Round Robin Challenge: Holy

"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

When I first found out what the topic for this challenge was, I couldn't help but smile. Our challenge, "Holy," was chosen this time around by Robin, author of the journal, "Search The Sea." The reason I smiled about the topic was because lately I have been appreciating the astounding architecture here in the Bay Area, particularly in the lovely houses of worship. From the old California missions, to the newer more modern designed churches, all of them are lovely to look at and HOLY places to visit and reflect.

Sts. Peter & Paul, San Francisco, Ca.

This is such a beautiful church. You can see the gorgeous steeples from all over the city. This view is from Coit Tower, looking down on it's neighborhood at Washington Square Park. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married on January 14, 1954 at the City Hall in San Francisco, but they posed for their wedding photos later that day on the steps of this church, where DiMaggio had worshipped in his childhood.

St Paul's Episcopal, Virginia City, Nv.

Last October, Alan and I visited the small, old west town of Virginia City Nevada. There were two churches that sat in the middle of town, and they were lovely examples of the serene beauty one sees, and the peace one feels when visiting a town that is straight out of the past.

Saint Mary in the Mountains, Virginia City, Nv.

This church sits just one block up the hill from St Paul's, in Virginia City. When we were in this part of Virginia City, there didn't seem to be any sound at all. It was a place of calm and peacefulness. I could have spent the whole day right here snapping off photos of the lovely churches in town.

The Mormon Temple of Oakland, California

When I was a little girl, and we would pass the temple as we drove on the freeway, I imagined it to be a castle sitting high above us in the Oakland Hills. You can see the temple from across the bay in San Francisco. It is an absolutely lovely church, and when it is lit up at night, it is absolutely stunning. It always catches my eye as I pass it...day or night.

Neighborhood Church, Castro Valley, Ca

You can see the large three crosses of the neighborhood church for miles. When I was a little girl, we attended the neighborhood church for a brief time. I remember to this day, how I used to gaze up at the crosses. They were so tall. It is another place that always catches my eye when I am in the area...and reminds me of quieter times. Their yearly Christmas program is especially well done, and of course, quite moving.

Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Ca.

A few years ago, I began a photo series of the California Missions. To date, Mission Santa Barbara is my favorite to photograph. It is also the most lovely of this missions I have been to so far. The grounds of the mission are breathtaking with a view of the Pacific Ocean, and a huge rose garden with over 500 varieties of roses. June is a wonderful month to visit and see them all in glorious bloom.

-OndineMonet

Be sure to visit the other Round Robin participants to see their interpretations of our current challenge, "Holy." If you would like to join us for the fun, just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Blog to learn all the details.

Robin... Search The Sea POSTED!

Karen... Outpost MavarinPOSTED!

Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED!

Erika... Photographs Of My Soul POSTED!

Tammy... The Daily Warrior POSTED!

Jessica... QuickSilver Dreams POSTED!

Patrick... Patrick's Portfolio POSTED!

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED!

Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED!

Connie... Connie's Photo Pages POSTED!

TJ... Photo Inclusions: Every Picture Tells A Story POSTED!

Deslily... Here, There and Everywhere 2nd Edition POSTED!
Here, There and Everywhere (AOL) POSTED!

Tess... First Digital Photos POSTED!