Rome, Milan, a garden and a squirt were on Wil's post-concert itinerary

Wilmer Henninger, like Molly, has sent us photos from the end of his Italian trip, and while he has returned home, we're happy to share his latest pics. We begin in Rome, or rather, Vatican City.

"Our guide told us that taking photos in the Sistine Chapel was not permitted, and several signs prior to entry confirmed that. But amid the milling throng inside, the hubbub, the heat, and general lack of reverence, hundreds of flash photos were being taken, so I took one of my own. The famous panel of God giving Adam a soul is in the center."

"I went to see this basilica, called St. John Lateran, one of four in Roma and the original home of the papacy before moving to Vatican City.  My sister said it is her favorite church of all she has seen, and she has seen thousands (true!).

"I put this at the top of my list, as well.  No photo can show the colors and the reverential grandeur of the place. Perhaps the feeling comes from the lack of tourists, as it is located somewhat off the beaten track. Whatever the reason, this is worth a stop for anyone interested in church architecture."

I'm not sure of the sequence, but at some point, Wilmer took off for northern Italy to see the city of Milan.
  
La Scala is a world-renowned opera house in Milan. The theater was inaugurated on August 3, 1778.

"Who would have thought this was one of the world's most important auditoriums? You would drive right by it, even if trying to find it. All the funds were spent inside, for sure. Our guide said that when it was built, there were buildings across the street, and spending on a more impressive facade would have been a waste."

 

"Across the way, Leonardo da Vinci ponders the new additions on the rear of La Scala."

"Here is the Milan Duomo, which, we are told, is the world's third-largest. Very impressive on the outside, but not so much inside in comparison to others we have seen."

"The inside is dingy from candle soot, incense, and other pollutants. It should be bright like the exterior--it's the same marble!



"Beside the Duomo is the Galleria, roofed over 1865-1877, if I recall our guide correctly. So it is the first 'mall,' they say."



"This would have been impressive, but here is the ubiquitous Italian restoration-in-progress. Supposedly, every cultural feature is being restored, trees planted, roads repaved, etc., because Milan will be holding a world's fair in 2015, and gazillions of visitors are expected.

"While the choir went off to visit Assisi and Spoleto, I rented a car and went to see a villa I had learned about in my Landscape Architecture History class. Villa Lante is being restored to its former grandeur by the Italian government. Thus one must imagine the fountain in this photo to be operating."



"The most impressive fountain at Villa Lante."

"On my last day before returning home, I took a train to Geneva--very modern and fast."

"The Alps near the Italy-Switzerland border."

"My visit to Geneva included seeing CERN, Europe's institute for nuclear research. Primarily they are looking for the 'Higgs bosun,' a particle predicted by scientists as the particle that gives everything mass. The visitor center shown gives an introduction to the institute's work.

"In another building, displays and a movie provide more information."

 

"Out front of the main building, I walked northward and found had I walked from Switzerland across the border into France.  Don't tell Customs!"

"I ended my day--and my trip--with a walk around the Geneva waterfront and saw the famous fountain that is a single squirt over 300' high."

Thank you, Wil, for sharing this "extra" part of the trip with us. We have enjoyed it immensely. Thank you to all the Market Square Singers who contributed to our blog and to all those who read and left such kind comments.