ChurchSketch

124-3592 – Church of Saint John the Baptist, Budva

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

After we made another trip to the airport in Tivat to drop off our youngest daughter we decided to chill in Budva before going to Podgorica and our flight home. The day before this before we did boat ride (which turned out to be a bit disappointing and expensive), followed by some souvenir shopping and overheating in the old town. We enjoyed the old town in Budva more than in Kotor (less crowded and less touristy) and we sat in a little square listening to a busker while I sketched this. According to one website this church was built in the 7th century.

Mon-17-Aug-2026

124-3590 – At the cat park

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

On this day we walked into Kotor Old City centre, while my wife caught up on some work. Our first stop in the city was the Cat Museum! Later we all met up at the cat park (where volunteers provide food and water for the cats of the city) and where I sketched this. Apparently there are many cats in Kotor because historically, they served as the city’s primary line of defence against vermin.

Fri-14-Aug-2026

104-3136 – St. Laurence’s church

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

This sketch was done after we had had breakfast in York and then drove to Chorley for my daughter to have an interview and trial shift at a café (unfortunately she didn’t get the job). I napped in the car when we arrived as we had got up at 2:30 am to drive to York Racecourse where our hot air balloon took off. I then sketched this church while we waited. This tower was built in the 15th Century – but there is a documentary record of a church existing here since 1362! There is so much history in the UK.

Wed-28-May-2025

102-3081 – Holy Cross Parish, Sta. Cruz

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

This sketch was done on the last full day we had in Marinduque – which started with a visit to Bagumbungan Cave, which took us 3 hours of crawling, stumbling and rappelling to get through the 1.9km. We were told that we were slow to make it through but it was well worth it because of the fantastic rock formations. After this we had lunch in Sta. Cruz (amazingly enough we found some veggie burgers at “Mac Burgers”…being sold as a Lenten option). Then we paused at the church for a sketch before heading home.

Sun-20-Apr-2025

102-3073 – Herald at St. Joseph Spouse of Mary Catholic Church, Gasan

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

After our island hopping we had lunch in Gasan (when I had “chop suey”, and ham was suggested a couple of times even though we told the waitress that I don’t eat meat!), also spending some time fiddling about to find a new spare tyre (which my wife ordered and was due to be delivered from the mainland after 2 days). We then visited the church in Gasan which is quite high up and has great views over the sea. Although a church on this site was first established in 1609 the current structure is quite new (I found one site saying the church was destroyed several times including most recently in 1986 when it was rebuilt in concrete), but is tastefully done and was decorated (I assume) for the Moriones Festival.

Mon-14-Apr-2025

102-3071 – Bell tower at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Boac

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

After lunch (yummy miso soup) on our first day in Marinduque we went into Boac for a wander and visited the cathedral. It looks ancient on the outside but is modernised inside. According to the internet the cathedral was built in 1792 and served as a refuge against pirate attacks and during times of conflict like Moro raids in the Spanish colonial period. Several websites say the tower is built of “Adobe Stones” – i.e sun dried mud bricks, but to me it looked more like sandstone. While I sketched this, people came out of mass and looked at what I was doing, making friendly remarks, while my wife wandered about testing out the settings on her camera.

Sun-13-Apr-2025

93-2831 – St. Mary Magdalene Church, Kawit

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

My next sketch on the Kawit Heritage Tour with #UskManila was of the bell tower at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Mary Magdalene. This Roman Catholic church is one of the oldest in the Philippines, with construction started in 1737. Our guide told us that when the Spanish arrived in the area in 1624, Kawit became a red-light district and to counter this reputation, the Archbishop of Manila dedicated the church to Saint Mary Magdalene (supposedly a prostitute turned repentant sinner – although these days the idea of her being a prostitute is considered untrue and just served to disempower women).

Sat-31-Aug-2024

92-2817-9 – Girona

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin
Barcelona Sants to Girona

Back to Spain with this post – on our second day we went to Girona (a medieval city founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago and a fantastic place to visit). My first sketch was done on the train – but it didn’t turn out too well! When we arrived, we sat in Independence Square for coffee. I couldn’t find out anything about the fountain (with a boy sitting on a turtle) that I sketched – it’s called “The Turtle Boy” (“El Nen de la Tortuga”) – but the statue in the middle of the square is by Antoni Parera. The second sketch was done in front of Basilica de Sant Feliu (church of St. Felix) where we sat to eat our lunch. The baroque façade was built in the 13th-18th centuries.

Child of the turtle
Basilica de Santa Feliu

Thu-15-Aug-2024