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The bell tower of All Hallows-by-the-Tower With 20 Fenchurch Street in background London, September 2016 �The church was badly damaged by an explosion in 1650 caused when some barrels of gunpowder being stored in the churchyard exploded; its west tower and some 50 nearby houses were destroyed, and there were many fatalities. The tower was rebuilt in 1658, the only example of work carried out on a church during the Commonwealth era of 1649�1660. It only narrowly survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and owes its survival to Admiral William Penn, father of William Penn of Pennsylvania fame, who had his men from a nearby naval yard demolish the surrounding buildings to create firebreaks. During the Great Fire, Samuel Pepys climbed the churchs spire to watch the progress of the blaze and what he described as �the saddest sight of desolation�. Restored in the late 19th century, All Hallows was gutted by German bombers during the Blitz in World War II and required extensive reconstructi

The bell tower of All Hallows-by-the-Tower With 20 Fenchurch Street in background London, September 2016 �The church was badly damaged by an explosion in 1650 caused when some barrels of gunpowder being stored in the churchyard exploded; its west tower and some 50 nearby houses were destroyed, and there were many fatalities. The tower was rebuilt in 1658, the only example of work carried out on a church during the Commonwealth era of 1649�1660. It only narrowly survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and owes its survival to Admiral William Penn, father of William Penn of Pennsylvania fame, who had his men from a nearby naval yard demolish the surrounding buildings to create firebreaks. During the Great Fire, Samuel Pepys climbed the church's spire to watch the progress of the blaze and what he described as �the saddest sight of desolation�. Restored in the late 19th century, All Hallows was gutted by German bombers during the Blitz in World War II and required extensive reconst

�Bagni nelle antiche terme� by Antonio Peppini, 1826 Borgo Santissimi Apostoli / Piazza del Limbo Florence, April 2017 �I am now standing opposite the famous Piazza del Limbo, that precious, sunken-in piazza that boasts the Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli. But before I descend, I take in the nineteenth-century building on my side of the street, the Bagni nelle Antiche Terme, which stands on the site of the original Roman baths. Antonio Peppini funded the construction of this building in 1826 (his name adorns the building) to be used once again for the citys public baths. It is now a high-end tailor shop, Bottega delle Antiche Terme di Simone Abbarchi (no. 16).� ( Borgo Santissimi Apostoli , The Florentine)

�Bagni nelle antiche terme� by Antonio Peppini, 1826 Borgo Santissimi Apostoli / Piazza del Limbo Florence, April 2017 �I am now standing opposite the famous Piazza del Limbo, that precious, sunken-in piazza that boasts the Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli. But before I descend, I take in the nineteenth-century building on my side of the street, the Bagni nelle Antiche Terme, which stands on the site of the original Roman baths. Antonio Peppini funded the construction of this building in 1826 (his name adorns the building) to be used once again for the city's public baths. It is now a high-end tailor shop, Bottega delle Antiche Terme di Simone Abbarchi (no. 16).� ( Borgo Santissimi Apostoli , The Florentine)

Torre de Collserola by Norman Foster , 1991 Carretera de Vallvidrera al Tibidabo Barcelona, March 2017 �Torre de Collserola is a uniquely designed tower located on the Tibidabo hill in the Serra de Collserola, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by the architect Sir Norman Foster and by the Spanish civil engineers Julio Mart�nez Calz�n and Manuel Juli� Vilardell. This emblematic tower was built in 1991 by the construction company Cubiertas y MZOV S.A. for the 1992 Summer Olympics. It features a pod for floor space like many towers but uses guy wires for lateral support like a mast. Mainly used as a TV and radio transmitter, this futuristic design provides the highest viewpoint over the city. The top antenna reaches 288.4 m (946 ft) and the top of the pod, which has thirteen floors, reaches 152 m (499 ft). The highest point of this tower is actually the highest place you could be in the city of Barcelona.� ( Torre de Collserola , Wikipedia)

St Pauls Within the Walls by George Edmund Street , 1880 Via Napoli Rome, April 2013 �St Pauls Within the Walls, also known as the American Church in Rome, is a church of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe on Via Nazionale in Castro Pretorio, Rome. It was the first Protestant church to be built in Rome. Designed by English architect George Edmund Street in Gothic Revival style, it was built in polychrome brick and stone, and completed in 1880. The church contains mosaics which are the largest works of the English Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones.� ( St Pauls Within the Walls , Wikipedia)

St Paul's Within the Walls by George Edmund Street , 1880 Via Napoli Rome, April 2013 �St Paul's Within the Walls, also known as the American Church in Rome, is a church of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe on Via Nazionale in Castro Pretorio, Rome. It was the first Protestant church to be built in Rome. Designed by English architect George Edmund Street in Gothic Revival style, it was built in polychrome brick and stone, and completed in 1880. The church contains mosaics which are the largest works of the English Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones.� ( St Paul's Within the Walls , Wikipedia)

�Room without a View� by Antony Gormley, 2014 (That thing above The Garden Caf�) Brown Hart Gardens Off Duke Street, Mayfair London, September 2016 �Gormley has created his suite � its called Room � for the Beaumont, a hotel due to open this autumn in Brown Hart Gardens. The hotel is not exactly a Travelodge. It is a swanky place that raises the question of how an artist can, in good faith, make a work that teases the general public with its shiny exterior while in reality be a delight for the rich guests this Mayfair establishment is hoping to attract. No one would tell me the cost for a night in Gormleys Room, though its said to go for roughly �2,500.� ( Antony Gormleys �2,500 Room without a view , The Guardian)

�Room without a View� by Antony Gormley, 2014 (That thing above The Garden Caf�) Brown Hart Gardens Off Duke Street, Mayfair London, September 2016 �Gormley has created his suite � it's called Room � for the Beaumont, a hotel due to open this autumn in Brown Hart Gardens. The hotel is not exactly a Travelodge. It is a swanky place that raises the question of how an artist can, in good faith, make a work that teases the general public with its shiny exterior while in reality be a delight for the rich guests this Mayfair establishment is hoping to attract. No one would tell me the cost for a night in Gormley's Room, though it's said to go for roughly �2,500.� ( Antony Gormley's �2,500 Room without a view , The Guardian)

�Ai Weiwei. Libero� exhibition Palazzo Strozzi , Piazza degli Strozzi Florence, January 2017

Radio City Music Hall , Rockefeller Center 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) New York, September 2008 � Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation , and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city. Its interior was declared a city landmark in 1978. It is notable as being the headquarters for the precision dance company, the Rockettes.� ( Radio City Music Hall , Wikipedia)

Statue of Giuseppe Parini by Luca Secchi , 1899 Piazza Cordusio Milano, November 2016 �He was born in Cremona, but resided during his career mostly in Milan. He was initially a pupil of Pietro Magni, and then of Francesco Barzaghi at the Brera Academy. He worked on statues in bronze and marble. He exhibited in 1883 in Milan, a bronze statue titled: Modello in Riposo. His work Bel mattino was awarded at the 1883 Girotti competition. In 1884, in Turin, he exhibited a model for In Repose. In 1886 in Milan, he exhibited this statue in marble. He was commissioned a number of monuments in and around Milan. These include the Monument to the poet Giuseppe Parini, (1899) at the piazza Cordusio, Milan. The base was completed with Antonio Beltrami and inaugurated on the centenary of the writers death. One of his masterworks is his monument to Verdi made for town where the composer lived.� ( Luca Secchi , Wikipedia)

Statue of Giuseppe Parini by Luca Secchi , 1899 Piazza Cordusio Milano, November 2016 �He was born in Cremona, but resided during his career mostly in Milan. He was initially a pupil of Pietro Magni, and then of Francesco Barzaghi at the Brera Academy. He worked on statues in bronze and marble. He exhibited in 1883 in Milan, a bronze statue titled: Modello in Riposo. His work Bel mattino was awarded at the 1883 Girotti competition. In 1884, in Turin, he exhibited a model for In Repose. In 1886 in Milan, he exhibited this statue in marble. He was commissioned a number of monuments in and around Milan. These include the Monument to the poet Giuseppe Parini, (1899) at the piazza Cordusio, Milan. The base was completed with Antonio Beltrami and inaugurated on the centenary of the writer's death. One of his masterworks is his monument to Verdi made for town where the composer lived.� ( Luca Secchi , Wikipedia)

The Shard and the London Bridge Staircase Seen from the London Bridge London, September 2016

Torre della Pagliazza Piazza SantElisabetta Florence, April 2017

Torre della Pagliazza Piazza Sant'Elisabetta Florence, April 2017

Montju�c Communications Tower by Santiago Calatrava , 1992 Anella Ol�mpica (Olympic Ring) Passeig Ol�mpic, Montju�c Barcelona, March 2017 �The Montju�c Communications Tower, popularly known as Torre Calatrava and Torre Telef�nica, is a telecommunication tower in the Montju�c neighborhood of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava, with construction taking place from 1989 to 1992. The white tower was built for Telef�nica to transmit television coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. The 136-metre (446 ft) tower is located in the Olympic park and represents an athlete holding the Olympic Flame. The base is covered with trencad�s, Gaud�s mosaic technique created from broken tile shards. Because of the towers orientation, it works also as a giant sundial, which uses the Europa square to indicate the hour.� ( Montju�c Communications Tower , Wikipedia)

Montju�c Communications Tower by Santiago Calatrava , 1992 Anella Ol�mpica (Olympic Ring) Passeig Ol�mpic, Montju�c Barcelona, March 2017 �The Montju�c Communications Tower, popularly known as Torre Calatrava and Torre Telef�nica, is a telecommunication tower in the Montju�c neighborhood of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava, with construction taking place from 1989 to 1992. The white tower was built for Telef�nica to transmit television coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. The 136-metre (446 ft) tower is located in the Olympic park and represents an athlete holding the Olympic Flame. The base is covered with trencad�s, Gaud�'s mosaic technique created from broken tile shards. Because of the tower's orientation, it works also as a giant sundial, which uses the Europa square to indicate the hour.� ( Montju�c Communications Tower , Wikipedia)

Street musician Via Garibaldi Genoa, April 2016

Number 100 Regent Street, Mayfair London, September 2016

Painted wood Mary Magdalene by Desiderio da Settignano , 1464 Church of Santa Trinita , Piazza Santa Trinita Florence, April 2017

French Communist Party Headquarters Place du Colonel-Fabien Quartier du Combat, 19th arrondissement Paris, July 2005

Casa Isolani (Isolani House) Strada Maggiore Bologna, Jene 2015 �Dominating the entrance to Strada Maggiore, one of the main streets of Medieval Bologna, is the doorway to the Casa Isolani. This is one of the most interesting examples of Roman-Gothic architecture in Bologna. The tall wood structure marks the beginning of the Corte Isolani, a covered passageway that connects two of the most monumental areas of Bologna. The complex of Isolani buildings, restored and opened to the public in 1999, still belongs to the family that gave it its name. It crosses the courtyards and atriums that line the shops, offices, and residences, continuing all the way to the Piazza Santo Stefano.� ( Corte Isolani , ItalyGuides.it)

Kayaking along the Thames Between London Bridge and Tower Bridge London, September 2016

A green balcony Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) Florence, April 2017 �It has always hosted shops and merchants who displayed their goods on tables before their premises, after authorization of the Bargello (a sort of a lord mayor, a magistrate and a police authority). The back shops (retrobotteghe) that may be seen from upriver, were added in the seventeenth century. It is said that the economic concept of bankruptcy originated here: when a money-changer could not pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the �banco�) was physically broken (�rotto�) by soldiers, and this practice was called �bancorotto� (broken table; possibly it can come from �banca rotta� which means �broken bank�). Not having a table anymore, the merchant was not able to sell anything.� ( Ponte Vecchio , Wikipedia)

Casa Mart� Trias i Dom�nech by Juli Batllevell, 1905 Parc G�ell Barcelona, March 2017 �October 1900 saw the start of work on dividing the site into levels, with building work proceeding at a good pace. On 4 January 1903, a description published in the Anuari de l�Associaci� d�Arquitectes (Association of Architects Year Book) noted that the two entrance pavilions had been constructed, as well as the main flight of steps, the shelter for horse-drawn carriages, the outer enclosure, the viaducts and part of the great esplanade, together with the water evacuation system. By 1907 events were already being held in the great square, from which we know that the hypostyle room was entirely covered by then, while the tiled bench running around it was completed in 1914. The first person to buy a plot in the Park, in 1902, was a friend of G�ell, lawyer Mart� Trias i Dom�nech, who commissioned architect Juli Batllevell with building his villa. At the same time, the works contractor, Josep Pardo i Ca

Chiesa di SantEufemia ( SantEufemia church ) Fondamenta SantEufemia, Giudecca Venice, September 2013 �It was initially built in the 9th century in the Venetian-Byzantine style. It was restored and rebuilt several times, finally in the 18th century, when the fa�ade was altered, stucco applied to the central nave and the ceiling vaults of the interior and three altarpieces added - �Jesus among the Doctors� in the Chapel of St Francis, a 1771 Visitation of the Virgin by Giambattista Canal and �The Adoration of the Magi� by Jacopo Marieschi (the third of these has now been moved elsewhere). The ceiling painting is also by Canal in the style of Tiepolo and shows scenes relating to the churchs patron saint - her baptism in the left aisle, the saint in glory in the central nave and episodes from her life in the right aisle. Its right side overlooks the Giudecca canal and has a portico with Doric style columns, taken from the nearby church and monastery of Santi Biagio e Cataldo during the lat

Chiesa di Sant'Eufemia ( Sant'Eufemia church ) Fondamenta Sant'Eufemia, Giudecca Venice, September 2013 �It was initially built in the 9th century in the Venetian-Byzantine style. It was restored and rebuilt several times, finally in the 18th century, when the fa�ade was altered, stucco applied to the central nave and the ceiling vaults of the interior and three altarpieces added - �Jesus among the Doctors� in the Chapel of St Francis, a 1771 'Visitation of the Virgin' by Giambattista Canal and �The Adoration of the Magi� by Jacopo Marieschi (the third of these has now been moved elsewhere). The ceiling painting is also by Canal in the style of Tiepolo and shows scenes relating to the church's patron saint - her baptism in the left aisle, the saint in glory in the central nave and episodes from her life in the right aisle. Its right side overlooks the Giudecca canal and has a portico with Doric style columns, taken from the nearby church and monastery of Santi B

Detail of �Of Saints and Sailors� by Benedetto Pietromarchi, 2016 St Mary Axe, City of London London, September 2016

Statue of the �Abbondanza� (Abundance) by Pietro Tacca, 1636 Homage to Joanna of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany Giardino di Boboli ( Boboli Gardens ) Florence, January 2017

Delivery bike, Deutsche Post Rudi-Dutschke-Stra�e Berlin, September 2013

Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta, 1348 (Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption) Duomo di Siena Siena Cathedral Piazza del Duomo Siena, April 2017 � Siena Cathedral ( Duomo di Siena ) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Previously the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, from the 15th century the Archdiocese of Siena, it is now that of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val dElsa-Montalcino. The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and

Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta, 1348 (Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption) Duomo di Siena Siena Cathedral Piazza del Duomo Siena, April 2017 � Siena Cathedral ( Duomo di Siena ) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Previously the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, from the 15th century the Archdiocese of Siena, it is now that of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino. The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white

Cormorant on the Thames Battersea Park London, September 2016

A bunch of plastic Pinocchios Galleria degli Uffizi ( Uffizi Gallery ) Florence, April 2017

Gare de Neuilly - Porte Maillot, 1854 (1871) Boulevard Pereire Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement Paris, July 2012

Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune), 1823 By Giuseppe Valadier (architect), Giovanni Ceccarini (sculptor) Piazza del Popolo Rome, April 2013 �Fountains by Giovanni Ceccarini (1822�23), with matching compositions of a central figure flanked by two attendant figures, stand on each side of the piazza to the east and west, flanked by neoclassical statues of The Seasons (1828). The Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) stands on the west side, Neptune with his trident is accompanied by two dolphins. Rome between the Tiber and the Aniene on the east side, against the steep slope of the Pincio, represents the terminal mostra of the aqueduct. Dea Roma armed with lance and helmet, and in front is the she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus.� ( Piazza del Popolo , Wikipedia)

�The Broad Family� by Xavier Corber�, 1991 Exchange Square, Broadgate, City of London London, September 2016 �Corber�s family members evoke a range of human feelings we all share � togetherness and separation, safety and vulnerability, innocence and experience. Approaching from a distance, you�d be forgiven for thinking they were hunks of rock. As you come closer the individual characters take shape, closer still and you�ll see a gentle humour woven into the work � in the ball, the dog and a pair of polished, lace-up shoes peeking out. Of great interest to visiting sculpture students, the scale of the basalt pieces is impressive, yet the distance between each figure is also important - a family group where each individual has its own space � something we all welcome at times. Considered by many to be Spain�s premier living sculptor, Corber�s roots are firmly in the Catalan artistic tradition. The son and grandson of artists and artisans, he is now based in Barcelona, a city he has perh

�The Broad Family� by Xavier Corber�, 1991 Exchange Square, Broadgate, City of London London, September 2016 �Corber�'s family members evoke a range of human feelings we all share � togetherness and separation, safety and vulnerability, innocence and experience. Approaching from a distance, you�d be forgiven for thinking they were hunks of rock. As you come closer the individual characters take shape, closer still and you�ll see a gentle humour woven into the work � in the ball, the dog and a pair of polished, lace-up shoes peeking out. Of great interest to visiting sculpture students, the scale of the basalt pieces is impressive, yet the distance between each figure is also important - a family group where each individual has its own space � something we all welcome at times. Considered by many to be Spain�s premier living sculptor, Corber�'s roots are firmly in the Catalan artistic tradition. The son and grandson of artists and artisans, he is now based in Barcelona, a city h

Fountain (restored in 2017) Piazza Santa Croce Florence, April 2017 �On November 27, 2015, at the culmination of three days of sumptuous celebrations, the fairytale marriage of the son of Indian millionaire Yogesh (�Yogi�) Mehta, Rohan and his bride Roshni took place in piazza Ognissanti. Only disappointed that Rohan could not, for health and safety reasons, arrive at the ceremony by elephant, the groom�s father, whose personal fortune is said to top 665 million euro, paid for it all. Mehta is the founder of the Petrochem empire, based in Dubai, with offices in Mumbai, Antwerp and London, as well as in Singapore and China. The marriage cost the entrepreneur an estimated eight million euro. About a third of this money went into the coffers of the City of Florence as payment for the use of public land and as tourist taxes generated by the 500-plus wedding guests staying in luxury hotels around town, whilst an additional 58,000 euro was earmarked to restore the fountain in piazza Santa Cr

One of the �Golondrinas� tourist boat Seen from Pla�a Rosa dels Vents Barcelona, March 2017 � Barcelona Mar offers for 1h30 the opportunity to visit the port, coastline and beaches of Barcelona. The ship sails from the Portal de la Pau (next to the Drassanes pier, under the Col�n monument), and travel 9 miles sailing along the coast of Barcelona showing the main buildings that make up the city skyline. It is a perfect activity for children, as it is a unique opportunity to enjoy nature and different view of the city, while allowing you to discover all its emblematic monuments, symbols of the culture of Barcelona.� ( Las Golondrinas de Barcelona )

One of the �Golondrinas� tourist boat Seen from Pla�a Rosa dels Vents Barcelona, March 2017 � Barcelona Mar offers for 1h30' the opportunity to visit the port, coastline and beaches of Barcelona. The ship sails from the Portal de la Pau (next to the Drassanes pier, under the Col�n monument), and travel 9 miles sailing along the coast of Barcelona showing the main buildings that make up the city skyline. It is a perfect activity for children, as it is a unique opportunity to enjoy nature and different view of the city, while allowing you to discover all its emblematic monuments, symbols of the culture of Barcelona.� ( Las Golondrinas de Barcelona )