St. Chapelle Upper Chapel

A while back, I posted photos from the Lower Chapel of Paris's beautiful St. Chapelle.  Today, I give you the even more gloriously colorful Upper Chapel.  This entire building looks like it's made of stained glass.

 

 

St. Chapelle

Just a couple of short blocks away from the famed Notre Dame in Paris, is a small but exquisitely beautiful church.  I've rarely seen such rich, vibrant colors.  The entire thing is made to look as though it were made of nothing but stained glass.  Every column and statue and carving is painted and gilded.

Here we have the lower chapel (also known as the gift shop) -- soon I will be posting shots of the glorious upper chapel.

Being Sneaky in the Abbey

As a photographer and a cathedral collector, I was excited by the opportunity to capture the beautiful Westminster Abbey.  Imagine my frustration when I got there and paid for an entry ticket (quite an expensive one at that) only to discover that they didn't allow photography inside anymore.

I won't go into the myriad of lame excuses they gave me (or the way I blew each and every one of them out of the water)...but I will confess that I was rather naughty and sneaked a couple of choice shots in blindly under my arm.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart

I love it when universities have little chapels on their campuses.  I've been to several, but I think this one has so far been my personal favorite.  On Notre Dame campus in South Bend, there is this absolutely delightful cathedral, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  The details were amazing.

St. Joseph Church

I visit Northern California often, but only just a few days ago learned of this little gem of a church in San Jose.  St. Joseph's is a small cathedral, but beautifully detailed and aboslutely charming.

The Rose Window

One of my favorite aspects of a gothic cathedral is the incredible rose windows you can find.  The shapes in these stained glass marvels can be truly fantastic.

This has long been a favorite window, in one of my favorite cathedrals -- the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

It was also, as it happens, one of my first pitiful attempts at an HDR.

Greek Orthodox

When traveling to a new place, it always helps to know someone local.  During a visit to the beautiful city of Vienna, we met up with a couple who lived there and took us to some very nice places that would not have otherwise been on our travel map.  My favorite was probably this beautiful little Greek Orthodox church -- you won't typically find it on a "must-see" list of activities for Vienna, but it was well worth the side trip.

Angels of the Madeleine

It's one of my favorite features of a cathedral -- the stained glass.  The Cathedral of the Madeleine has incredibly detailed and richly colored stained glass.  I loved the various angels I saw depicted in them.  I think I especially liked the one with purple wings.  If I were an angel, I think I'd want purple wings.  :-)

Salt Lake City's cathedral

Everyone knows about famous Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  I go there all the time, it is one of the most stunningly beautiful places to visit.

But another of my favorite spots in Salt Lake is the cathedral just down the road a little bit.  The Cathedral of the Madeleine.

I introduced some friends of mine to this place today.  I am particularly a fan of the amazing stained glass.