3. Rubens’ Little Fur (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). A portrait of his wife that Rubens painted for himself, and the loving care and skill he put into it are marvelous to see. It hangs in a room with other works by Rubens, and it is so far superior to them that it makes the other paintings look ordinary. A strong contender for the greatest portrait ever painted - the work of a genius, at the peak of his skill.

4. Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks (National Gallery, London). One of two similar but not identical paintings - the other version hangs in the Louvre. The face of the angel, in particular, is surpassingly beautiful.

5. The stained-glass windows of the Cathedral at Chartres. World famous for their astounding blue tones, this is only one aspect of a truly breathtaking cathedral located in a small town southwest of Paris. As my high-school Spanish teacher said to me years ago, “If you are ever in France, please, be kind to yourself, and go to Chartres.”