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Venezia | The Church of Gold

Posted on September 8, 2018September 7, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Travel Blog, Venezia

The Basilica di San Marco (Saint Mark’s Basilica) was originally ordered to be constructed in 828 when Venetian merchants allegedly stole relics of Mark the Evangelist and brought them to Venice. After the Doge (commonly translated to Duke) ordered the construction and it was completed, the church became a personal chapel to the Doge. It was probably a matter of convenience since the Doge’s palace is literally attached to the basilica.

In 976, the Doge at the time, Pietro IV Candiano, was forced into the basilica by a rebelling mob. They locked him in it and set it aflame, executing him. The basilica was restored in 978. That wasn’t the only time that this Italo-Byzantine church was restored, though. In 1106, it was the victim to another fire. This one destroyed a lot of the exterior mosaics.

Before the fire, however, the new design of the basilica was constructed. The shape has mostly been the same as long as it has been in existence, but the decoration has definitely changed. These changes happened between 1063 and 1117, but the exact dates are indefinite.

San Marco was used as a personal chapel for the line of Doges until around the 13th century when it became more of a public facility and housed many public functions and celebrations. In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte, the self-crowned King of Italy, declared that the responsibility of the basilica change from the nobility to the Patriarch of Venice, who was the local bishop.

Much like the Duomo in Milano, San Marco is the home to a great deal of ornate decoration on the exterior of the basilica. There are statues, sculptures, spires, and golden mosaics. Notice the Lion of St. Mark and the depictions of the Patron Saint that appear in many places on the exterior.

The basilica is often referred to as the “Chiesa d’Oro” or the Church of Gold. It’s not hard to see why it carries this name. The true marvel of gold, however, is inside the basilica. True to the over-the-top nature of financial rivalry that sets the tone for Italian churches, San Marco is decorated from ceiling to floor with golden mosaics. Even the eaves have gold in them.

(The front facade of the Basilica from left to right)

Unfortunately, since the basilica does not allow photography inside its glorious doors, I don’t have any interior pictures to show you. They are out there in the world, though; and they are worth taking a look.

Venice at night was so magical. How could I resist the temptation of photographing this glorious golden Goliath of a basilica that is so perfectly lit in the evening hours?

Scaffolding or not, this church is a beauty that is worth the seasickness I got to be able to see it. For more information on the Basilica di San Marco, please visit their website here. There are pictures of the interior that will seriously make your jaw drop!

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Washington D.C. | The 6 Most Famous Monuments in D.C.

Posted on June 2, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in The U.S., Washington, D.C.

So, this week, I decided to highlight the pictures I got of the most famous monuments in Washington, D.C.. So in order, I will talk about The White House, The Capitol Building, The Supreme Court building, The Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, and the Jefferson Memorial.

The White House

When I saw the white house for the first time, I saw the back. I looked at it and remembered the scenes of shows like House of Cards and Scandal that were set on that balcony. I never really thought about the fact that this wasn’t the front of the white house. I don’t really claim to be anything like an expert of D.C., but this idea of the back being what I recognize more was recurring in D.C.

The Capitol Building

The Capitol building was another of the iconic buildings that I didn’t recognize as much from the first side I viewed. I believe a big reason for this is because the inauguration usually takes place on the Eastern steps, and I saw the opposite side of the building.

The Supreme Court Building

The Supreme Court Building is the home to the highest form of the judicial branch: the supreme court justices. It was really cool to see the outside of this building. So many important decisions are made here. I did not get the opportunity to go inside, however.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is one of the biggest tourist attractions in D.C. Abraham Lincoln is still adored by this country for being the President that lead war to free the African Americans from the South.

The building is very large. It is made of one large center room and two smaller side rooms. The side rooms have engravings of the Gettysburg Address and the dedication ceremony for the Soldier’s National Cemetery. There is also a bookshop off the northern room. It is very small and has a lot of memorabilia.

The Washington Monument

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it is like to be at the top of this beauty. It was closed for renovations until the next spring. It was taller than I thought it would be. It was also a lot closer to The White House than I expected. It almost reminded me of the towers that were built by the Italians in the providences when they were still separate governing entities.

The Jefferson Memorial

My girlfriend and I like to walk around and see everything we possibly can, so we circled this monument. It was such an amazing structure. When you enter the center of the dome, the air is cool and refreshing. It’s almost as if there is a light breeze that creates a calming, serene atmosphere.

So, there are some of the monuments I saw in Washington, D.C., but this is by no means the only ones I saw. D.C. is full of American history and monuments that tell the stories of the United States. I highly recommend that you travel to the nation’s capital, and every nation’s capitals.

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Washington, D.C. | Peak Cherry Blossom Blooming in 2018

Posted on May 19, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in The U.S., Washington, D.C.

When you go to Washington, D.C., there’s one thing that no matter where you go on the National Mall, you will see: The Cherry Blossom trees.

So where did this gorgeous collection of pink trees originate? Are they native to D.C.?

Actually, the original 3,000 cherry blossom trees were a gift from the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, in 1912. In 1910, there was a first attempt to get 2,000 cherry blossoms, but the trees did not survive the journey. So, 2 years later, with the help of Dr. Jokichi Takamine (chemist and founder of Sankyo Co., Ltd.), Dr. David Fairchild (U.S. Department of Agriculture,) Eliza Scidmore (National Geographic Society), and First Lady Helen Herron Taft. The gift was meant to honor a long friendship between Japan and the US. The gesture has been reciprocated to and from Japan a few times over the years.

Every year, there is a festival in the spring to honor these trees and the kinship of the US and Japan. The Cherry Blossom Festival began in 1927. The first ladies have historically been involved in some way to the yearly festivities. It has grown and expanded a lot. Today the festival is about 4 weeks long and hosts around 1.5 million visitors!

So, what about your pictures?

Well, my collection of Cherry Blossom pictures are shown in this post. We went to D.C. the first week of April. As a result, we were in D.C. for the peak day, April 5th, 2018. D.C. in early spring is cold and rainy, but that didn’t stop these gorgeous trees from impressing this photographer. They really make the perfect frame for photos.

I hope you like them.

For more information on Cherry Blossoms or the festival, click here.

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New Orleans | Our First Trip Together Part Three

Posted on May 12, 2018August 3, 2018 by Allora Studios in New Orleans, LA, The U.S., Travel Blog

The second morning was just as perfect as our first morning. We had a tour of St. Louis #1 with the French Quarter Phantoms at 11 am. We met again at the iconic Voodoo Lounge and walked to the cemetery.

The tour was really cool, but I did not take many pictures. I was consumed by the storytelling of the tour guide. She was so knowledgable of the different stories and families in the crypts. There were a couple of things that I consider to be highlights of that tour. The Italian mausoleum (above) and the grave of the Voodoo Queen herself, Madame Marie Laveau (below).

After the tour, my girlfriend and I took another mid-day nap. Then, we went to explore the French Quarter again. We could have walked those streets every day for a week, and I would still have found something new to look at every time. The whole vibe of the city is so mellow. There’s definitely no question as to why they call New Orleans “The Big Easy”. When you get to New Orleans, the city just embraces you. Everyone is there to have a good time, and they all do just that. From the beads on the street lamps to the street performers and the mobile parties that ride through the streets, New Orleans is a one-of-a-kind city. There’s no denying that.

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New Orleans | Our First Trip Together Part One

Posted on April 28, 2018August 3, 2018 by Allora Studios in New Orleans, LA, The U.S., Travel Blog

When I told my girlfriend that for her birthday, I was going to take us to New Orleans, she was excited. The French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Steamboats, and Ghost Tours filled her imagination as I told her that I was going to plan the entire thing for her, and that she didn’t have to worry about any of it. I would say about a month and a half later, we set out to Louisiana.

We were definitely off to a rough start. Our vacation was supposed to be from Thursday to Sunday, and since we are from the Atlanta area, we decided to drive. So after I got out of class at 3 that afternoon, we began our trek through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and finally into Louisiana.

BUT

Before we’ve been on the road for 30 minutes, disaster strikes… We were getting off i285 in Atlanta to get out of rush hour traffic when the driver behind us taps our back bumper. Great. So we get the cars moved out of the way and into the parking lot of a not so friendly looking gas station. We call the police and we wait. And wait. And wait… And… The entire time we wait, there are about 6 Atlanta Police vehicles with dogs and swat gear arresting a bunch of people for something. As we wait patiently for our minor traffic accident to be reported, 2 hours pass.

When the police are finally wrapping up their business with this drug or gun or whatever bust they’re doing, it’s almost 6 o’clock. One officer walks over to us. He writes the report, and we are back on the road!

When it’s dinner time, we stop in this nameless town for some subs. After my girlfriend opens the bathroom door on some dude because he didn’t lock the door, we got our subs and kept on moving.

It was about 12 am when we finally met The Big Easy. So, exhausted, we got our room in the India House Hostel, and we passed out for the night.