Last night, I found myself in an elevator with the Pope—or something pope-ish—when a chainsaw blared outside my window. Reality check: 8:19am, the conclave was in full swing, and my special edition blog was still asleep. But don’t worry, there’s more in this blog: a bird-elected Pope and a photo tour of the Basilica di S. Cecilia, where martyrdom meets subterranean secrets.
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Conclave Chronicles: Rome if You Want to, 5/7/25 (+ PhotoTour: Rome’s A-List Sites)
The world bids farewell to Pope Francis, and as the cardinals shuffle in, I’m tracking the conclave from afar in this special edition blog. The Vatican buzzes with anticipation, and I buzz with procrastination. In this issue: battling writing demons, conclave fun facts, and a photo tour of Rome’s icons—while I expertly sidestep a job hunt.
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This image has been blurred for those weak of stomach and faint of heart. This blog features up-close encounters with beautiful and intriguing skeletons—but if bones make you squeamish, scroll with caution. Consider yourself warned…
From Dead to Dazzling: The Unlikely Rise of Bob the Bejeweled Skeleton [Waldsassen, Germany]
Eleven jewel-encrusted pseudo-saints dripping in dazzle rest in glass cases, rock stars of the afterlife. Adorned with colorful gems, pearls, gold, and silver (even their eye sockets and teeth are embellished) and clad in sumptuous 18th-century attire, they peer at us from glass cases…
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Soggy Socks and Staggering Cliffs [Inis Oírr/Cliffs of Moher, Ireland]
Serpentine stone walls, tiny homesteads, castle ruins, emerald green hills, and beaches…
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Throwback to 1988: When my camera was as old as Notre-Dame.
A 36-Year History with Notre-Dame (or, the Cathedral that Tried to Kill Me) [Paris, France]
1988. I’m a high school senior, standing in Notre-Dame de Paris…crash! Completely unexpected in a place like this…a little stone, about the size of a golf ball, just sitting there on the floor to my right. I can only assume it fell from the vault above. Not exactly a comforting thought when you’re standing under an 850-year-old ceiling.
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Hooves and Handshakes: the Ballinasloe Horse Fair [Ballinasloe, Ireland]
In a sprawling field crowded with horses and people, the business of buying and selling horses happens across the withers of a horse, and deals are sealed with a handshake. Little ones, perched atop their ponies, gaze wide-eyed at the carnival rides as they dream of sugary treats.
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Hot Rocks and Cold Noses [Mt Etna, Sicily]
Close enough to the top to smell the burning earth…
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Sunshine and Shadows: A Day at Dachau [Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, Germany]
So many shades of suffering that permeated this space…
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Turquoise Tranquility: Lake Königssee’s Eco-Friendly Beauty [Berchtesgaden, Germany]
Eva Braun was said to have sunbathed frequently on its shores and Hitler to have boated its waters…
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