Category Archives: Church

10 Days In Croatia

Dubrovnik – Unesco World Heritage site

In 1979 Dubrovnik was named a Unesco World Heritage site in recognition of its medieval architecture and fortified old town. The fact that the city still exists is amazing in itself. The entire city was almost destroyed in 1667 by a huge earthquake. In 1991 the Yugoslav People’s Army shelled the city for seven months during the Croatian War of Independence. Over the centuries, because of its strategic location on the Adriatic Sea, it has changed hands more often than an old dollar bill. It has been overrun by emperors, sultans, Ottomans, Byzantines, Italians, Greeks, Romans, Serbians, Venetians, Hungarians, Germans, Croatians, Macedonians, and Crusaders.

Thanks to the Game of Thrones, mega-cruise ships and social media, it becomes difficult to talk about this beautiful city without obsessing on over-tourism. In 2019, before the pandemic, 1.5 million people roamed the narrow streets. To put it in perspective, that’s 36 tourist for every citizen. Things of cultural and historic significance are easy to overlook under the crush of overpriced tours, Game of Thrones t-shirts and Chinese made souvenirs. On a more positive note, the city is lovely and the gelato is fabulous.

The House of Marin Držić

Considered to be one of the finest Renaissance playwrights and prose writers of Croatian literature. Marin has even been called Croatia’s Shakespeare. His comedies, in particular, are lauded.

If it’s life that makes the writer then Marin can speak from experience. After a time in Sienna, Marin returned to Dubrovnik in 1543 and quickly became an acquaintance of the Austrian adventurer Christoph Rogendorf and began a series of vagabond exploits. He was connected with a group of Dubrovnik outlaws, and journeyed to Vienna, Constantinople and Venice, working as an interpreter, scrivener and church musician.

At one point he became convinced that Dubrovnik was being governed by a small group of elite aristocrats bent on tyranny. He wrote five letters desperately trying to convince the Medici family of Florence to help him overthrow the government in his home town. They never responded.

Split

Croatia’s Second Largest City

Split is a pretty interesting place. Much bigger than Dubrovnik, approximately four times bigger, it still has a much smaller and more relaxed feel. Now that may just be because we have confined our visit to the interior of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s large walled palace that sits at the harbor and haven’t ventured into the large bustling city that hovers just east of here.

Founded as a Greek trading colony in the 3rd century BC, Split really took off when the fortified Palace of Diocletian was built in 305 CE. It became a prominent settlement around 650 CE when Roman refugees fled here after Salona, the ancient capital of Dalmatia, was sacked by Slavs.

Although caught in the middle of the struggle between Venice and Croatia, Split managed to remain a free state for centuries until Venice finally won control of the Adriatic Sea and it became a heavily fortified Venetian city. That lasted until Napoleon beat the living daylights out of everyone in the late 18th century and the territory became part of the Habsburg monarchy. Then, in turn, became part of Italy, France, Austria, Yugoslavia, Germany and finally, after the fall of Yugoslavia, an independent Croatia.

Bishop Gregory of Nin

Bishop Gregory was always at odds with the power in Rome. He was the head of the rival Bishopric of Nin and attempted to institute the Slavic language into religious services. The Pope was having none of it and decreed that “no one should presume to celebrate the divine mysteries in the Slavonic language, but only in Latin and Greek, and that no one of that tongue should be advanced to the holy orders”. Bishop Greg’s pleas were rejected and his entire Nin bishopric was abolished in 928, but the Slavs still love him. Rubbing his toe has brought people good luck since 1929 when the statue was erected.

Marko Marulić

Marko is considered the father of Croatian literature and a major figure in the European renaissance. A lawyer, judge, author, poet and illustrator Marulić was the first to use the term psychology in his work “ Psychology concerning the nature of the human soul” published in 1524. His second most important work was Evangelistarium, an essay on ethical principles. A copy in the British Library belonged to Henry VIII and the margin notes indicate that the King was particularly interested in the authors religious views on choosing a spouse.

Apparently the great writer shared a mistress with his good friend Papalić. According to local stories they were very aware of their common affection, but like most threesomes, the whole affair ended in tragedy. The men would take turns climbing through the bedroom window of the young lady, the city commander’s daughter no less. Although it wasn’t his turn, Papalić asked Marulić to let him visit the girl’s bedroom. The local nobleman was caught and killed. The girl’s father, unable to live with the disgrace, buried his daughter alive behind a wall in the family home. It wasn’t until years later that her body was discovered. The whole debacle caused Marulić to move to a monastery on the island of Šolta.

Zagreb – The Capital

Zagreb Is the capital and largest city in Croatia. With 1,250,000 people, greater Zagreb has about a third of Croatia’s population. The earliest settlements in the region date from between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. The history of Zagreb itself dates from 1094 A.D. when Hungarian King Ladislaus founded a diocese and began the restoration of public safety. He was a severe legislator and punished thieves with death or mutilation.

The Legend King Saint Ladislaus

Legend has it that King Lad made his bones at The Battle of Kerlés when a Cuman warrior tried to flee the battlefield with a kidnaped Christian maiden. The severely wounded Ladislaus took chase. He shouted to the girl to catch hold of the pagan’s belt and jump to the ground. As the King and the pagan began wrestling the girl cut the pagan’s Achilles tendon allowing Ladislaus to subdue and behead the villain.

Ban Jelačić Square

The name “Zagreb” dates from 1094, but the city actually had two different city centers, Gradec and Kaptol. The city was finally united in 1851 by Ban Josip Jela Jelačića for whom the central square of the city was named in 1848. Austrian authorities had the large statue of Josip on horseback erected in the square in 1866. It caused much unease amongst Hungarians who viewed Jelačić as a traitor. Apparently he would set out on his military campaigns ill prepared and would take provisions from the towns and villages he passed through leaving the peasants destitute. It was removed under Communist rule in 1947, but then reinstalled in 1990 after the fall of Communism.

The 2020 earthquake that rattled Zagreb damaged the Zagreb Catheral’s 13th century Gothic spires. Since then the world’s most impressive scaffolding has shouded the church’s two towers.

Podravka is an international food processing company particularly renowned for their line of soups. The company chose red believing that the warm tone has a positive influence on peoples lives. Heart is at the core of their company philosophy. Besides being in the company’s logo, heart has been in all their slogans “From heart to heart” and “Company with the heart” and “When you cook with the heart, you cook Podravka soup”.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla is a national hero in Croatia. Born in the ethnic Serb village of Smiljan, about half way between Split and Zagreb, Tesla is considered by many the inventor of the electricity we use in our homes everyday, Tesla became famous during his lifetime. Noted for his showmanship at public lectures, he also demonstrated his achievements to celebrities and wealthy patrons at his lab. He made considerable money from early patents he had licensed to Westinghouse.

In 1893, he announced the possibility of wireless communications for practical use and plowed all his money into the Wardenclyffe Tower project, an intercontinental wireless communication and power transmitter, but the money ran out. He never completed it and he never completely recovered from it.

A bit of an eccentric, Tesla claimed never to sleep more than two hours per night, he curled his toes one hundred times for each foot every night, saying that it stimulated his brain cells, he had a photographic memory and said he used his ability to visualize in three dimensions to control the vividly terrifying nightmares he experienced as a child.

At his annual birthday parties he would announce his new inventions. In 1933 there was a motor that could run on cosmic rays and a way to photograph the retina to record thoughts. Tesla told reporters in 1934 that he had designed the “teleforce” death ray, a super weapon that would end all wars. On questions concerning the death ray, in 1937, Tesla said, “But it is not an experiment … I have built, demonstrated and used it. Only a little time will pass before I can give it to the world.”

By the 40s he had spent most of his money and moved from one New York hotel to the next, leaving behind unpaid bills. He died alone in Room 3327 of the New Yorker Hotel on January 7, 1943, at the age of 86. The body went undiscovered for two days until the maid finally ignored the “do not disturb” sign.

Tin Ujević

Augustin Josip “Tin” Ujević is considered by many to be the greatest poet in 20th century Croatian literature and is compared to Thomas Hardy and early Yeats.

The Sisters Baković

Rajka and Zdenka Baković were Croatian students and a members of the anti-fascist resistance movement in the Nazi controlled puppet state of the Independent State of Croatia. The sisters used their family newsstand at Nikolićeva Street No. 7 to pass messages to other members of the resistance at the beginning of World War II.

The Croatian Fascist and ultranationalistic Ustasha Surveillance Service arrested Rajka and Zdenka in December 1941. Both sisters were subjected to five days of severe torture but refused to betray their fellow resistance fighters. When Rajka could no longer stand she was taken to the hospital where she soon died. Zdenka became so distraught by her sister’s death that she broke free from her captors and threw herself out of a fourth story window. The Sisters Baković have been honored as People’s Heroes of Yugoslavia.

See you next time. Stay curious.

Schwerin – the Florence of the North

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Schwerin

This lovely storybook city in Northern Germany is referred to as the Florence of the North. The capital of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommen, Schwerin has a population of about 150,000. It is surrounded by lakes, the largest of these being the Schweriner See, the third largest in Germany.

City Market Square

At the end of World War II, Schwerin was taken by United States troops. It was then turned over to the British on June 1, 1945. One month later, on July 1st, it was handed over to the Soviet forces, and the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones.

Schwerin was then in the Soviet Occupation Zone which was to become the German Democratic Republic (GDR). After reunification in 1990 it once again became the capital of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommen.

The Trace of the Lion Monument

This monument on the Market Square in Schwerin was built in 1995 by the controversial German sculptor Peter Lenk. It commemorates the 800th anniversary of the death of the city’s founder Heinrich the Lion. During his lifetime, Henry, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, was one of the most powerful men in his region of the world. He founded the city of Schwerin in 1160, Munich in 1157 and Lübeck in 1159. During his reign, he ruled over a territory that reached from the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas all the way to the Alps.

The Trace of the Lion Monument – Stock Photo

The nearly 15-foot-tall monument features a lion, Henry’s heraldic animal. The sides show curious scenes associated with Henry’s life. The most bizarre scene depicts the duke riding through a gauntlet of people flashing their buttocks. Legend has it that when Henry arrived in the town of Bardowick, its contemptuous residents received him with their pants pulled down to reveal their bare behinds in an expression of anger at the Duke’s punitive trade policy that promoted Schwerin and Lübeck as important trading places and caused Bardowick to lose it’s prestige.

The Trace of the Lion Monument

Schloss Schwerin – Schwerin Palace

Stock Photo

The first records of a Slavic fort at this small island date from AD 973. In 1160, the fort became a target of Henry the Lion. The Slavs destroyed the fort before leaving but Henry recognized the strategic importance of the location and immediately started building new defenses. He also had the first foundations of the city of Schwerin laid the same year. In 1167, Henry gave the County of Schwerin to his vassal Gunzelin von Hagen, who formed a ducal hereditary line that lasted until the revolution of 1918 which resulted in the abdication of the Grand Duke.

Schwerin Palace

SchwerinCastle

Schwerin Palace – The Throne Room

The shelves that surround this beautifully paneled room are supported by individually craved animals.

Petermännchen ,“Little Peterman”

Every good castle has to have a ghost. Meet Petermännchen.

Petermännchen – “Little Peterman” – Quid Si Sic “What If So”

This good-natured household spirit is only a few feet tall, is often described as carrying many keys, roaming through the vaults and tunnels underneath the castle, unlocking doors as he goes. He has a cavalier look with a stylish moustache, wearing a waistcoat, riding boots with spurs and a feathered hat. He is said to carry a lantern and sword and is the keeper and watchman of the castle, rewarding those who are honest and good. Conversely he will punish or drive away thieves and intruders. To do so Petermännchen will cause a nuisance or play pranks, crashing and banging through the night. He also wakes soldiers who have fallen asleep on their watch in order to save them from being punished.

The Winter Room

The ceiling decoration in the Winter Room is made of paper mache and covered with three millimeters of gold foil. The builders discovered that paper mache was far superior to paster or stone carving. It’s faster, lighter, cheaper and can be pressed into molds so the designs are infinitely repeatable.

The Winter Room

Queen Luisa of Prussia

This beautiful portrait of Queen Luisa of Prussia hangs in the Winter Room and was painted in 1812 by W. Temite from a drawing made on her deathbed. The covered hands and palm fronds in the veil would have indicated to viewers that the portrait was posthumous.

Queen Luisa of Prussia

Albrecht II

I’ve always insisted that no matter how peculiar some folks seem to look there had to be some point in the day when they caught sight of their own reflection and thought, “Yea, I look pretty cool.”

Albrecht II

I’ll bet the pliers hanging from his waist were to help get in and out of that getup.

Albrecht II – Detail

The Staatliches Museum

Staatliches Museum

The Staatliches Museum Schwerin (State Museum Schwerin) was established in 1882 and is nationally known for its medieval collections well as one of Europe’s most significant collections of French-American artist Marcel Duchamp.

Staatliches Museum

Besides the Alte Meisters (Old Masters), we are here primarily for the GDR Show.

Hinter dem Horizont – Beyond the Horizon …
GDR art from the collections of the Staatliches Museum Schwerin

Schwebendes Liebespaar (Floating Lovers) – Wolfgang Mattheuer – 1970

The exhibition brings together around 100 paintings, drawings, graphics and sculptures some maintaining the prescribed ideologies of the times, others not so much. Here’s just a few.

Bildnis Karl Michel (Portrait of Karl Michel) – Clemens Gröszer – 1988/1989

Der Fotograf Dieter Schmidt (The Photographer Dieter Schmidt) Volker Stelzmann – 1975

Christine – Volker Stelzmann – 1974

The Bitterfeld Way

Artists were called upon to seek out their subject matter in factories or in the countryside. Proximity to the working populace was a programmatic specification of the cultural policy.

“In our time, a contribution to socialist art must consist primarily in encouraging the working people of socialist society to actively shape their lives.”

Fischer und Studenten (Fishermen and Students) – Konrad Homberg -1963/1964

Aufbau der Stalinalee (Construction of the Stalinalee) – Hedwig Holtz-Sommer – 1952

Schweinemeister Richard Thieß (Pork Master Richard Thiess) – Carl Hinrichs -1963

Junger Bauarbeiter (Young Construction Worker) – Walter Howard – 1964/1965

“The working day seems to be approaching its end. The excitement at the prospect of knocking off is unmistakable. This image, marked by optimism and a lust for life, can be understood as a metaphor for the dawning of a new age.”

Jugendbrigade im Aufbruch (Youth Brigade On The Move) – Carl Hinrichs -1962

On Gorbachev’s Reforms In The Soviet Union

“Incidentally, if your neighbor redid the wallpaper in his apartment, would you feel obliged to redo the wallpaper in your apartment as well?”

Jean-Baptiste Oudry – An Alte Meister

Oudry was a much favored 18th century French painter that specialized in animals in conflict, but also had a keen eye for the historical significance of many of these amazing creatures.

Rhinozeros (Rhinoceros) – Jean-Baptiste Oudry – 1749

The Indian rhinoceros “Jungfer Clara” came to Versailles and Paris in 1749. Oudry studied her at the fair at St, Germain. At the time very few people had seen one of these creatures. It must have seemed as alien to the 18th century viewer as a Martian. The life-size portrayal became a memorial to this magnificent rhinoceros.

Rhinozeros (Rhinoceros) – Jean-Baptiste Oudry – 1749

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopédiste, produced a highly successful and widespread engraving of Clara’s portrait, which allowed a much larger audience to view this amazing animal.

These large scale paintings of animals at battle were highly favored in the royal houses and palaces of Europe in the 18th century.

Jean-Baptiste Oudry

Let’s finish with a great German artist.

Selbstbildnis/Self-Portrait – Paul Kuhfuss – 1925

Paul Kuhfuss, a classically trained Berlin artist, was hugely prolific and left an archive of over 5,300 works of art.

Herr Kuhfuss was also a man of conscience. In October of 1935, he was denounced by the Gestapo as member of the artist association “Berlin North”, for his resistance to the Nazi cultural propaganda and his defense of Jewish colleagues. Participation in art exhibitions in Berlin was no longer possible until after the war.

Tales of Tallinn

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The Journey

Helsinki Harbor

We sailed out of Helsinki Harbor on a beautiful sunny day for the 2 1/2 hour ferry ride to Estonia. The ship winds through the islands that dot the coast of Finland and then 80 km across the Baltic Sea.

Helsinki Harbor

Tallinn is Estonia’s capital and cultural hub. It retains its walled, cobblestoned old town, a 15th-century defensive tower, Gothic Town Hall, historic main square and numerous 13th-century churches. The only downside was that we were a little late in our discovery and found the place packed with tourists from all over the world. We tried to not let the crowds diminish our appreciation and spent a few days wandering Vanalinn, the old town, and marveling at the architecture.

The City Gates

Niguliste church & Tallinn Town Hall

Tallinn Town Hall

Niguliste Church,Tallinn Town Hall & Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Church of the Holy Spirit

Tallinn Town Hall & Niguliste Church

Doors Of Many Colors

I love the uniqueness of the doors. Everyone wants the front portal into their building to be a personal statement, like entrance art. I’m certain people have done entire books about them.

And a few passageways.

And a couple windows.

All Along The Watchtower

Large portions of the wall and many of it’s gates are still intact today. This has contributed to Tallinn’s old town being named a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Construction of the first wall surrounding Tallinn, known as the Margaret Wall, was begun in 1265 by Ruler Margaret Sambiria. In the beginning it was less than 16 ft tall and about 5 ft thick at the base but over the years it was enlarged considerably. By the fourteenth century all the citizens of Tallinn were required to serve guard duty, They had to wear armor and be prepared to fight off invaders.

Margaret Sambiria

Margie was a tough old bird with a reputation as a competent and enlightened ruler with a strong-willed and energetic personality. Her nicknames were ’Burst-horse’* and ‘Black Greta’.

When her husband, King Christopher of Denmark, demanded autonomy from the church it launched a full blown feud. The King insisted that the church pay taxes like any other land owner. Archbishop Jacob Erlandsen, the wealthiest man in the kingdom, refused and forbid any peasants who lived or worked on church properties to serve in Christopher’s Army. Erlandsen excommunicated the king and refused to recognize Christopher’s young son, Eric, as the rightful heir. That was the last straw, the King had the troublesome archbishop arrested and paraded him through the country wearing secular clothing and a fool’s cap with a fox tail . He was then chained and cast into prison.

But payback was swift and on May 29, 1259, in revenge for his mistreatment of Archbishop Erlandsen and oppression of the church, the King drank poisoned communion wine from the hands of one abbot Arnfast .

His son and heir, Eric V of Denmark, was still a child so Margaret was made regent until he reached maturity. Planning ahead, in 1263 Margaret successfully wrote to Pope Urban IV asking him to allow women to inherit the Danish throne. In 1266, her son, King Eric, granted her the rulership of Danish Estonia for life.

* Apparently there are documented cases of some horses racing so hard and fast that their hearts would literally burst.

Modern Tallinn

I don’t want to leave you with the impression that Tallinn is just an old place because it certainly isn’t. It’s a modern prospering and fast growing city with a vibrant downtown. The Rotermann district, in particular, is very cool with small shops and eateries of every description. Don’t hesitate to come, just try to make in the autumn after all the cruise ships and big busses have gone home.

See you in Berlin.

Happy Town

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Utrecht

Utrecht is the fastest growing city in The Netherlands and with a population that is the youngest of any Dutch city it is considered by many to be the country’s beating heart. With a very walkable medieval city center small enough to explore on foot, Utrecht is still large enough to enjoy world class festivals, modern architecture and numerous quality museums. It is developing from a medium-sized provincial city into a regional capital of European importance. Public health is first in all fields of public policy. Residents and stakeholders in the city are encouraged to take the initiative and seek to forge partnerships that will help make Utrecht a healthier place to live. According to the United Nations, it is one of the most happy cities on earth.

The Dom

St. Martin’s Cathedral, or Dom Church, is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. This Gothic church was the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages and is the country’s only pre-Reformation cathedral. It has been a Protestant church since 1580 when the Utrecht city government took the cathedral away from the Diocese of Utrecht and gave it to the local Calvinists. From then on only Protestant services were held in the building with one brief exception, in 1672 and 1673, during the Franco-Dutch War, when Catholic masses were again held in the cathedral. Following the Reformation, Catholics were legally obliged to worship discreetly in clandestine churches (schuilkerken).Over the subsequent centuries the cathedral fell into a pitiable state. Major renovations are ongoing.

During the 16th century, the influence of the Reformation was growing. The dissatisfaction over the abuses of the Church had become so strong that it resulted in a revolt during which statues, furniture, altar pieces and carvings in the churches were destroyed.

Wijnstraat aan de Werf

The passageway

We are staying in a lovely little canal side apartment in the middle of the old city center. You literally have to walk down a small passageway and then along the canal to get here.

Wijnstraat aan de Werf – Our Street

The Oudegracht – Our Canal

Our idyllic little shelter was rocked at 7:30am this morning when the construction crew arrived to begin work on the new canal wall directly in front of our window.

Got to go. I have things to do.

A Fast Train Through the Netherlands

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This year’s adventure flew by faster then a bullet train. I didn’t get even close to pointing out all the remarkable things we’ve seen in this outstanding country. Let’s finish with an assortment of the wacky, weird and wonderful.

The Bloemendaal Train Station

Rommelmarkts

I’d characterize almost every flea market and bazaar we’ve been to here as a Jumble Sale. I’ve never seen such an odd collection of used clothes, broken toys, rusty tools and assorted junky stuff.

Rommelmarkt in Haarlem

Rommelmarkt at Wijk Ann Zee

The Rommelmarkt at Appelscha takes place in what appears to be an abandoned amusement park for kiddies. The only thing left are the creepy forlorn creatures that have been abandoned and left to fester like captives in an old Twilight Zone episode.

IJHallen, in North Amsterdam, is probably the longest running Rommelmarkt in Holland.

The Bazaar in Beverwijk is a whole other animal. It was billed as a long established mixed use affair. There are huge warehouse type buildings filled with most everything you can imagine. No collectibles or antiques but tons of cheap underwear, toys, tools, jewelry and Middle Eastern food. Kind of a free trip to Turkey.

Waanders In De Broeren

The Broerenkerk, Church of Brothers, was part of the Dominican monastery from 1465 until the monks were expelled in 1589 and the Protestants took over.

Now it houses Waanders in de Broeren, one of the coolest bookstores I’ve ever seen. A joy to wander around or just have a snack.

A Few Loose Ends

Art Supplies in Haarlem

Leeuwarden

The St Bernards of Leeuwarden

Den Haag

Den Haag Central Station

The Passages in Den Haag

Bloemendaal Ann Zee

Bloemendaal Ann Zee

Druggist in Zwolle

Lunch in Zwolle

The Dutch Appetizer of Choice – Bitterballen and Mustard (They’re pretty good)

The Case of the Missing Martyr

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The Strange Tale of St Edmund – Mayhem, Murder and Martyrdom In East Anglia

In 869 the Viking’s Great Heathen Army descended on East Anglia and demolished everything in their path. Apparently King Edmund refused to renounce Christ. On the orders of Ivar the Boneless and his evil brother Abba, the King was whipped, shot with arrows, stabbed with spears and finally beheaded.

I say apparently because almost nothing is known about Edmund’s real life, the Viking Army having destroyed any contemporary evidence of his reign. Legend has it that after his decapitation, the head was taken into the forest by a wolf that kept strangers at bay until the Monks could retrieve the head and bury it with his body.

It is said that wolves have not been seen in East Anglia since that day.

The Wolf Stands Guard Over St. Edmund’s Severed Head

Upon exhumation it was discovered that all the arrow wounds on his corpse had healed and his head was reattached and his skin was still soft and fresh as a daisy. A Saint for sure.

In later years writers realized the inherent PR value of having no factual record of Edmund’s reign and quickly began producing accounts of a life filled with miracles. But creating a Saint out of whole cloth is no easy task and just like a great rock band it requires outrageous tales and a lot of touring. The Benedictine Monks lugged the bejeweled box containing his remains all over Southern England, regaling tales of heroic deeds and miracles to anyone with a few coins. It is said that between 900 and 1000 AD, Edmund’s remains did far more traveling then he ever did during his lifetime. They understood very well that saints mean pilgrims and pilgrims mean money.

The Abbey Tower

During the 11th century the shrine at Bury St Edmunds became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England. For centuries the shrine was visited by various kings, many of whom gave generously to the abbey. The town arose as the wealth and fame of the abbey grew.

But as we all know, fate can be cruel and in 1539, during the English Reformation and the subsequent Dissolution of the Monasteries, all the abbey’s property was seized by the Crown. On November 4,1539 the abbot and his monks were expelled and the abbey was dissolved, but before Cromwell’s troop could arrive the Monks dug up Edmund’s casket and reburied it in or near the abby grounds. For centuries historians have searched for the location of the venerated saint’s holy remains, but all their efforts have been in vain and the secret is still secure.

On the Green

Tower Door

St Edmundsbury Cathedral Ceiling

Abbey Fountain

Putt Putt Golf on the Abbey Green

St Edmund in the Courtyard

A private home on the Abbey grounds

The Borgund Stave-Church

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Borgund Stave-Church

This church is located at Borgund in Lærdal beside the Sognefjord and is the world’s best preserved stave church.

Borgund Stave-Church

These medieval wooden Christian church buildings were once common in north-western Europe. It is believed, that at one point, there were between 750 and 1000 stave churches in Norway. Today there are only 28 remaining. In the Middle Ages, when people in Europe were building great cathedrals in stone, Norway developed similar construction techniques with timber. Norway had a very long tradition of wood construction for buildings, art and the production of ships. The roof structure is essentially an inverted ship hull.

Come On In

The North Door

The decoration of stave churches is a fascinating blend of Christianity and Viking era symbols with several runic inscriptions on the church walls and the distinctive “Dragon’s Heads”, similar to those found on Viking ships, jutting out from the gable peaks. The main doorway has vine-scrolls on the pilasters and serpents and dragons on the side panels and lintel.

The Main Doorway

Runic Inscriptions & Animal Masks On the South Door

Medieval Stone Altar. The Altarpiece Was Painted In 1654.

The timbers used to construct this church were felled in the year 1180. There are two factors that have accounted for the church’s longevity, it is constructed entirely on a stone foundation so that none of the wood touches the ground and also the timbers were “seasoned on the root” which draws the tar to the surface thereby preserving the wood beneath.

Root Seasoned Wood

More Useless But Interesting Facts

St. Andrew’s Cross:

St. Andrew’s Cross

The diagonal cross-braces are named after St. Andrew who was crucified on a diagonal cross, supposedly at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus had been. Who knows? But one thing is clear, the whole idea captured people’s imagination. The symbol has been used on the flags of Scotland, England, Grenada, Jersey, Logrono, Vitoria, Amsterdam, Breda, Potchefstroom, Kateijk, Valdivia, Tenerife, Galicia, Jamaica, Burgundy, the Imperial Russian Navy, the state flags of Florida and Alabama, as well as, the former Indian princely states of Khairpur, Rajkot, and Jaora, just to name a few. And of course, there is the much debated Confederate flag. Although the original designer, Willian Porcher Miles, insisted he changed it from an upright cross to a saltire so that it would be more a heraldic device then a religious symbol.

BruceWPeterson Photography

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