Church – SteveWhittythoughts1965

January 20, 2014January 20, 2014

Coventry Cathedral (Cathedral Church of St. Michael)

On 14 November 1940 the launched 'Coventrate'. The target was to destroy the city of Coventry. As well as killing over 800 people it destroyed various areas of the city. The most famous building destroyed was the Cathedral Church of St. Michael. Dating from the 14th century all that remained was the shell of the cathedral.

The new cathedral was designed by Basil Spence. He decided against rebuilding the destroyed cathedral but build the new one along side. The new cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962.

Walking around the ruins on a cold Sunday morning gave off a eerie atmosphere. However, rather than left feeling sad I was left feeling hopeful. The theme of the ruins is reconciliation. Did you know that during World War II Coventry became a twin city with Stalingrad in solidarity with the Red Army defending the city. One of the items worth seeing inside the ruins is the wooden cross.

Originally constructed from two wooden beams that were found lying on the floor a replica is now on permanent display. There is another cross made from three nails from the original roof. Another cross of nails was sent to the Kaiser Wihelm Memorial Church in Berlin as a act of reconciliaton.

Overall the cathedral is worth spending time to visit. A good place to come and gather your thoughts.

For further details visit http://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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November 26, 2013November 26, 2013

Balkans Day 7, 14 September – Time To Think About Pastures New

I decided that I should purchase my coach ticket to Mostar. It was going to be an early start tomorrow so it was best to prepare. It was another scorching day so it gave me the perfect excuse to walk into town.

What I like about Dubrovnik is the quietness. There was hardly a soul about but it did not bothered me. The walk to the coach station took me past the cruise ship port. Until you see one for real you do not realise the size of them. It is the cruise ships that keep Dubrovnik going.

I purchased my coach ticket to Mostar and made my way back to the hostel. I wanted to avoid the old town on Saturday afternoon. It was full of the cruise ship crowd. So I decided to venture out of town in the other direction. Again I was away from the crowds. This was going to be a quiet day. Tomorrow was going to be an early start. It felt good to be away from the bustle of the old town. The further I walked the quieter everything became. This was the first time in a week that I could gather my thoughts.

Eventually I turned back and returned to the old town. As it was quieter than first thought I decided to take in some of the sights. Firstly I went inside an art gallery and museum. The gallery was nothing spectacular. Dedicated to a local artist it was more of a shop than gallery. More interesting was the exhibition that was dedicated to replicas of documents charting the history of Dubrovnik.

Next up was War Photo Limted. It was a photography exhibition. Not just dedicated to the conflict of 20 years ago, there were also photos from conflicts in Africa and Asia. It was thought provoking and it was the first time that I had been reminded of the conflict.

My final museum was the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik. While it was small I found it to be moving and humbling. I saw photos of those who died while defending the city. While reading the signs it became clear from the language used that it will take a long time before there will be any forgiveness.

Looking at the photos of the city after the siege and then walking out into the plaza you would not be able to tell that anything happened. This maybe the biggest tribute I can give the city.

As the sun started to go down I made my way up to the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola. As I climbed the steps I could hear the sound of bagpipes. They get everywhere. As I reached the top I could see a wedding party coming out of the church. The men looked stylish and the women beautiful, not that I know anything about fashion. As I made my way back down I could hear singing and music. More guests were arriving for the celebrations. It was a beautiful sight to see. It is not something I would see in the UK. This is why I travel. Tomorrow Mostar beckons.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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November 24, 2013November 24, 2013

Balkans Day 6, 13 September – Oh Sunny Day

I woke up this morning with my head feeling fuzzy. It was not an hangover but I had felt better. Also my tongue felt like it was itching. I wondered what I was going to do with myself for the day. With the hostel being underground it was hard to say what the weather was like. I needed not to worry as the weather was hot and sunny.

Breakfast was a pastry from the local bakery. It went down well as I made my way towards the old town. Neno the hostel owner told me that there were two things I should try while I was in Dubrovnik. Firstly, tour the city walls and then ride the cable car. Today I decided to try the city walls. I was not disappointed. Dubrovnik old town is beautiful. My finger never left the camera shutter button. At 90kn the tour lasted two hours. Also I walked the city walls early in the morning and I managed to avoid the cruise ship crowds.

For those of you who are looking to visit Dubrovnik my advise to you is to avoid the old town between the hours of 12-4pm. You cannot move for the cruise ship crowd. They were like sheep being herded by the dogs (tour guides). One aspect of Dubrovnik that disappointed me was the lack of signs for places of interest. There were plenty for the restaurants. My remedy to avoid the crowds was laundry. It was long overdue.

The laundrette was self service to the point that nobody was there. I seemed to be doing alright until I leant back and broke the chair. Oops, I hope there were no cameras to witness this.

Once back at the hostel I was not sure what to do. Eating out was not an option as it would put a dent into my budget. So homemade sandwiches it was with potato chips and fruit. It filled me up for the evening. I met a guy from Yorkshire, England who had just arrived from Mostar. He told me that I would love it. This was giving me something to look forward to. Kelly, a girl from Belguim suggested that we should go out for the evening and get some ice cream. It sounded a good idea to me. There is always room for ice cream even late in the evening. This was also a chance to console a Canadian girl who had just arrived into Dubrovnik. Sadly, her luggage had not, the worst fear for any traveller.

I felt that this was the best time to visit the old time. It was September and the season was starting to wind down. We were sitting on the steps of the cathedral enjoying our ice cream. We noticed a couple of guys taking photos. They had the full equipment including tripods. The wives/partners were with them and they looked fed up while their other halves were trying to shoot the perfect shot. I suppose it is better than using a iPad as a camera. That would lead me to a different subject altogether.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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August 12, 2013

Photo of the Week – Stained Glass Window, St. Stephen’s Basilica

This week's photo was taken in St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest.

It is a stained glass window. This is a running joke in family that I am always taking photos of stained glass windows. To be honest there is a beauty in them and I enjoy taking the photos.

Until the next post (and that could be another stained glass window) stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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July 2, 2013July 2, 2013

City Walks: London – Old Street to Liverpool Street

This is another in the series of London city walks by Craig Taylor. I started this walk from Old Street Tube Station.

Leaving from exit 4 I was greeted with bright sunshine. Making my way up City Road I came across the Wesley Chapel and Museum dedicated to John Wesley the founder of Methodism. Being a Sunday morning the museum was not open. I managed to sneak in a few photos while the congregation were making their way to the service.

Crossing the road I made my way toward Bunhill Fields, an graveyard that is no longer in use. It is the final resting place to the John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake.

After leaving the graveyard I made my way down towards Chiswell Street. I was now in the heart of the city of London. It was quieter than normal. A right turn took me into Finsbury Pavement. Crossing the road it took me into Finsbury Circus. A pretty garden the standout feature is the magnificent looking bandstand.

I left via Bloomfield Street and carried on until I reached New Broad Street. Crossing over I entered Bishopsgate Church Yard. I walked past the church hall of St. Botolph's.

Once I left St. Botolph's I was on Liverpool Street. I followed until I reached Liverpool Street Station where the walk finished.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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June 13, 2013June 13, 2013

Photo of the Week – St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna

This week's photo is of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

The sun was starting to set as I took my photo. It was the final photo of my Vienna and Budapest trip in March. I could think of no finer setting to end my visit.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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June 6, 2013June 6, 2013

Photo of the Week – St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest

This weeks photo again comes from Budapest. It is of St. Stephen's Basilica.

Somehow by pure luck I managed to capture the sun shining on the basilica itself. I discovered this while going though my photos. I hope you like it.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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May 24, 2013

St. Stephen’s Basilica – Budapest

One of the outstanding buildings in Budapest in my opinion is St. Stephen’s Basilica. It is named after St. Stephen the first King of Hungary. Though it is not the largest church in Hungary it is the most important. It also ranks as the third highest building in Hungary.

St. Stephen's at Night. — St. Stephen’s at Night.

As I may have mentioned before that I like to visit religious buildings even though I am not a great believer. To me it is a great way of exploring and taking photographs. There is an ornate beauty to churches, especially old ones. I hope that these photos give you an idea of what I mean.

The highlight of any visit to St. Stephen’s is the chance to view the right hand of the saint himself. It is said to be incorruptible. It is housed in the reliquary inside a glass case. For 200 forints you can light up the case for a better view.

St. Stephen’s is also an important venue for Choral and Classical concerts. There are regular organ recitals taking place. In the summer the Basilica choir performs every Sunday.

There is no best time on when to visit the basilica. If you visit during the day you can have the chance at extra cost to visit the Treasury or get to climb to the top and take in the panoramic view of Budapest. However, my visit coincided with a cold snap and it was just too cold. Alternately you could visit at night. The basilica takes on a different look in the night sky. I was fortunate to have been able to both. Whatever time you choose to visit is up to you but I recommend that you visit all the same.

St. Stephen’s Basilica, 1051 Budapest, Szent István tèr 1.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve