Emily Jackson Dunlop- Beautiful Places I'd Like to Visit

1/17/2012

As an Art History major having seen many beautiful paintings, photographs, frescoes, and drawings of beautiful landscapes, I have always wanted to see these captivating locations first hand. A place that I want to visit in particular would be the ancient Greek ruins in Delphi, Greece. Located on a magnificent mountain away from the cities, it is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. I agree with the analogy between the mountain representing death and the spring running through it representing life. This is an ideal location of what could be called sacred ground to the people of ancient Greece. Delphi is a blend of both manmade and natural beauty.

Another place I want to see would be Santiago de Compostela. This is a famous pilgrimage cathedral located in Spain. St. James, one of the twelve apostles, is the patron saint of Spain making this pilgrimage very popular. Making a pilgrimage was and still is made by people today. Pilgrimages are long, exhausting journeys to a sacred place where a saint was buried, a church which houses an important relic of a saint, or to a famous religious locale. I would love to experience a great journey like this, but I highly doubt I would have the stamina. However, it would be a magnificent accomplishment.

Unfortunately, people today often only find beauty in cityscapes and manmade marvels, all too frequently forgetting to look for the beauty of the natural world. Some have been far from nature for so long they do not even realize how close it could really be if only they would look for it. If it is not cloudy, the stars are always there for us to enjoy. Hopefully we all have a patch of nature of our own in our yards or a park nearby to enjoy. It is important to not forget about the beauty of nature by being to caught up in the hustle and bustle of our technologically consumed lives. Relaxing in a special place is rejuvenating to the mind, body, and spirit. We should all find time to visit the beautiful places around us as often as we can. The places we visit do not have to be far away. We make places significant to our own feelings, memories, and experiences within those places. So a sacred place may be just around the corner.