Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady

The Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady is 700 years old and located next to the Mendel Museum. 

The church was built between 1323 and 1134.  

Queen Elizabeth Richeza, the widow of King Václav II, was the key patron for the church's construction.

In 1987, Pope John Paul II designated the church as a minor basilica. 

On the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, every 15 August, there's a pilgrimage that ends at the basilica honouring the Virgin Mary as the Protector of Brno.

Mendel Museum

On Saturday, we visited the Mendel Museum which is a science and history museum dedicated to Gregor Johann Mendel, the father of modern genetics.  A local Brno boy.

The museum is located in the Augustinian Abbey of St. Thomas where Mendel lived and conducted his experiments.  

It opened in 2002 and since 2007 it is a part of Masaryk University.

Since the museum is located in the Abbey, you also get to visit the monastery garden, the abbey's 18th-century Baroque library and the basilica.

Last year, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Mendel's birth, the city unveiled Hrachovina (Peas), across from the museum.  The large bronze sculpture celebrates Mendel's genetic experiments.

Best of Ephesus Tour, Türkiye

We had booked the Best of Ephesus Tour for Monday which was great.  We were the only two who had booked so we actually ended up on a private tour with our guide Mehmet.  

Our first stop was at a big statue of the Virgin Mary. 

After that we headed to Meryemana, the House of the Virgin Mary, which is about 6 km (3.7 miles) from Ephesus and 17 km (11 miles) from Şirince.  The house is surrounded by pine and olive trees.  It's a Catholic shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A bedridden Augustinian nun in Germany, named Anne Catherine Emmerich, had visions, about the Virgin Mary.  One was a description of the house that the Apostle John had built for the Virgin Mary where she lived out the rest of her life.  An author spent five years transcribing the nun's visions, before she passed away, and a book was published in 1852.

Two expeditions completed in 1891, discovering the match between the location and the nun's visions.  While the Roman Catholic Church has never officially proclaimed the validity of the site, multiple popes have given blessings and visited the house.  Each year on 15 August, pilgrims come to celebrate Mary's Assumption.  In 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified Anne Catherine Emmerich.

On the way to the shrine, you pass a key hole-shaped baptismal pool.

Outside of the house is a "wishing wall" where people write their wishes on paper or fabric.

There is a spring under the house which pilgrims believe to have healing properties.  There are fountains that people can drink from. 

I had to make sure to light a candle for my grandmother.  She would have loved that I came here. 

It was then on to Ephesus which was a city in Ancient Greece located 3 km (2 miles) southwest of Selçuk, 8 km from Şirince, 20 km (12.5 miles) north of Kuşadasi, and 70 km (44 miles) south of Izmir.

Ephesus was built in the 10th century BC.  It was one of the 12-member cities of the Ionian League and became part of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.  It's believed that the Gospel of St. John may have been written here.  

The city was conquered by numerous empires over the centuries and it was completely abandoned by the 15th century.  Ephesus is home to one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the Eastern Mediterranean and the ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

The most impressive ruin has to be the Library of Celsius.  It was built in around 125 AD in memory of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus who served as governor of Roman Asia.  He paid for the library from his own money and he is buried in a sarcophagus beneath it.  The library was the third-largest in the Greco-Roman world and was home to 12.000 scrolls.  

The library was no longer in use after 400 AD.  The facade was damaged by an earthquake in the 10th or 11th century but archaeologists re-erected it from 1970 to 1978.

The Great Theatre could hold an estimated 25.000 spectators and dates back to the Hellenistic period (3rd-1st century BC) with extensive renovation during the Roman period.  It's believed to have been the the largest theatre in the in the ancient world.

As it was just the two of us, our guide Mehmet used the opportunity to show us everything in great detail.  It would never have been possible with a larger group.

Ephesus was famous for the Temple of Artemis which was nearby.  The temple was completed around 550 BC and it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  The temple was destroyed by 401 AD.  The only thing left of the temple is a single pillar.

The Basilica of St. John, or rather what's left of it, sits on the slope of Ayasluğ Hill, in Selçuk, about 3,5 km (2.2 miles) from Ephesus.  It was built in the 6th century but was damaged when Turks invaded in 1090.

Many believe that the basilica was built on the tomb of the apostle.  

There's a fortress on the hill above the cathedral but we didn't visit it.

From the basilica you can see the İsa Bey Mosque.  The mosque was built from 1374-1375.  Unfortunately it is currently closed for renovation so we only got to view it at a distance.

Temple, mosque, basilica, and fortress

Portugalete, Spain

About 14 km (8 miles) north west of Bilbao, across the river from Getxo, is Portugalete.  The city is part of the Bilbao greater metropolitan area and it is home to about 46.000 people.

Portugalete was founded in 1322 so this year it celebrates its 700th anniversary.  

In the 1300's, its port competed with Bilbao but fell behind when Bilbao's port was grated trade privileges in 1511.  

In the 19th century it became a summer getaway for England's bourgeoisie.

Like Getxo, the Vizcaya Bridge is a major attraction.  The world's first transporter bridge which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.

The Basilica of Santa Maria was built on the site of an existing church.  Construction began in 1492 and it was consecrated in 1580.  

The Gothic church became a minor basilica in 1951 and in 1984 it was declared a national asset of cultural interest.

The town hall, located at Solar Plaza, doubles as the office of the municipal police.  The neoclassical building was completed in 1883.

Torre Salazar is a four-storey tower that was built around 1380.  Originally it was a defensive complex, with the first floor serving as a prison and the second floor being a residence.  Today there is a town museum and a restaurant.

La Canilla is the old railways station that was built in 1890 on land reclaimed from the sea.  Today it is the town tourist office.

The Convent of Santa Clara was founded in 1614.  Over the years it has been destroyed and rebuilt a few times.  Today it houses the town's cultural centre.

Museo Rialia is the museum of industry and it is located on the Old Dock.

A widow willed money and land to be used to provide free education for all children, workers and the poor.  So in 1902, Augustinian monks set up a convent and a school.  It was rebuilt in the early 1950s.

Portugalete is a pretty town filled with statues and and makes for a nice little day trip from Bilbao.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is the located in the southeastern part of Australia.  It is 465 km (289 miles) from Canberra and 713 km (443 miles) from Sydney.

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and the great metro area is home to 5 million people making it the second largest city in both Australia and Oceania.

Melbourne was founded in 1835 and in 1847 Queen Victoria declared it a city.  It became one of the world's wealthiest cities due to the 1850s gold rush in Victoria.  In 1901 it became the interim capital of Australia until Canberra became the permanent capital in 1927.

Melbourne Town Hall was completed in 1887.

St. Paul's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral.  It was completed in 1891.

The Old Melbourne Gaol opened in 1845 and closed in 1924.  The former prison is now a museum.

The Eight Hour Day Monument was erected in 1903.  It champions workers' rights by supporting 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, and 8 hours of recreation and education.

The Victoria State Library opened in 1854.  It is the country's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the world.



The Scots' Church was founded in 1838.  It was the first Presbyterian church built in Victoria.


The Melbourne City Synagogue was consecrated in 1877 making it the oldest in the city.

The Royal Society of Victoria was formed in 1854.

The Queen Victoria Market is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere.  

The City Baths were built in 1903.  The purpose was to get people to stop bathing in the Yarra River.

St. James Old Cathedral is an Anglican church and it is the city's oldest church.  It was dedicated in 1847 and it is one of only three buildings in the city that predates the 1851 gold rush.

The Royal Exhibition Building was completed in 1880.  In 2004 it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Regent Theatre opened in 1929.  It closed in 1970 but finally reopened in 1996.

Melbourne Museum opened in 2000 and it is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere.  It is home to the world's largest IMAX theatre screen.

Chinatown is in the CBD.  It came about during the gold rush and it is the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the Western World.

The Museum of Chinese Australian History was established in 1985.  It was refurbished in 2010 and since then it also acts as the local visitor centre.

Parliament House opened in 1856 but wasn't completed until 1929.  It serves as parliament for Victoria but it was the country's parliament from 1901 to 1927.




Princess Bridge opened in 1888 and crosses the Yarra River.

The Block Arcade opened in 1892.  It is one of the most popular shopping arcades in the city.

Great Petition was unveiled in 2008 to commemorate 100 years of women's suffrage in Victoria.



The Lutheran Trinity Church was built in 1874.  Surprisingly most of the church services here are in German.



Marvel Stadium opened in 2000.  It is home to The Australian Football League.






St. Patrick's Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral and it was consecrated in 1897. In 1986 it was made a Minor Basilica.  It is the largest church building in Australia.



Melbourne is a great city.  It has a very European feel to it which I guess makes sense as it has a large Italian community as well as the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Greece.

Melbourne has the world's largest urban tram network and it is often ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world.  For me it's the architecture that stands out.  Every modern building is unique and intersects with more historic buildings.

And no visit to Melbourne is complete without doing the Great Ocean Road.