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.All Trips / Europe / Germany
Cologne Cathedral — A UNESCO World Heritage Site
I first saw Cologne’s Cathedral on a train journey from Amsterdam to Heidelberg in the late 1990s. It’s an imposing and immense Gothic structure situated adjoining the Cologne train station near the Rhine River. I recall the cathedral’s massive spires (157 m or 515′ tall) inspiring me to think, “some day I’m going to visit that church”! It took almost 15 years from that train trip to finally visit the Cathedral, but thanks to friends Bernd and Monika, my wife and I visited Cologne and its great cathedral recently.
Cologne Cathedral stands on the site of a 4th Century Roman ruin, and if you’ve time, there’s a fabulous Roman history museum immediately adjoining it that’s worth visiting. A previous church …
.All Trips / Europe / Wales
St. David’s Cathedral, Wales
St David’s Cathedral (in Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi) is in Pembrokeshire county, the most westerly point of Wales. The cathedral was built a beautiful spot, lying low in a valley near the ocean, and is an historic place. Most consider it the finest cathedral in Wales and if you’re in the area, it’s certainly worth visiting.
A Brief history of St. David’s Cathedral:
A monastic community was founded at this site by St. David, who was its Abbott, and there’s been a church here since the 6th century AD. St. David died in 589 AD, but his community and the church he started live on, despite many hardships. St. David is very dear to the Welsh — he’s …
“Pic of the Week”. November 29, 2013. Gallarus Oratory, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
One of the most remarkable buildings I’ve ever been in was this small ancient church on Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, said to be the best preserved early Christian church on the Emerald Isle.
The Gallarus Oratory was built between the seventh and eight century A.D and is exclusively made of layered angled stone — no mortar was used. The process is known as dry-stone corbelling and is based on a building technique used in Ireland for thousands of years. The angled stones allow water to run off and to keep the interior dry. The technique results in thick heavy walls and a building shaped like an upside down boat; it’s obviously effective because over 1200 years later …
.All Trips / Europe / Ireland
A Visit to Ireland: Part 3) Kenmare, gateway to the Ring of Kerry
Western Ireland was the most beautiful and scenic part of our journey. It has a lovely, rugged coastline — harshly beautiful! There are hundreds of ancient stone forts, stone circles and stone dwellings (it’s a rocky land!), and its citizens speak more Gaelic than anywhere else we visited. Western Ireland was the region least influenced by the British largely because it was so poor (for example, farmers had to make their own soil in the rocky land by mixing seaweed, sand and animal dung, turning it into something they could grow potatoes in). If a traveler has only a few days in which to visit Ireland (beyond Dublin), I’d recommend they head towards the Dingle peninsula and the Ring of …
Tagged Cathedral, Gaelic, Kenmare, Ring of Kerry
.All Trips / Europe / Ireland
A Visit to Ireland: Part 2) the Rock of Cashel
There are few places in Ireland with a richer history than the Rock of Cashel. Situated at the edge of the town of Cashel, the rock is a huge outcropping on top of which rests a complex of old buildings situated some 60m (200ft) above the rich green farmland of County Tipperary.
A brief history of the Rock of Cashel:
It was from this rocky prominence that the Irish Kings of Munster ruled for more than 700 years (370 to 1101 A.D.). St. Patrick visited the Rock of Cashel and baptized King Aengus around 450 A.D. Legend has it the saint accidentally impaled the King’s foot with the base of his crosier staff. The …
Tagged Cathedral, Celtic Cross, cemetery, chapel, Rock of Cashel, round tower, Tipperary
.All Trips / Europe / France
A visit to Normandy: Bayeux — a tapestry, cathedral and D-Day
Bayeux is in the heart of Normandy, a town with a rich history that currently is best known for its ties with World War II. Bayeux was the first non-coastal town liberated, one day after the D-Day invasion (“D-Day plus one”), but remarkably was spared the bomb damage which devastated so much of Europe (thanks to pleas from its clergy to the Allies). It’s an excellent base from which to explore the D-Day beaches and other war-related sites but even without its D-Day ties, Bayeux is a worthwhile travel destination. The old town has retained an enchanting medieval character with its famous cathedral at its core; this cathedral was inaugurated by William the Conqueror himself, a native of the region, in 1077 …
.All Trips / Europe / France
A visit to Normandy: magnificent Mont St. Michel!!
As we drive through the pretty farmland of Normandy, with its pleasing apple orchards and pastures dotted with sheep and dairy cows, it’s easy to forget this region’s turbulent past. Normandy’s geography, situated on the stormy Atlantic coast not far from England, put it in the path of repeated war and conflict dating back to the days of William the Conqueror (who was born here). More recently Normandy was the site of the largest naval invasion in history, but more about D-Day in a future post.
Today’s destination is Mont-Saint-Michel and its iconic abbey, perhaps the most photographed in the world. As we leave the expressway we finally see the silhouette of the Mont in the distance. …
.All Trips / Europe / France
The Medieval Cathedral and city of Chartres, France
If you’re looking for a nice escape from the crowds and chaos of Paris, consider heading to the small city of Chartres for a day or two. Situated 60 miles (96 km) southwest of Paris, just an hour’s train ride from the Montparnasse station with trains running almost every hour, the town is easy to get to. Chartres has its own charm, is not too crowded and is very easy to explore on foot.
Things to see and do in Chartres:
Chartres Cathedral
The main site of interest is the great cathedral whose spires dominate the skyline, about a five minute walk from the train station. Chartres’ Cathedral of our Lady is dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, a theme present throughout the …
