it on a gangway over the lagoon attached to the side of the Arsenal).


Picture 219: Venezia - Church and tower

Venezia is a real maze, and I quickly gave up trying to keep track of where I was. So I can't recall what church this is, or what's especially interesting about the tower in the background. My finger in the frame is simply the perfect finishing touch.


Picture 220: Venezia - The Ponte del Muti

Besides being a picturesque bridge, there's a bit of an inside reference to the Ponte del Muti, which explains why I took the picture.


Picture 221: Venezia - Church north of the Grand Canal

It was hard to take a lot of pictures in Venezia, because everything was so tightly packed together. In this shot we're looking down a canal toward a decent church north of the Canal Grande, but can't really see much. Also, since there were no hills, it was impossible for me to take many of my favorite type of pictures, overlooking the city.


Picture 222: Venezia - Church north of Grand Canal

A second attempt to get a decent angle on the same church shown in the previous picture. This one didn't really work out any better, though.


Picture 223: Venezia - Sunset from the Rialto

The Rialto is the main bridge over the Grand Canal, lined with shops and a major tourist destination. This picture looks out over the Grand Canal from the Rialto at sunset. On the banks are a lot of restaurants, whose table candles give the points of light you see.


Picture 224: Venezia - Buildings on the Grand Canal

Some interesting buildings on the Grand Canal, just down from the train station. After taking this picture, I noticed the way the buildings came right down to the water, something I tried to illustrate in the next photograph.


Picture 225: Venezia - Venezia houses

The main point of this picture was to capture the way houses in Venezia come right down to the water line, with doors opening onto the canals. As an added bonus, it shows two canals merging to the left.


Picture 226: Venezia - "Excellent well; you are a fishmonger."

Call me crazy, but I found the large Venezia fish market a very fun place to wander through. It's surrounded by an even larger fruit/vegetable market and lots of restaurants.


Picture 227: Venezia - Canale della Giudecca

Looking south from the main cluster of islands across the Canale della Giudecca, you can see another, smaller cluster of outlying islands, shown here.


Picture 228: Venezia - S. Pietro

A view of the church of S. Pietro and its belltower, from across a nearby canal. As I mentioned earlier, it's very difficult to get good views of sites in Venezia, due to the high density of building and population. This church is way off at the eastern end of the main cluster of islands.


Picture 229: Venezia - Bridge and Gondolas

A picture of an intricately carved bridge nearby St. Mark's, under which a string of gondolas are passing. Speaking of gondolas, I'm sure I had another picture of them - I definitely need to check to see whether or not all my pictures were actually developed.


Picture 230: Venezia - I dream of the ocean rising

The number of floods in Venezia is increasing rapidly. Here I tried to capture the waves making it up to the top step of St. Mark's Square (the lowest point in the city).


Picture 231: Venezia - End of the Grand Canal

Looking down the Grand Canal to the point where it opens up into the Bacino di San Marco. To the right is the Dogana di Mare pictured earlier (picture 217). This picture may well have been taken from the third bridge over the Grand Canal, which is not far from its end.


Picture 232: Venezia - Sunset in La Serenissima

Another picturesque sunset, over a smaller side canal.


Picture 233: CERN - The view from the CERN hotel

I got stuck in a ridiculously expensive room, thanks to UM. Fortunately, the 5th(6th)-floor view partially made up for the expense - I got to watch the clouds come in over the foothills of the Jura Mountains to the west (in France), as you can see here.


Picture 234: Firenze - Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) and Tower

The main Cathedral of Firenze, the Duomo, along with its belltower (Campanile) to the right and a corner of its Baptistry visible to the left. The facade is nineteenth-century, but the Duomo itself was built much earlier.


Picture 235: Firenze - A longer view of the Campanile

The Campanile is incredibly high - to get a sense of the scale, see if you can spot the people looking out from on top of it. The famous dome in the background was designed and built by Brunelleschi in 1420-1436.


Picture 236: Firenze - View from the top of the Campanile

This view from the top of the Campanile looks toward the River Arno. In the center is the Palazzo Vecchio, while beyond that you can see some of the villas that cover the hills outside the city.


Picture 237: Firenze - View from the top of the Campanile

This view from the top of the Campanile looks toward out over the center of the city and into the distant hills beyond.


Picture 238: Firenze - Baptistry Ceiling

The Baptistry is much older than the Duomo, and the art on its ceiling shows the strong Byzantine influence (two-dimensional, with lots of gold, without any perspective).


Picture 239: Firenze - Dominican Church/Monastery (Santa Maria Novella)

Our ostensible reason for being in Florence was to research Galileo and the beginnings of modern science. This is the church in which the Dominicans began to preach against Galileo. To the right are the cloisters.


Picture 240: Firenze - Arno River and Ponte Vecchio

The only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed in WWII, the Ponte Vecchio ('Old Bridge') over the Arno River is like the Rialto, lined with shops on either side.


Picture 241: Firenze - Palazzo Vecchio - Side View

Looking toward the Palazzo Vecchio through the Piazzale degli Uffizi (with the River Arno to my rear). Not the best shot, though you are able to see the statues at the base of the Palazzo.


Picture 242: Firenze - Palazzo Vecchio - Front View

A full frontal view of the Palazzo Vecchio (except for the tower, which didn't fit in the frame). Note the imitation David statue in the bottom right. The real thing is safely inside a museum.


Picture 243: Firenze - Roman Gate

One of the gates in the old Roman walls of Firenze.


Picture 244: Firenze - Interior of Santa Maria Novella

This blurry picture shows the pulpit from which Galileo was denounced (near left) as well as the altar of the Dominican church and a dangling crucifix in the middle of the nave.


Picture 245: Firenze - Firenze panoramic

The view from a very old (pleasingly medieval) church on the top of a hill just outside Firenze. The Duomo and its tower is just left of center.


Picture 246: CERN - House in the Jura foothills

One of my coworkers, Marcin Wolter, is renting a few rooms in this house in the foothills of the Jura Mountains just across the border in France (which an earlier picture showed from my window). He invited the rest of us to dinner there on 27 June. These five pictures were taken by my boss's boss, Krzysztof Sliwa, using Marcin's (good) camera.


Picture 247: CERN - Overlooking Geneva

This house has a pond and a pool and is surrounded by fields and forests. It's also high enough up to be cooler than CERN (temps there were in the mid-30s (=90s F)). The view, however, is its best feature. Behind me (I'm the one climbing up the hill in the blue shirt and shorts), you can see Geneva and the French Alps.


Picture 248: CERN - Courtyard and gate of house

The house was built by its current owners around 25 years ago, though it has the feel of an old villa.


Picture 249: CERN - Some of the guests

Some of the guests. Nations represented included Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, Bulgaria and the United States (though not Switzerland). I was the only one who didn't speak French, but most of the others knew a good bit of English.


Picture 250: CERN - Me and my boss

Krzysztof snuck up behind me to take this picture, which is the reason for my expression. To the right of me is my boss, Šarka Todorova. There were stunning quantities of food and drink. In my hand is some kir.


Picture 251: CERN - Proof that I was actually at CERN

A screenshot of my information in the CERN directory. This serves as proof that I was actually working at CERN.


Picture 252: CERN - CERN I

So this is CERN, or at least what you can see of it looking straight out from the window in my hotel room (at a slightly lower angle than the earlier picture (of the Jura) in this same general direction). There's no really noteworthy building in this picture, but you can get a general idea of the Meyrin site.


Picture 253: CERN - CERN II

This picture is directed to the right of the previous one, looking toward the main entrance and the main road to Geneva (which runs from left to right beyond the trees). Most of the picture is taken up by the "Main Building" which includes the library (open 24/7) and the main auditorium. I think most of the buildings that you can see are by this time part of the main building - they may have been separate when they were first built, but now are all interconnected. The brownish spherical thing is a big wooden structure that doesn't really have anything to do with physics but was donated to CERN because nobody else wanted it. It symbolizes sustainable development - all the wood was grown in Switzerland, and represents three hours of Swiss forest growth. At night it lights up, which is pretty cool. I'm not sure if it's actually on CERN property - it's on the other side of the road, outside the main site.


Picture 254: CERN - Surface Building above ATLAS Cavern

Looking over the heads of some people in the UM REU group to check out the big hook that's the most noticeable feature of the building on the surface directly above the ATLAS Cavern. The hook is used to lower things down through the hole shown in the next picture.


Picture 255: CERN - Access Tunnel to ATLAS Cavern

Looking down the big hole in the ground through which large pieces of equipment are lowered into the ATLAS cavern. The top of the cavern is apparently about 50 meters below ground, and another 40 meters deep (this is one of the highest parts of the LHC, with a beam only around 70-75 meters below ground).


Picture 256: CERN - ATLAS Toroidal Magnet (and security fence)

This is the fifth (of eight) of the toroidal magnets to be installed in ATLAS. It was just about to go down into the cavern when we were visiting, so it was sitting in the building where we were. Unfortunately, it was behind a rather large security barrier, and I was only partially successful in my efforts to push my camera up high enough to see over the barrier and get an image of the magnet itself.


Picture 257: CERN - UM Group in Side Access Tunnel

I took a picture of this side access tunnel because I hadn't seen the real thing yet. We are currently about 60-70 m below the surface, which puts us toward the upper levels of the ATLAS chamber.


Picture 258: CERN - The Large Hadron Collider

This is probably my favorite picture of the bunch. It shows the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel right outside the ATLAS collision chamber. The LHC tunnel is actually the old Large Electron-Positron (LEP) collider tunnel, which travels in a famous 27 km loop ~100 m below ground. To convert from LEP to LHC, new magnets are being put in (about 28 times as powerful as the old ones), new detectors (ATLAS, ALICE, LHCb and CMS) are being installed, and protons are being collided instead electrons and positrons (for reasons having to do with synchrotron radiation - I have more information for the curious).


Picture 259: CERN - ATLAS

A first look at the ATLAS detector shows the structure in which the toroidal magnet waiting upstairs (shown a few pictures ago) will go. A toroidal magnet that has already been installed is visible on the far side of the detector (there are eight in total).


Picture 260: CERN - Heart of ATLAS

The inner tracking chambers and calorimeters of ATLAS are actually being constructed to one side of the ring of toroidal magnets in the previous picture. When the structure is complete, it will be (gently) slid into place and the endcaps mounted.


Picture 261: CERN - Looking Down

These pictures were all taken from around 2/3rds of the way up the side of the ATLAS detector/cavern. In this picture I tried to look down through the scaffolding to the cavern floor itself. I was a bit rushed since we were being kicked out of the work area (a lot of people were wearing open-toed shoes).


Picture 262: CERN - Into the Big Blue We Shall Lose Ourselves

A picture of Building 188, where I work on the third floor (the first floor above the windowless stretch). It's on the French side of the Meyrin site, very close to the Charles de Gaulle gate (and St. Genis beyond), but about 2 kilometers from the hotel where I'm sleeping (Building 38).


Picture 263: CERN - The Office Where I Work

I like to complain about having four desks crammed into the un-air-conditioned office, but it's generally not so bad if the temperature is low. The fourth desk is just visible in the lower left. My desk is the one with the open laptop on it in the upper right.


Picture 264: CERN - France

Looking toward France from right outside Building 188 (mainly to get a picture of the cool clouds in the lower left). The Charles de Gaulle entrance (run by French customs) is visible in the lower right, near the bottom of the power tower. The bike chained up next to the dumpster is the one UM gave me. It needed some repairs before it could be ridden, as I discovered while trying to ride it.


Picture 265: CERN - Magnets for the LHC

It is hard for me to convey how cool these magnets are. They're superconducting, so they need to be cooled down to about 1.9 K, and generate 8.4 Tesla magnetic fields - about as high as it is currently possible to go. And of course, there are thousands of them that will be filling up the full 27 kilometers of the LHC tunnel, accelerating and guiding the proton beams. These were sitting in a parking lot behind Building 188 for a while on their way to the LHC tunnel.


Picture 266: CERN - Neighboring Buildings

The view back towards the center of the Meyrin site from Building 188, which is near the French edge. This could help convince those who were skeptical of my claim that CERN is essentially an industrial site.


Picture 267: Interlaken - Hills above Wengen

A first look at the Swiss Alps in the Interlaken district (Canton of Bern), not far south of Interlaken itself. I headed there for a weekend of hiking with half a dozen other US students. This was basically the first thing I saw after getting off the train in Wengen, where we spent Friday night.


Picture 268: Interlaken - Mountains from Wengen

We got into Wengen as the sun was going down, so these pictures aren't the best. This one looks across the train station and out over the valley of the Weisse Lütschine. The mountains in the distance are a little cloud-shrouded, but I believe they range from the lower part of the Silberhorn on the left to either the Breithorn or Gspaltenhorn poking out above nearer hills on the right.


Picture 269: Interlaken - Silberhorn Over Wengen

Although it was getting dark in Wengen, the higher mountains were still in the sun. The one pictured here is, I believe, the Silberhorn (3695 m), whose flank was visible in the previous picture.


Picture 270: Interlaken - Cable Car Disappearing into the Mist

The first hike was up from Wengen (1274 m) to Männlichen (2227 m), which overlooks the town. There was a cable car from Wengen to Männlichen, which made a pretty sight as it disappeared into the clouds obscuring the mountain.


Picture 271: Interlaken - Leaving Wengen

A look back over past some outlying buildings in Wengen across the valley and toward the mountains shown in earlier pictures taken the previous night. The peaks were lost in the fog, so basically nothing can be made out in this picture.


Picture 272: Interlaken - Jungfrau over Wengen

A picture taken just a bit after the climb started, looking back over Wengen. I believe the prominent mountain is the Jungfrau (4158 m) itself.


Picture 273: Interlaken - River valley over Wengen

This shot was taken from the same location as the previous picture, turned to the right. The picure is directed up (south) the valley of the Weisse Lütschine. Some of the cliffs on the other side of the valley are visible, and you can see some of Wengen's buildings in the lower left.


Picture 274: Interlaken - Mist and Flowers

A picture of a field of flowers through which the trail passed. It's not as impressive as it should be, since the mist was a bit more opaque to the camera than it was to my own eyes.


Picture 275: Interlaken - Hills on the other side of the valley

A look at some of the mountains on the west side of the Weisse Lütschine valley. They're pretty heavily forested and generally only around 1500 - 1700 m. The clouds on them could certainly be worse, though.


Picture 276: Interlaken - The Real Mountains

I tried to get some pictures of the main peaks in the region - the Eiger (3970 m), Mönch (4107 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m), but they all had a lot of clouds around their peaks. I'm having trouble trying to locate this shot, but I think that's the Jungfrau on the left and the Breithorn toward the right.


Picture 277: Interlaken - Avalanche shields (and mist)

These things were all over the mountains above Wengen. I think their purpose was to slow down and break up avalanches in the winter. Seeing lines of them running across the face of the hills was cool, though decidedly unnatural. All I can think is it couldn't have been very much fun to get all that stuff up the mountains in the first place.


Picture 278: Interlaken - The Männlichen Trail

Looking back over the trail we were following up the Männlichen. The feature I wanted to capture is (of course) the one that didn't come out well. The rather bright white rock by the bend in the trail is actually painted white-red-white, which officially means "Paths for experienced mountain walkers... weatherproof clothing and sturdy boots with non-slip soles are essential". While that sounds sorta threatening and all, the trail really wasn't bad at all.


Picture 279: Interlaken - Cable Car from the other end

Now that I had made it (almost) up to the top, I was able to take a picture of a cable car heading back down into Wengen. The path actually crossed directly underneath the cables several times (giving great angles straight back down into Wengen), but the only time the car came by, I was too far away to get a shot any better than this.


Picture 280: Interlaken - Grindelwald

The main city on the other side of the Männlichen from Wengen is Grindelwald, pictured here. (This picture was taken from Männlichen itself.) I believe the mountain visible beyond the city is the Schwarzhorn (2928 m).


Picture 281: Interlaken - Männlichen Gipfel

Männlichen Gipfel literally means "Männlichen Peak". This little protuberance on the top of the mountain made it up to 2342 m, but also had some cool rock formations along its side, which is what this picture shows. You can also see some of the avalanche things below.


Picture 282: Interlaken - The valley from the Männlichen Gipfel

You can see Wengen right at the bottom of the picture, and Lauterbrunnen beyond in middle of the valley itself. The heading off to the left is the Weisse Lütschine in the valley it cut into the Alps. Note the waterfall just beyond Lauterbrunnen (right side of the picture) - there are lots of large waterfalls in the valley; they are apparently one of the area's main attractions (after the mountains themselves, of course).


Picture 283: Interlaken - Eiger

A picture of the Eiger (3970 m), taken from the path between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. The Eiger is apparently a very famous mountain, especially its north face, which is what is pictured here.


Picture 284: Interlaken - Snow in July

A few little patches of snow near the path from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. The glaciers in the Alps are all apparently melting at a depressing rate, but there are still some impressive snow fields (of which this is not one).


Picture 285: Interlaken - Eiger North Face

A closer and better picture of the Eiger, with (for once) relatively few clouds covering it. Also taken from the Männlichen - Kleine Scheidegg path, also of the north face (though this time the peak itself is visible).


Picture 286: Interlaken - Mountain Stream

A picture of one of the many little streams running down the mountains. The Männlichen - Kleine Scheidegg path passed over this one in a relatively shallow place. The two closest people in the lower left are Tomek and Jared, who are apparently much more serious hikers than I am. The three of us had left the others behind, since we got tired of waiting for them.


Picture 287: Interlaken - Eigergletscher

A picture of the big glacier on the side of the Eiger, taken from an outpost of the same name. I probably shouldn't be surprised that it is so dirty and not the sparkling ice one might naïly imagine. The Eigergletscher station also had a pack of cool Greenland dogs and some crazy half-white / half-black sheep (as in, their front half was pure white, and their back half pure black), but it started raining shortly after this picture was taken, which kept the camera away for a while.


Picture 288: Interlaken - Mountain streams and waterfalls

The rain eventually let up while we walked back toward Wengen. Along the way I took a couple of pictures of streams and waterfalls we passed, which were slightly more impressive than usual, due to the rain.


Picture 289: Interlaken - Mountain stream, waterfalls and forest

Another picture of one of the many streams we passed on the way back to Wengen. I like this one because of both the impressive waterfalls (made more so by the rain) and the relatively thick forest around it.


Picture 290: Interlaken - Railway to Mürren

On our way to Mürren (which itself was on our way to Gimmelwald, where we were spending Saturday night), we rode on this thing that was some sort of combination between a train and a cable car. It took us up from Lauterbrunnen (796 m) to Grütschalp (1489 m), where we transferred to a real train for the remainder of the trip.


Picture 291: Interlaken - Looking the other way over the valley

Gimmelwald is on the west side of the Weisse Lütschine valley, so we got a chance to see the east side, on the top of which we had been hiking. These cliffs are even more impressive than those on the west - there aren't any hiking paths down them until you get to Lauterbrunnen.


Picture 292: Interlaken - Shoulder of the Schilthorn

Sunday the others tried to climb the Schilthorn (2960 m) above Gimmelwald (this is apparently the setting for some famous scene in some James Bond movie). I had worn myself out a bit the previous day, so I just wandered around 2000 - 2300 m. While wandering, I took this picture of a stream coming down one of the shoulders of the Schilthorn. (It later turned out that my weakness/prudence may have been beneficial, as the others had a difficult time climbing the Schilthorn - not least because they lost the path and found themselves climbing over real snow fields.)


Picture 293: Interlaken - Schiltalp

A tiny little hamlet I wandered across partway up the Schilthorn. I was following a "North Face" trial, which featured views of some of the north faces of the famous (and less famous) mountains around the Jungfrau. That's probably one of them in the background, though which, I don't recall.


Picture 294: Interlaken - Cliffs

These were probably the single most impressive set of cliffs I saw over the weekend. This picture was taken while I was heading back to Gimmelwald (a little early, as it was starting to rain again).


Picture 295: Interlaken - Gimmelwald

This picture shows Gimmelwald in all of its population < 1000 glory. In the background you can see some of the cliffs, streams and waterfalls it overlooks. We stayed at the Mountain Hostel in the village, which is apparently slightly famous (but still cheap, of course).


Picture 296: Interlaken - Waterfalls

Even though it had started to rain again, I wanted to take a picture of some of these waterfalls - especially because they were a little swollen with the rain and more impressive than usual.


Picture 297: Interlaken - Mürrenbach

A picture of the Mürrenbach, a small stream that flows into the valley between Mürren and Gimmelwald. It's more impressive than it looks - it's travelling very quickly over boulders and waterfalls, almost certainly with enough power to sweep away anybody who stepped in it.


Picture 298: Interlaken - One last waterfall

One last picture of the biggest waterfall of them all, just outside Lauterbrunnen. I was thinking of heading over towards it for a more direct look, but it was raining (again) and a train going where I wanted to go was about to leave. (I had given up on the rest of the group and headed back on my own, since they were taking too long struggling over the Schilthorn's snow fields and I didn't want to miss the last train.)


Picture 299: Interlaken - Weisse Lütschine

The first picture I attempted to take from a moving train turned out surprisingly well. It's a shot of some of the rapids in the Weisse Lütschine downstream of Lauterbrunnen (as it heads toward Interlaken). This was a big and pretty rough river, especially with all the rain that there had been over the weekend. Too bad the train wasn't higher above the water, so I could have gotten more of the river in the picture.


Picture 300: CERN - Ultramodern Structures of Glass and Steel

To be fair to Dan Brown (who came up with the caption for this picture), I include a shot of CERN's most modern building (Building 40), where many of the UM people get to work. Recall that I got the big blue box 2 klicks away.


Picture 301: Bern - Old City

The Spitalgasse, one of the main streets in Bern's medieval Old City, which is located in a bend in the Aare river. The Old City of Bern has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Through the arches are all the stores and other establishments - the streets were very crowded early in the day, but almost deserted after 5:00. For one thing, it was a Saturday; for another, it had started to rain. There was very little car traffic, which was nice.


Picture 302: Bern - The Seat of Swiss Power

This is the Swiss Parliament Building (Parlamentsgebäude). Switzerland, of course, was at one point a very loose confederation of Cantons. Over the last couple centuries, it has become a more centralized nation, but is still highly federal. The tents in the bottom of the picture are a fruit/vegetable market - once that had cleared out, fountains built into the square itself were turned on.


Picture 303: Bern - Clock Tower and Marktgasse

A view of the famous Clock Tower (Zeitglockenturm) along the Marktgasse, another of the main streets of Bern's old city. There is also a smallish statue in the foreground. This is actually a famous view, or at least one I have seen on a number of internet sites and tourism pamphlets.


Picture 304: Bern - Clock Tower closeup

A closer view of the clock tower, which has dials showing the time of day, time of year, phase of the moon, and so in. It's a cute piece of work. This picture was taken from the Kramgasse (the other side of the Tower from the Marktgasse), just up the block from Einstein's Bern residence.


Picture 305: Bern - Einstein's Apartment

In the 1970s, a group purchased the apartment in which Einstein lived in Bern in the 1900s and restored it to its condition at that time. How could I stay away? This is the main room (there are only three rooms in the flat). Through the window is a bit of the Kramgasse.


Picture 306: Bern - Münster

According to Wikipedia, Münster is simply a historic term for what is basically a cathedral. This one was constructed relatively late (begun in 1421, tower completed in 1893), but still has a very gothic feel about it. This shot was designed to show the length of the building, as well as a decent statue in its square.


Picture 307: Bern - Münster tower

Looking up above the main entrance to the Bern Münster. This tower was only completed in 1893 (and is currently being repaired, as you can see), but still has a rather gothic feel to it.


Picture 308: Bern - Main doors of the Bern Münster

Nice sculpture and artwork around the main doors of the Bern Münster. Just above the doors, you can see the righteous ascending to heaven on the right hand of God, while all the leftists are cast into the pit.


Picture 309: Bern - Aare River

The center of Bern (the Old City) is located in a sharp bend in the Aare river, coming down from the Alps to the south. It was a very impressive river - not only broad and deep, but very quick-flowing.


Picture 310: Bern - The Bears of Bern

When Bern was founded in 1191, it was allegedly named after a bear killed by its founder, Duke Berthold V. But the bear pits just across the Aare (one of which is pictured here, of course) weren't actually created until the 16th century.


Picture 311: Bern - A Begging Bear

Other people were tossing some snacks to the bears. This one sat down and begged for more. Most undignified, though I wouldn't want to criticize anything with claws like those.


Picture 312: Bern - Bear Pool

Much of the summer was very hot, and the day I was in Bern was no exception. This bear took a break from the heat in its swimming pool. Shortly after I took this shot, it started mauling (well, playing with) some of the logs floating next to it.