A-Z Blogging Challenge 2024: U is for Unique and Upclose

Looking back through my travel photos I see that in many places we visited there was, on our agendas, an Abbey, Cathedral, Chapel, Church, Convent, Monastery, Mosque, Pagoda, Synagogue, Temple or other place of worship. As we travel along the road I often take snaps of God's houses we pass by. These buildings range from ordinary to ostentatious. 

For the Blogging from A to Z April 2024 Blogging Challenge my theme is Gods' Houses. During April I invite you to join me for an online tour of Gods' Houses from my digital albums.

When I was planning my U post I thought I'd share some photos of a few unique buildings and some upclose images from other buildings. Then yesterday I realised that I hadn't indexed the photos from one amazing and definitely unique church we visited in 2012. I was captivated by this building and captured many images

That Church is the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Here are some of my snaps.

The Sagrada Familia dominates the skyline in Barcelona

I couldn't find a spot where I could take a photo of the whole building
so I snapped an image of an information board.
The Basilica should look like this by 2030

This was the best I could manage for an exterior shot

There were crowds both outside and in

There are many features on both the exterior and interior.

Another coloured feature on the exterior. Most are natural stone carvings

Some of the embellishments are rather spooky

Moving inside - a colourful plaque for Matthew

and a plaque for Mark

Stairs behind locked gate?

Towards the altar

A central feature

Columns rising to the ceiling

Looking up at the ceiling

Balconies all around

A spiral staircase

So many tourists

Back outside (I think)

Another Crucifex

Baby Jesus?

There are multiple entry points

The pond opposite the building provides opportunities for reflection

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2024: Q is for Quaint and Quirky

 Looking back through my travel photos I see that in many places we visited there was, on our agendas, an Abbey, Cathedral, Chapel, Church, Convent, Monastery, Mosque, Pagoda, Synagogue, Temple or other place of worship. As we travel along the road I often take snaps of some of God's many houses we pass by. These buildings range from ordinary to ostentatious. 

For the Blogging from A to Z April 2024 Blogging Challenge my theme is Gods' Houses. During April I invite you to join me for an online tour of Gods' Houses from my digital albums.

Q is one of those troublesome letters, I pondered on Q adjectives for a while and decided on Quaint and Quirky for this post. What I have managed to find are are a few of God's Houses that are different from the norm or one of a kind. 

I found The Ossuary at Sedlec (The Bone Church) rather spooky, I was saddened to see the remains of so many people there. But who am I to judge as I have visited there twice as a tourist.

The embellishments are made from human bones

A Store of Skulls

On a trip to the Channel Isles we visited several Churches. On Jersey we were entranced by St Matthews Glass Church which is known for its glass features by Lalique.

A ferry ride away on Guernsey we saw some other churches including The Little Chapel which is decorated with seashells, pebbles, and broken china.

On our first trip to Helsinki, Finland in 2006 we  enjoyed a short recital in the Temppeliaukio Church which was hewn out of rock. Helsinki was such a beautiful city that we returned for a longer stay.

Unassuming entry 

 

Our cruises have taken us to Kotor in Montenegro several times. Each visit we join a different land tour. One of those tours included a boat ride to Our Lady of the Rocks, whose buildings are the only ones on a tiny island off Kotor.

 

Our destination

On the island

Are these leftovers from the many weddings celebrated here?

Stunning views out to the fjord and Kotor