I called my husband out onto the porch of our new house one evening this week to see this amazing creation: a spider had built a stunning web in between a post and a bush. And he was posing beautifully right in the middle of his work of art.

It may not be exactly what we would normally think of as a labor of love, but I appreciated his efforts, which seemed to me both practical and beautiful.

Stairs

Here we have both indoor and outdoor stairs in Ireland, both a bit perilous in their own way. We carried our luggage up these stairs when staying in Ballynahinch Castle, but that was nothing compared to walking the stone steps on Skellig Michael in the wind with no handrail.

Street

The streets of Pompeii are a marvel of Roman engineering. In addition to being laid out methodically, they feature sidewalks, embedded reflector stones, and crosswalks.

Salamanca, Spain

I spent a semester in Salamanca during university and a piece of my heart will always remain. A beautiful city, a friendly and fun city, and so full of history. These were my daily sights: the double cathedral, the Plaza Mayor, and my host family’s street in the east part of the old city.