Destination's Journey

Category: Cathedral

Cathedral

  • Hyde Park Sydney Australia

    Hyde Park Sydney Australia

    Hyde Park is in the centre of Sydney and is a fantastic retreat from the hustle and traffic of the city. It is cool and shady and there is plenty of seating set around the park.  Park Street divides Hyde Park in two, however there are pedestrian crossings at the lights at either end and the centre.

    ANZAC Memorial

    The ANZAC Memorial was built  to commemorate the Australian Imperial Force of World War I. It is the focal point of the southern section of Hyde Park,  along with the Pool of Reflection.  On ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day the memorial is the central focus of the ceremonies, so can be extremely busy..

    120,000 gold stars covered the domed ceiling, representing all those from New South Wales who served in World War One. The centre piece of the interior is a bronze statue of a deceased youth, representing a soldier, held aloft on his shield.

    To the north is the pool of reflection and a long tree-lined pathway. It is very shady and cool in the Australian summer. A great place to sit quietly and relax.

    This is one of the must-see places in Sydney.

    The ANZAC Memorial
    The ANZAC Memorial
    Pathway to ANZAC Memorial
    Pathway to ANZAC Memorial

    Emden Gun

    This gun is a  4″ Gun taken from the German raider “Emden” destroyed by H.M.A.S. Sydney in 1914. A gift from the Commonwealth Government to the citizens of Sydney. Historically important, to Australia as a whole and Sydney in particular.

    The Emden Gun
    The Emden Gun

    The Munitions Statue

    This statue consists of four individual seven-metre tall steel and marble bullets, sitting next to three fallen shells, all on a large boomerang-shaped concrete base.  They represent the reality of war. Specifically they depict the sculptor’s (Tony Albert) grandfather and six companions.  The three fallen shells represent those who were killed.

    The Munitions Statue
    The Munitions Statue
    The Munitions Statue
    The Munitions Statue

    Hyde Park Obelisk

    The Hyde Park Obelisk is on the intersection of Elizabeth and Bathurst Streets.  Built in 1857 the obelisk was a vent for the sewer system.  It is now used to ventilate the storm water system.  At 22m it’s hard to miss.  Interesting for what it is, but not worth taking too much time over.

    Hyde Park Obelisk
    Hyde Park Obelisk

    Statue of Fire, Water and Earth.

    Located on the western side of the park, near Elizabeth street, is a three-piece sandstone sculpture representing the three elements, by Gerard Havekes.  A creative and interesting piece of art work and worth finding to have a look at it.

    Earth Wind and Fire
    Earth Wind and Fire

    Captain Cook Statue

    This bronze statue commemorates Captain James Cook, the first Englishman to chart the east coast of Australia. It was officially unveiled in 1879. Worth looking at for the  historical significance of Cook.

    Captain Cook Statue
    Captain Cook Statue

    Archibald Fountain

    The focus of the northern park is the Archibald Fountain. Named after the editor of the Bulletin Magazine who donated the funds to have it built. It was designed by a French sculptor, both because of Archibald’s love of French culture and to commemorate the ties between Australia and France from the First World War.

    Seats surround the fountain making it a very restful place, right in the middle of Sydney.

    The Archibald Fountain
    The Archibald Fountain

    Sandringham Gardens

    Near Park Street are the Sandringham Gardens. They surround a circular fountain and commemorate King George V and King George VI.  It is an attractive setting and a beautiful place to walk around.

    Sandringham Gardens
    Sandringham Gardens

    Statue of William Bede Dalley

    Dalley was born to convict parent and rose to be the first Australian appointed to the Privy Council. He was well-respected and this monument was erected to honor him. Located on the northern edge of Hyde Park it is easy to find.

    Statue of William Bede Dalley
    Statue of William Bede Dalley

    Cannon

    Sitting among the flower beds on College Street is a bronze cannon.  It used to form part of Sydney’s defense at Bennelong Point.  Dating from 1808 it is worth a look as you pass by.

    Cannon
    Cannon

    Governor Lachlan Macquarie Statue

    The most northerly Statue in the Gardens is that of Governor Lachlan Macquarie.  He was Governor from 1810  to 1821 and was responsible for the social, economic and architectural development of the colony. Located looking down the road named after him, it is very easy to find. As a major figure in Australia’s history, the statue is worth looking for.

    Major General Governor Lachlan Macquarrie
    Major General Governor Lachlan Macquarie

    Queen Victoria and Prince Albert Statues

    Although not in the park, there are two statues located just to its northern boundary in Queen’s Square. To the West is Queen Victoria and to the east is her consort, Prince Albert. If you are in Hyde Park, it is worth crossing the road to have a look at them.

    Queen Victoria
    Queen Victoria
    Prince Albert
    Prince Albert

    St Mary’s Cathedral

    Dominating the eastern side of the park is St Mary’s Cathedral. The Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney and is the Cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Sydney.

    Beautiful inside as well as out, this is one of the great buildings in Sydney. As well as the interior you can visit the crypts.  To visit the crypts, buy tickets from the gift shop. We were the only ones there when we went. Many early bishops of Sydney are interred in the crypt, so it is interesting historically. In addition,  the architecture is fantastic and well worth spending time down there to admire it.

    Saint Mary's Cathedral
    Saint Mary’s Cathedral
    Saint Mary's Cathedral
    Saint Mary’s Cathedral
    Saint Mary's Cathedral
    Pope Statue , Saint Mary’s Cathedral
    St Mary's Cathedral
    St Mary’s Cathedral
    St Mary's Cathedral Crypt
    St Mary’s Cathedral Crypt

    Hyde Park

    So if you are in Sydney, you can easily spend most of a day looking around Hyde Park and its surrounding areas. Nearby is the Australian Museum and  Macquarie Street with most of central Sydney very close as well. For other places to see in Sydney, please read some of our other stories.

  • Pisa

    Pisa

    Getting There

    We caught a train from Venice to Pisa, with a change in Florence. Departing at 7:30, we arrived in Pisa at 11:00AM.  A quick walk to our Hotel ( Hotel Bologna) to drop off our bags and we walked to the Main Street to get some lunch. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from. We decided on a simple snack and a drink before walking to the piazza where all of the monuments are located.

    Pisa Time
    Pisa Time

    Pisa Walk
    Pisa Walk

    The walk was easy, but we felt uncomfortable due to the large number of males in their twenties, either trying to sell sunglasses, water, selfie sticks and other low quality junk, or hassling tourists.

    What We Saw in Pisa

    After running the gauntlet of hawkers, we arrived to find a huge crush of tourists. We had expected this, but were still amazed at the number of people there.  We walked around the Leaning Tower taking pictures and then went to the ticket office.  You must go here to get tickets for all of the monuments.

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa
    The Leaning Tower of Pisa

    The wait for the Tower was over three hours, so we decided not to climb to the top. First stop after getting our tickets, was the Baptistery of St. John  (Battistero).  A great looking building, particularly on the outside.  The interior is somewhat Spartan.  Take the stairs to the upper level.  This allows you to look down onto the baptismal font.  There is also a great view out one of the windows to the Cathedral.  The view is a little different to that from the ground.

    Baptistery of St John in Pisa
    Baptistery of St John in Pisa

    Interior of Baptistery of St John in Pisa
    Interior of Baptistery of St John in Pisa

    Font in the Baptistery of St John in Pisa
    Font in the Baptistery of St John in Pisa

    The Pisa Cathedral is on of the three attractions in the Plaza of Miracles.  Spectacular on the outside, it is grander on the inside.  The painting are fantastic, along with the alter, which is spectacular.  We spent a lot of time wandering around inside admiring the artworks.

    Pisa Cathedral
    Pisa Cathedral

    Pisa Cathedral Interior
    Pisa Cathedral Interior

    The Plaza, still has the old city walls running down one side.  These are worth a look, as many old Italian cities no longer have them.

    Pisa City Walls
    Pisa City Walls

    On our way back to the hotel, we walked along the River Arno, enabling us to see a little more of Pisa.

    Pisa From the River Arno
    Pisa From the River Arno

    Eating Out

    We found plenty of options for food.  Near our hotel was a selection of Italian restaurants.  We chose one at random and had a great meal with some local beers, followed by gelato, for dessert.

    What Did We Think?

    The Hotel Bologna was clean, quiet and comfortable.  There was air-conditioning which worked perfectly and we had a great night’s sleep.  Centrally located, we were very happy with it.

    As expected, Pisa was very crowded with tourists.  What we didn’t expect was the hordes of hawkers and others, who made us feel extremely uncomfortable.  On our walk back to the train station the next morning, we were followed by a group of men, and we went into an open café until they went away.

    Had we known how little time we would spend, a better option would have been to leave our luggage at the train station in a locker.  We could have then travelled on to Rome the same day.

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  • Luxembourg

    Luxembourg

    How To Get There

    The train to Luxembourg leaves from Brussels Central hourly and takes about three hours fifteen minutes.  Tickets are purchased on the day of travel from the ticket office and cost us 25 Euros each. The staff were friendly and told us what times the train was leaving and from which platform. Luxembourg Central Station is located away from the old part of town we wished to visit, but there is a taxi rank next to the entrance and for ten Euros we were taken to the central square (Place Guillaume II) near the Ducal Palace.

    Train Brussels to Luxembourg
    Train Brussels to Luxembourg

    What Did We Do in Luxembourg?

    Located around the square are many coffee shops. After a long train trip a coffee was in order along with cake for a morning snack. 

    Walk Around Luxembourg
    Walk Around Luxembourg

    After refuelling, we walked to the Ducal Palace. This is quite an impressive building.  After admiring the outside and taking some photos we moved on to the main attraction, the city walls (Casemates du Block). Large sections are still largely intact and their sheer size is impressive. We spent a lot of time walking around the battlements, as there are many lookouts where you get alternate views.

    Luxembourg Ducal Palace
    The Ducal Palace in Luxembourg 

    Luxembourg Casements du Block
    Luxembourg Casements du Block

    Luxembourg Casements du Block
    Luxembourg Casements du Block

    From the Casements, we walked along Chemin de la Corniche. This walkway gives fantastic views over the city, particularly St Jean du Grand monastery. The walk is nice and easy with some lovely spots to stop and take in the fantastic views.

    View From Chemin de la Corniche
    View From Chemin de la Corniche

    View From Chemin de la Corniche
    View From Chemin de la Corniche

    Luxembourg St Jean du Grand monastery
    Luxembourg St Jean du Grand monastery

    Our walk took us to the Monument du Souvenir, Luxembourg’s War Memorial. From here there are more views of the Casements and restaurants.  We stopped here for lunch.

    Walking back into the city we stopped at the Notre Dame Cathedral. Far smaller and intimate than many of the cathedrals we had already seen, it had a charming appeal.

    Luxembourg Notre Dame Cathedral
    Luxembourg Notre Dame Cathedral

    The last stop was the Monument National de la Solidarite, Luxembourg’s Monument to the victims of World War II.

    Monument National de la Solidarite
    Monument National de la Solidarite

    This wrapped up our day trip to Luxembourg. We caught a taxi back to the Central Station for the three-hour trip back to Brussels.

    What Did We Think

    Something a little different to the other cities we visited. With much of the walled fortifications still visible, the old city is confined in a small area. We enjoyed walking between everything with no real traffic to contend with. Total walking time around the city was under and hour, even though we spent most of the day there.

    Getting there was easy. The train journey was comfortable, even if it was long. Leaving early and spending the whole day there meant we did not really lose much of the day.

    Overall a great day to see something that little bit different.

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