Smouldering pillar candles, old wood, wafting holy smoke, cold veined marble, and of course, the weighty silence of devotion—ah, the olfactory images of the Catholic Church.
These sacred spaces have always held a certain allure, despite my agnostic sensibilities. Indeed, no sojourn to Europe's greatest cities, whether it be Rome, Paris or Lisbon, are complete without several daily pitstops in one of their many cathedrals, chapels, and basilicas. I come for the ornate stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings and candelabras, and stay for the serenity (and cooler air).
