The Ten Most Awesome Sights of the Baron's Life

…..On Dave Letterman’s show each night, he offers a list of the “10 Best” of different things in the news or elsewhere. Well, I also have a 10 Best list I’d like to share with you, and that is ten of the most awesome things in nature or man-made that the Baron has experienced in his wide travels—years ago. I haven’t said that I have a list of things that I’ve “seen”—I said, “experienced”. And behind those experiences is a passion that has not left my soul. They were experiences inspiring awe and wonder. (The descriptions are provided by Wikepedia) First on my list is:

….. 1)the Taj Mahal. --"the Taj" is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as the symbol of eternal love. When I first saw this structure it seemed as though it were floating on air. No photo could ever give it justice.

…..2)the Sistine Chapel.--The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, at the commission of Pope Julius II, is one of the most renowned artworks of the High Renaissance. The ceiling is that of the large Papal Chapel built within the Vatican between 1477 and 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV after whom it is named the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is the location for Papal Conclaves and many important services. After hearing and reading about this amazing ceiling and seeing a movie about it with Charlton Heston, I looked at "the hand of God" in silent passion.

…..3)Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius.-- Pompeii is a partly buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the commune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1,600 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1599. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. This ruined city and the sight of Vesuvius was beyond amazing; the image of the exploding volcano flooding ash through the city joggled around in my mind, and I still can't deplete it.

…..4)the York Minster.--the York Minster is a cathedral in the City of York in northern England that has the most awe inspiring stained glass windows that I’ve ever experienced in this wide world. York as a whole and particularly the Minster have a long tradition of creating beautiful stained glass. Some of the stained glass in York Minster dates back to the twelfth century. The 76-foot (23 m) tall Great East Window, created by John Thornton in the early fifteenth century, is the largest example of medieval stained glass in the world. Other spectacular windows in the Minster include an ornate rose window and the 50-foot (15 m) tall five sisters window. If you are ever in England, don’t miss it! I am certain that not too many of my friends and acquaintances have experienced the wonders of this cathedral; but if you are ever in England--don't miss it!

.....I do have six more of these wonders, and they will be forthcoming. Are you at least, curious? Then stay tuned.