On the south side of the White House, attention usually goes to the familiar building and its lawn. A modest granite marker at the northern edge
On Via San Martino, a small female figure set into a wall is easy to overlook. There is no grand forecourt preparing you for an important
North of the White House, it is easy to look only towards the presidential building. Lafayette Square has a story of its own, though. Its four
At Washington’s National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, one pine has a history far larger than its size. The Yamaki pine has been trained as bonsai
In Piazza dei Cavalieri, the Clock Palace appears part of a calm architectural order: a pale façade, windows, a tall passage and a clock above. That
In an open meadow at the United States National Arboretum, pale Corinthian columns stand without a roof. Trees and sky appear between their shafts. The place
Galileo at the top of Pisa’s Leaning Tower, two unequal weights and an astonished audience below: the scene almost directs itself. Standing in the square,
Washington National Cathedral can be admired as a large Gothic building, but two small details change the familiar view. High on a northwest tower is a
The Washington Monument seems one of the capital’s simplest structures: a pale vertical shaft, a gentle taper and a pointed top. Look more carefully, though,
On Pisa’s embankments, a question arises that the famous tower does not answer: if this was a maritime republic, why is there a river rather
Pisa has one world-famous Leaning Tower, but leaning does not belong to that building alone. The bell towers of San Nicola and San Michele degli
In Pisa, making an attractive list is easier than turning it into an enjoyable day. The cathedral square, a museum, the city walls and the Arno
