Cool on the Feet

The sun outside is hot and bright on a late June afternoon. Walking around the streets of Milan we finally stumble upon the Duomo of this city. Upon arriving in the square in front of the west door, we are careful to avoid walking in front of other tourists snapping shots of the building. Feeding the pigeons here also seems like quite the touristy-thing-to-do, as we see several buskers selling seeds and offering to take Polaroids of you posing with the birds and the cathedral.

After spending quite some time admiring the sculptures and symbols carved into the facade of the building, we finally climb up the front steps. The cool air that greets us on the threshold and we enter the building.

I have always found churches to be absolutely wonderfully quieting. We slowly make our way forward and slide into one of the wooden pews a third of the way up the centre aisle. Though there are probably a couple hundred people in the building, the space absorbs and softens their rustling to a white noise which is easily dismissed.

After taking some time to simply be in the space, I finally get up to walk around and look at the stained glass, side chapels and decorations that fill the Duomo. I also allow myself one of my favorite church pleasures - I take off my shoes. Having my bare feet on the cool stone floor always connects me to the place more than any other single thing. Here, there is a softness to the floor, and the texture of the different stones that have been inlaid to create the patterns only adds to the movement I can feel through me feet.

I am very thankful to have found this personal way of connecting with the buildings of the church. I believe that every space for prayer and meditation should be comfortable and supportive. In the end, a building is only a building, and the value of a place of worship should be about the connection to something greater.

taken June 2010, Duomo di Milano, Milan

Blue Mountains - Wnetworth Falls Lookoff

This is a view that has several lovely memories attached. We first came to Wentworth Falls with J&M, who were keen to start showing Micah and I the beauty that was Australia. What a fine fine start to adventuring in Oz! Our most recent visit was with Micah's parents, which is the trip on which this photo was taken.

In truth, the Blue Mountains are actually not a mountain range and should be more accurately named the Blue Canyon. It is the second longest canyon after the Grand Canyon. Its depth is not quite as clear here, but man oh man it is beautiful and mighty deep!

Trust me, this is not the last time we will visit this stunning Australian natural treasure.

Taken May 2010 - Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains, NSW

Botanical Gardens Sydeny - Cactus Garden

This was such a beautiful day to be out in the sunshine. Micah and our roommates and I went out for a day in the city, to visit the botanical gardens and then to one of the galleries. We puttered around the gardens for a couple of hours, eventually arriving in the cactus garden. What a wonderful little area this is! The garden is wonderfully laid out and the style of this garden is quite different from the more Victorian style main garden(s).

As one of my roommates sat to enjoy the sun, I was really taken by the ochre red of the sculpture behind her. The combination of the almost harsh sun, the cacti and the lines in the sculpture/flower bed structure are really quite something. The addition of my roommate, I think, sets the whole thing up for the perfect picture.

Natalie in the Sun - Taken July 2010 - Cactus Garden in the Botanical Garden, Sydney, NSW

Art Gallery of NWS - Hand

I'm not exactly certain what possessed me to take this photo, but I'm really glad I did. Micah and I were visiting the Art Gallery of NSW with our roommates and we were all working our way towards the absolutely stunning The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon when we came upon this in a display case. I'm fairly certain the boys spent more time looking at this engraving than at the painting the engraving was based upon.

All this said, there was something about the way my roommate's hand looked reflected off of the glass of the case that caught my eye. Not the most romantic picture, but it fascinates me none the less.

Norman's Hand Taken July 2010 - Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

Mount Tomah Gardens - waterfall

I was very pleased to see this photo actually turn out so well. I find it hard to get good photos of waterfalls, but the lighting was perfect on this drizzly day. Next on my list of things to figure out how to take pictures of would be fish. There are several bright orange fish in this pond (as one would expect in a 'proper' garden, eh?) and yet none of my pictures of them turned out at all. Oh well... I guess I'll have to head back and take more pictures. Oh, the hardship...

taken May 2010 - Mount Tomah Gardens, Blue Mountains, NSW