Category Archives: Churches and Cathedrals

Barcelona Days Out: Sagrada Familia

The day was gray and gloomy, but we eagerly took the two fast and efficient Metro trains to reach a site we had been longing to see, the uncompleted Antoni Gaudi masterpiece work, the massive Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.

We emerged from the Metro onto the sidewalk and Mark laughed as I looked left and right and didn’t see the looming structure. “I did the same thing, Sweetie. Turn around!” I did, and here was what was immediately behind me.

Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

The visible difference between the old section and the new additions to Gaudi’s masterpiece Sagrada Famila in Barcelona, Spain

It was quite a shock since neither of us had the excited response to this massive landmark that we had expected to have and we had absolutely no desire to explore further than standing outside and taking exterior shots. The line to gain entry to the interior was wrapped around the entire right-hand block but when I asked Mark if he wanted to go in, he confirmed my ‘neutral’ sensation and said no, he didn’t want to investigate the interior either.

It was an interesting reaction since we had each been looking forward to seeing this place for several months! But my initial sensation as I turned around from the Metro exit was disappointment, not enchantment. There will be many people who read this entry and think that I am daft to say that, but it is a personal opinion. It looked like a vast, blobby mess adorned with cranes and I felt no thrill or curiosity whatsoever as I viewed it.

Sidewalk cafe on the Avinguda de Gaudi with Antoni Gaudi’s uncompleted masterpiece, the massive Sagrada Familia, looming in the near distance.

We ate lunch at a sidewalk cafe and began walking down the Avinguda de Gaudi. As we walked, I turned around and took the photo above which did please me since it clearly illustrates the size and scale of the Sagrada Famila as it sits in the neighbourhood landscape.

The ornate street lamps pictured below were also amongst the more pleasing photos that I took on that very mixed day.

Extremely ornate ironwork and glass street lamps on stone columns line the avenues near the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.

Come back soon for more sights, suggestions, and truthful reactions from Barcelona!

A Frolic Through Foix — Part 2

Resuming the visit to Foix that we began yesterday…

Taking a break from the brilliant sun and heat, we ducked inside the abbey church of St. Volusien. In contrast to the elaborately decorated stone churches with gilded interiors that we have visited in other parts of France, this particular structure was quietly and simply elegant. For this reason, I have chosen to present the photo essay in black and white.

St. Volusien abbey church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Interior of St. Volusien abbey church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Side chapel in St. Volusien abbey church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Massive organ perched above the entry to St. Volusien abbey church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Row of deep windows in the stone walls of St. Volusien abbey church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

War memorial plaque just inside the abbey church of St. Volusien in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Clock on the belltower of St. Volusien abbey church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

The bell tower of the St. Volusien Abbey Church in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

One tiny note for people who are ‘sensitive’ to spirit movement, there were a few places inside the church that were quite active. I laughingly thought of calling this post “Spot The Ghost” — so that’s a wee hint for you. Whenever my camera is aimed at a stationary target and nothing visible is moving but it struggles to focus in ample light, I have learned to expect surprises when I see the pictures afterward. These things have happened to me all of my life, so no, outside of the sudden plunge in temperature whilst the spirit moves by, it never rattles me.

After a tasty plat-du-jour lunch in an outdoor cafe, we headed back to St. Girons, vowing to return one afternoon for a visit to the Chateau de Foix itself and museum inside.

A Frolic Through Foix

A medieval hilltop chateau with ‘fairytale’ towers? Check. Picturesque and twisty cobbled streets? Check. Ancient abbey church? Check.

Chateau overlooking the town of Foix in the Midi-Pyrenees in the South of France

Welcome to Foix — a beautiful and historic town in the Midi-Pyrenees of France. It’s a small and truly lovely place for a day out and it is easily traversed on foot.

Medieval chateau overlooking the town of Foix in the Midi-Pyrenees in the South of France

Beseiged repeatedly during the 13th Century, the medieval town of Foix was built in part on the earlier foundations of the hilltop Roman fortifications.

Top floor ornamentation flanking windows in a historic building in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Foix building ornamentation close-up

Burgundy Citroen parked in the medieval town of Foix in the South of France

Views of the Chateau de Foix, looming over the town of Foix in the South of France, can be seen through many of the streets and passageways of the town.

In tomorrow’s post, part 2 of A Frolic Through Foix, we pay a visit to the medieval abbey church of St. Volusien.

Hope you have enjoyed this taste of Foix!

Charming Coutances in Normandy, France

Mentally, if not physically, I’m headed back to Coutances in Normandy today to share some photos of this lovely town.

Mairie (mayor's office) in Coutances, Normandy, France

Cathedral tower in Coutances, Normandy, France

It is hard to imagine when you walk through the tranquil streets that 70% of the town was bombed out during World War II.

Streetscape in Coutances, Normandy, France

Cathedral in Coutances, Normandy, France

Chapel attached to the Centre D'Accueil Diocésain C.A.D-Diocesan Offices and Retreat Centre on Rue Daniel in Coutances, Normandy, France

This beautiful town could be an excellent place to base yourself for travels throughout the English Channel coastline and the World War II battlefield areas.

Hope you have enjoyed this tiny peek at a lovely town in Normandy!

Medieval St. Mary the Virgin in Diss, Norfolk, England

As promised several days ago, here is a small photo essay of the lovely St. Mary the Virgin church in the historic town of DISS in the county of Norfolk, England.

Arched passage and exterior of medieval St. Mary The Virgin church in Diss, Norfolk in England

Medieval stone St. Mary The Virgin church exterior in Diss, Norfolk in England

Sculptured stone face on exterior of medieval St. Mary The Virgin church in Diss, Norfolk in England

Stained glass inside medieval stone St. Mary The Virgin church, Diss, Norfolk, England

Down the aisle to the altar at medieval St. Mary The Virgin church in Diss, Norfolk, England

Front tower of the medieval St. Mary The Virgin church in Diss, Norfolk, England

Back In Britain

We’re back in Britain for a few days and having a lovely time in Norfolk. Mark’s parents live here and we use them as our ‘home base’ whilst travelling across Europe. And my, what a lot of mail had accumulated while we were in France!

Yesterday afternoon we went into Diss which is just a handful of miles from the family home — and we had a nice lunch and then picked up the passport renewal forms that Mark needed and he managed to get an acceptably attractive passport photo taken.

Here I am in front of the post office and that lovely tower behind me is the medieval St. Mary the Virgin church.

Deborah on the High Street in Diss, Norfolk, England with St. Mary the Virgin church in background.

In the next few days, I’ll try to get some more photos posted of the interior and exterior of St. Mary’s because it is a lovely church with quite harmonious energy.

Stone Cold Ferocious

The stunning Notre Dame de Bayeux or Bayeux Cathedral in the Normandy region of France is a medieval masterpiece with a heavily ornamented exterior.

Amongst the elaborate gargoyles and grotesques that are liberally sprinkled on the surface are these ferocious stone dog-like creatures — forever glaring outward in a sinister manner. Although some of the similarly shaped carvings along the roofline appear to be true gargoyles that transport water into the downspouts, these examples seen below are instead known as grotesques, not gargoyles, and I discovered them on the side of the cathedral closest to the grassy square.

The common interpretation for the usage of this type of imagery is that the ordinary citizen of the medieval world was unlikely to be educated, therefore simple lessons were often told quite effectively ‘in stone’ via images and sculpture. Previous spiritual beliefs in the pre-Christian world embraced the concept of monsters and demons or spirits that could be capriciously good or evil. In the case of these types of ferocious stone carvings, it was believed that they would stand guard over the church and its ‘good people’ and protect them from the intrusion of dark forces.

Ferocious stone creature on the side of the Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, France

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