Christ the Redeemer

Visiting Corcovado when in Rio is an absolute must. We've been lucky enough to have seen it in different weather conditions, different times of the day and with different people. And every visit has been special and memorable. We went up early this morning...well early for us(!) to avoid the crowds and so as not to be there in the hottest part of the day. Of course, there were still people there and it was still in the 30s! The statue stands at 39 metres high, weighs 1,145 tons and the first stone was laid in 1922. It can be seen from around the city and it's said that it protects Rio with a call for peace, brotherhood and love. It always brings a lump to my throat when I see it for the first time on arriving. One of the reasons why this visit will be memorable is that poor Bb was so engrossed in taking shots while we were going up on the escalator, that he didn't see the end coming, fell off hard onto his knees, grazing them badly and leaving him with a big bump! I was right behind him and couldn't warm him as I was checking my camera settings! No real damage done though, but I think it might be painful tomorrow!
PS I seem to have managed to get a speck of dust on my sensor and it's quite obvious on this shot.......but I wanted to use it anyway for my blip today as it's hard to get a new take on this iconic work!