European Odyssey Comes to an End

European Odyssey 24x30 oil on canvas

 The finished painting - I wanted to celebrate our trip in a painting that showed the exuberance and joy of our experience together as a family.

And some final photos of the magical city of Rome to share with you:

Ruins of the Roman Forum with rose garden in full bloom!

Piazza del Popolo with the Leonardo da Vinci Museum

The Vatican inner courtyard

Laocoon - what an amazing sculpture. I was mesmerized by the strength and emotion of this piece.

Some "marble taxidermy "and one of the most interesting rooms of sculpture in the Vatican Museum!

The Hall of the Muses

Raphael Room in the Apostolic Castle

The Sistine Chapel - what a masterwork it is! Much more impressive than any photo could ever show!

Entry to St. Peter's Basilica

The Pieta- sublimely beautiful and most definitely the highlight of the trip for me.

Inside St. Peter's

Bernini sculpture

Doorway relief sculpture

Inside the Tomb of the Popes underneath the Basilica - no photos allowed :0!

On this trip, our European odyssey, I saw and experienced things that I never dreamed or imagined. Upon returning home, I felt an overwhelming connection to the people of the past and to the history of mankind through the ages. This feeling came more through my experiences of living in the ancient cities for a time and sharing their cultures than it did from antiquities in a museum or a church. I found that people are open and friendly, are eager to share their own stories and to make connections. On the last day in Amsterdam before our long flight home, I had a chance to meet up with a Scottish friend of mine that I had not seen in almost 30 years. Seeing Gwen and her husband and introducing her to my family was perhaps the best ending that such a magical trip could ever have had.