The moment you step onto the property and stand in the open courtyard, see the birds flittering…read morefrom scalloped cut out to cut out, vines shrouding the walls, the greenery hanging over your head like a rainforest canopy, and the original cobblestone beneath your feet, you feel as if you've been transported to another century, a much simpler time. Whether you prefer to sit in the sun on a bench in the center of the old church whose rooftop was damaged in the Great Fire and then from a bomb in 1941, or to retreat to the shady areas behind the high arched walls, it is nonetheless a very divine experience. Photographs do not do this place justice, you have to simply go and understand for yourself.
The trek up the hill to this place is irritatingly modern. All around its perimeters is either some form of disruptive and dust-raising construction or a cold and corporate office building, glass skyscraper, or something blocking the sunlight. If you want a more private affair, come during the early morning, late afternoon, or on weekends when the nearby office workers aren't swarming it eating their lunch or taking ciggie breaks. It can make for a less pleasant experience when you're swimming in a cloud of smoke.
