Igreja de Sta Clara

As I was wondering around checking out churches in Porto (Portugal) I noticed one marked on my map slightly off the beaten path. With little left to do that day I decided I'd cross the main street and see if I could find it. A small brown sign pointed into a courtyard, towards what looked like the side of a church tucked away behind a solid stone arch. This little unassuming facade was what I was looking for? But when you turn the door handle (literally a hand!) the interior will blow you away. It is a testament to the wood carving ability of the Portuguese. As I sat down to soak it in I just kept noticing more and more details. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping as I let my eyes roam. This, the church of St. Clair, was a truly impressive if unassuming little church.

Ahmedabad

Only in India would there be a city of several million that you had never heard of. But over the Diwali break I has headed to one of those. Ahmedabad. A city it took three people about 10 tries to teach me how to pronounce correctly on the bus out to the plane. A city that is home to some extraordinary wood and stone carving.  When you wander through the old poles (ethnic/religious neighborhoods) of the city it is easy to spot the old houses as they are covered in carvings. Sometimes just geometric designs, flowers and such but just as often images of dragons, lions, peacocks, horses and gryphons. The detail was amazing and meant I had a hard time keeping my eyes on where I was walking as all I wanted to do was keep looking up. At certain corners you would find a birdhouse standing proud, structures built to allow the residents to leave food and water for the birds in an area where trees were not all that common. And yes, I did see some residents pouring water into bowls when we took an early morning walking tour. But the most spectacular sight of all was the stone carvings. The trees of life which could be found as adornment on the Jami  Masjid mosque and the absolutely stunning carved windows of the Sidi Saiyyed mosque. I could have stood in awe for an hour just appreciating the design and work that had gone into those. Really made it worth the journey to Ahmedabad even if it that wasn't the purpose of our trip (that will have to come in another post though).