TRAVEL THE WORLD - LONDON, ENGLAND

Westminster Abbey, photographed in 1997, is a very familiar London landmark.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - RENNES, FRANCE

We love walking these old town centres with their narrow streets and old houses as in these photos taken in Rennes in 2008. Half-timbered buildings have been preserved in several of the towns and cities we visited in Brittany. We noticed that often, as here, several adjacent buildings have been preserved, thus retaining the integrity of an entire street. What adds to the charm of areas like this is the attention given to landscaping and the effort that is made to find commercially viable uses for these old buildings.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - MONT SAINT-MICHEL, FRANCE

Like all great medieval churches, the abbey church at Mont Saint-Michel is a marvel of design and construction, a reflection of the faith and devotion that inspired all of these wonderful buildings. As a visitor in 2008 it was easy to imagine the monks here at Mont Saint-Michel living lives of prayer, poverty and good works until finally, like many great institutions, the monasteries seemed to have become victims of their own success, entirely abandoning their original purpose, leaving only the wonderful churches as memoirs.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - MONT SAINT-MICHEL, FRANCE

Mont Saint-Michel is a World Heritage Site and a must-see for travelers to the north of France. The climb to the top was strenuous, but well worth the effort. It is amazing to think that this was an abbey and pilgrimage centre from the time of its foundation in 708 by the Bishop of Avranches until, by the time of the French Revolution, only a few monks were in residence and the abbey had been made into a prison. Legend has it that St. Michael the Archangel appeared to the bishop and instructed him to build a church here. The second photo is the view from the top.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - VANNES, FRANCE

Vannes is a very old city, originally founded by the Romans. It has an old world charm which we found particularly appealing. Our visit was in 2008.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - WELLS, U.K.

This photo of Penniless Porch in Wells, England was taken in 1984. The building dates from around 1450 and was where the poor went to be given alms. I will always remember being here because of the colourful name which made it so easy to imagine the courtyard full of penniless people.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NUNNEY CASTLE, ENGLAND

In 1984, while visiting England with my mother, I saw my very first castle - Nunney Castle in Somerset. Do you see the moat? Can't you just imagine the castle being attacked by a siege engine, perhaps with a catapult to breach the walls, while inside knights in armour would be scurrying about in a panic attempting to defend themselves?

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SALISBURY, ENGLAND

In 1984, my mother and I had a holiday in England. One of the best things we did was to visit Salisbury cathedral. A nice man who was a very knowledgeable volunteer spent an hour or so taking us around to explain the wonders of the cathedral. The second photo shows the cathedral cloisters, while the first features the cathedral itself.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - MDINA, MALTA

Mdina, the old capital of Malta, is a medieval walled town. We spent a day walking there in 2000 admiring the many old buildings like the church in the photo. Mdina appeared not to have changed at all since medieval times. There were many narrow streets and only a few people.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ROME, ITALY

These three photos of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in Rome were taken in 1994. St. Peter's, the "mother" church for the world's Catholics, is the largest Christian church in the world, holding a congregation of 60,000. It was constructed between 1506 and 1626.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - BAYEUX, FRANCE

The cathedral of Bayeux, photographed in 1997, is a fine example of the many wonderful Gothic cathedrals of France. Bayeux itself is also famous for the Bayeux tapestry which is located in a special museum in the city. The tapestry is an embroidered cloth depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and the invasion itself. It is beautiful and very interesting.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - WELLS, U. K.

This photo was taken in 1997 during my second visit to Wells Cathedral, but my first when there was no scaffolding on the front, making it possible to see the beautiful sculptured figures. The interior is splendid and has the famous inverted arch. Of all the medieval cathedrals I've visited, this is the one I most admire.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CAEN, FRANCE

This very fine Romanesque building, the Abbaye des Hommes in Caen, was built in the 11th Century from local stone.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS, FRANCE

These photos of Notre Dame in Paris were taken in 2008 when the cleaning and restoration of the cathedral had been underway for 17 years. This has enabled us to greatly admire the beauty of the sculpture. Featured in the first photo is the beautiful tympanum of the central door of the cathedral's west front. It dates from the 13th Century and depicts the last judgment. The twelve apostles, six on each side, have been given individual facial features. These as well as the carved figures in the second photo look real enough to be people who actually existed.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - YORK, U.K.

One of the most intense joys of traveling is experienced when you come upon something wonderful that is totally unexpected. This is what occurred in 1982 when my mother and I were walking in the Shambles, a district in the oldest part of the City of York. We rounded a corner and suddenly the facade of York Minster was immediately before us, so close it was impossible to photograph from that vantage point. This photo is from 1982. Later, in 1994, my husband and I visited York and had an extensive tour of the Minster including the crypt where you can see Roman remains in an underground area created in the 1960's during an excavation to stabilize the central tower of the cathedral.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CARCASSONNE, FRANCE

Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a fortified town located in Languedoc in the south of France. The hill here has been inhabited since about 3,500 B.C. The hilltop was fortified by the Romans around 100 B.C. In the 11th Century A.D. - and subsequently - the extensive fortifications that we see today were constructed. Simon de Montfort captured Carcassonne in 1209 during the Albigensian crusade, forcing the citizens to surrender. Carcassonne then became a border citadel between France and Spain. When we visited in 1999, we were impressed by the excellent condition of the fortress and by the lady who acted as our guide. She was very pleasant and knowledgeable, and took us on an extensive tour of the site.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - FOUNTAINS ABBEY, NORTH YORKSHIRE, U.K.

A nice change from the rainy time we had in Yorkshire in 1994 was the day we spent at Fountains Abbey. This is a World Heritage Site that is owned by the National Trust. It is a huge site that includes the largest abbey ruins in the country as well as the Studley Royal Water Garden. It was pleasant weather. We had a leisurely stroll and a picnic on the grass.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LEDBURY, SHROPSHIRE, U.K.

In the 1970's, I spent two years at university in Birmingham. During this time, I often drove into Shropshire to walk in the hills of the Long Mynd. In 1994, I returned to Shropshire for a week, and visited Ledbury, a market town that has many half-timbered buildings as in this narrow lane that is reminiscent of medieval or Elizabethan times.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - MONT ST. MICHEL, FRANCE

Before we took our 2008 vacation in the north of France, we had heard of Mont St. Michel and seen photos of it. As we approached it, I wondered if seeing it was worth the huge climb that would be required and if, in fact, we were up to it physically. Once we began, however, it wasn't so bad, and seeing the interior of the abbey church was well worth the effort.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS, FRANCE

While the interior of Notre Dame is not the most beautiful medieval cathedral we have seen, it is certainly one of the most important landmarks in Paris, and the exterior will stand up to comparison with any other cathedral. Notre Dame lends its character beautifully to the surrounding area making it a pleasant and enjoyable place for a stroll.