Jedi by Knight

Let’s take a little trip to the four capital cities I’ve visited in Europe!

Dublin, Ireland: History mixed with modernity

I visited Dublin in 2015 and found the city very friendly, full of history and culture, and surprisingly metropolitan.  I happened to be there during the Pride festival, so there was a very fun atmosphere in Ireland’s capital.  As a liberal Catholic myself, I felt very much at home.  I think this shot of the Famine Memorial on the banks of the River Liffey shows how the city honors the past while also looking towards the future.

Rome, Italy: Centuries of history

I visited Rome in 2012, and while I saw most of the city while on a bus, I was still able to appreciate the rich history of the city.  In some ways, Rome is the capital of not just Italy but also Western history.  I loved seeing centuries of different buildings cohabiting right next to each other.  The Colosseum in particular is an amazing view into the past.

Lisboa, Portugal: A Hidden Gem

My friends and I took a weekend trip to Lisboa in 2007: my first time in a country where I didn’t speak the language.  We managed with a mix of English and Spanish, and the people we met happily taught us a few useful phrases in Portuguese.  I was surprised how beautiful the city was; I have wanted to return here with my husband ever since to really explore the city in depth.  This is the Tower of Belém on the banks of the Tagus River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Madrid, Spain: A Trove of Art

We took a class trip to Madrid during my semester in Spain, mostly to see the art.  And what art it was.  In addition the the architecture of the capital, the city hosts the Prado and Reina Sofía museums, where you can view such masterpieces as Las Meninas and Guernica.  It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience; I even had someone take my picture with Velazquez’s Las Meninas (which I went on to write an essay about for art history).

Lastly, a slightly different take on the word “capital.”

I was fascinated by the detail on the capitals of the columns in Venice, Italy.

This week we have Viveka of myguiltypleasures as our guest host for this excellent topic. You can find more capitals at the original Lens-Artist challenge.