L-APC: The Alphabet

December 8, 2020 / amoralegria / 5 Comments

The Alphabet starts with “A” and that is the subject of Lens-Artists’ photo challenge this week, starting appropriately with the amazing letter A!

I have a file of letter-shaped things. I got the idea for it when I saw this cute little ladder in our neighborhood and immediately thought of the letter A!

My brother-in-law sings in a barbershop chorus called The Arlingtones. It is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

In Cairo we visited the Museum of Islamic Art. Arabic writing is an art form in itself!

In the spring, swans mate and lay their eggs. In early April, the female has laid 2 eggs and by the end of April, she has laid all her eggs!

ancient architecture (Karnak, Luxor, Egypt)

Thursday Special Pick a Word

October 5, 2020 / amoralegria / 1 Comment

These are the words for Lost in Translation‘s October occasional Pick a Word photo challenge. We are free to choose any or all of the words. I chose them all.

LUNAR

VOLTE FACE

SOARING

REPOSING

IMPREGNABLE

Castle Perspectives

July 24, 2020 / amoralegria / 1 Comment

A castle on a hill…sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? And to us modern tourists, seeing one castle after another on the Rhine River is a dream come true – we admire their beauty and their history. Castles were built not just as residences for royalty, but fortifications against invading enemies. Positioning them on hilltops above a river (which would have been the main form of transportation in medieval times) was meant to be imposing; they were symbols of power and strength; a hilltop position provided a view up and down the river, to spot adversaries from afar. (Although note that one of the castles in this gallery is actually right ON the river, not far above it.) Many castles were dark, damp places, fires burning for warmth in only a few rooms.

Thinking about these castles from that perspective takes some of the glamor away. Even so, they are worthy of admiration. One of them – Marksburg Castle (the white one with red trim – 2nd and 3rd photos) – we were able to tour, but I would have loved to explore some of the others. What is amazing is that these structures have been standing for centuries – they were built to last and of course many of them have undergone significant renovations.

Although Americans are amazed to see and visit these representations of centuries of European history (since we have nothing either as old or as symbolic of feudal society), I suppose people who are used to seeing them all the time don’t think about their history and probably take them for granted. Another perspective, I guess.

Posted for Becky’s July Square Perspectives photo challenge, day 24.

Friday Fun: In the Distance

March 15, 2020 / amoralegria / 2 Comments

Here are some 2019 travel photos for Aroused’s Friday Fun: Distance.

Caesarea & Jerusalem, Israel:

The taller building farthest out in the distance is allegedly the site where the apostle Paul was imprisoned for two years.

Sailboats in the distance, on the Mediterranean

Looking down from Mt. Scopus, old and new Jerusalem spreads into the distance.

Rhine castles in Germany:
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Goats in the distance on a hill among ruined walls

I kept thinking of this song while doing this post. I think the lyrics are fitting for these days of fear and crisis.

FOTD: Marksburg Castle Garden

September 6, 2019 / amoralegria / Leave a comment

Marksburg Castle, above Braubach on the Rhine River in Germany, has a beautiful garden with a variety of flowers and plants. I present these here, for Cee’s FOTD 9/6/19, as a companion to my previous post Thursday Doors: Marksburg Castle.

This one is called Lychnis coronaria or “Vexiernelke” in German.
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Hibiscus

Roses
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Others I don’t know the names of:
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Daisies
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Artichokes?
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Thursday Doors: Marksburg Castle

September 6, 2019September 6, 2019 / amoralegria / 2 Comments

Of all the Rhine River hill castles from Bingen to Koblenz, Marksburg Castle is one of only two that has never been destroyed nor fallen into disrepair, so it has been continuously occupied for nearly 700 years. It is located above the city of Braubach in Germany and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The castle was used primarily for protection – it was built as a fortress – rather than a residence for royal families.
It was established in 1117 and being so well preserved, it is a destination on many Rhine river cruises. Marksburg was our second stop in Germany. We toured it in the morning and in the afternoon, we were treated to a narrative about other castles we were seeing as we sailed down the Rhine River.

I am incorporating this narrative into a post for Norm’s Thursday Doors. There are many cool doors (some are more appropriately called entryways) but other interesting things as well.

At the castle, we were split into two groups, since the total number of people on the tour was very large. One can only tour the castle with a guided tour, which lasts 50 minutes. Dale and I were in the first group, that began the guided tour right away; the other group had to wait for the next tour about 15 minutes later. Meanwhile, they could browse in the gift shop, have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat, and admire the spectacular view! Due to the uneven terrain typical of medieval sites, the castle is not wheelchair accessible.
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The main entrance, typical for a fortified castle, is via a bridge over the moat and through a large gateway. 20190628_113510
Marksburg was occupied by a number of different families over the centuries, whose coat of arms identify them. Our guide told us about each of them. To learn more about these families, follow this link.

In 1866, due to the Austro-Prussian War, Marksburg was taken over by Prussia. It then became housing for soldiers and was in danger of falling into disrepair due to government neglect. In the year 1900, the German Castles Association, with the help of the emperor, Wilhelm II, purchased the castle for the paltry sum of 1,000 DM (Deutschemarks). Court planner and Berlin architect Bodo Eberhardt then carried out extensive restoration at the castle. To this day, the headquarters of the German Castles Association has its headquarters at Marksburg.
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For the benefit of the tourists, many of the rooms are furnished as they would have looked during the times in which they were occupied.

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More doors:
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The chapel was simply decorated; the ceiling was quite lovely.
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As would be expected, the castle has several levels.

Fortunately, we did NOT climb this stairway!

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There is also a room with very colorful and interesting armor as it evolved through the ages!

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door detail

With the peepholes, this door looks like a face! 😉

The view from the top – I’m pretty sure this is the exact scene that is shown in Viking’s TV commercials!
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There is another castle in the distance, on the opposite shore!

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Some of us elected to walk back down instead of waiting for the bus.

Thursday Doors: Caen Chateau

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 / amoralegria / 1 Comment

(June 17, 2019)

For Norm’s weekly feature, Thursday Doors, I am splitting our visit to Caen, France into two posts.

We weren’t planning to visit Caen, but ended up spending half a day there because we had to get our rental car exchanged. Actually, Caen is a rather interesting city. After we took care of the rental (we got an upgrade!) we parked in the parking lot of the château.

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The Château, or Caen Castle, resembles a fort more than a castle; however, castles were generally fortified with walls, moats, and drawbridges.

The fortified gateway is the main entrance via bridge over the wide moat.

The castle stood strategically on a rocky outcrop which overlooks the Orne River valley. From here, William would have controlled all accessible routes. Soon it was surrounded by thick stone walls and covered a vast, 5 hectare (12.4 acres) holding. Within its walls was the palace where the duke held court, of which only vestiges remain in a closed-off archeological site.

The castle, together with two abbeys (the Men’s Abbey and the Women’s Abbey) which William and his wife, Matilde, chose as their resting place, transformed the little town of Caen into the foundation of a dynasty. In addition to St. George’s Church, the Hall of the Exchequer and the keep, (fortified tower), were enhancements built by Henry I, William’s successor.

Sheep graze in the moat.

The fortified gateway is the main entrance via bridge over the wide moat.

Gateway to the castle

The castle was built around 1060 by William the Conqueror (William of Normandy), who is famous for his successful conquest of England in 1066. His son, Henry I, then built the St. George’s Church, a keep and a large hall for the ducal Court in the year 1123.

The castle, together with two abbeys (the Men’s Abbey and the Women’s Abbey) which William and his wife, Matilde, chose as their resting place, transformed the little town of Caen into the foundation of a dynasty. In addition to St. George’s Church, the Hall of the Exchequer and the keep, (fortified tower), were enhancements built by Henry I, William’s successor.

The 11th century ramparts were originally made of wood but were soon reinforced with stone accumulated while digging out the moat. Caen Castle has over 800 meters (2,625 feet) of ramparts. The fort is one of the largest in Europe.

I do not know the function of this tiny door found near the top of the stairs that lead up to the ramparts.

Today, within the château’s walls, are modern additions, such as a Museum of Fine Arts (which was closed on Monday, the day we visited), a sculpture garden and an herb garden.
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