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curiouswombatWell - it's one post - but two contrasting themes. There are some fascinating (well I think so) church pictures from York - and some of the garden.
Both two weeks ago, when I was still in York, and today at home, the temperature is pleasantly warm and sunny. Probably about 20C, which I know sounds cold to friends in California - but it's a pleasant summer temperature for me. I mention this because D-d is in Buenos Aires where the temperature had dipped down to zero at night... She's having a lovely time though - a mix of museums, maté, and nights out.
I must share her description of maté - it is a bit like a herbal tea but looks, smells and probably tastes a lot like cat-nip.
Any way - the pictures. I have passed St Martin's church in York so many times - it is on one of the main shopping streets. This time I stopped to look properly. The church was called St Martin the Grand - now knowing that there are beautiful medieval churches on almost every corner in the old city of York, you might expect this to be a very impressive church indeed. It is - but not in the way it used to be. The oldest parts of the building date back to the eleventh century although much of it was a little more recent - being fifteenth century. But almost all of it was destroyed in one of the Baedecker air-raids in 1942 leaving only the fifteenth century Tower and the South aisle.
Some churches so badly damaged have been rebuilt, others were demolished. St Martin's was restored so that that tower and aisle became the entirety of the church.
So, this would have been a small part of the church - but now it is the whole church...
And as you can see it has some nice medieval stonework. I like this - I assume it is a small demon; it looks like a rather bad tempered cat -
And my eye was caught by the drip stones at either side of the door - it seems to me as if one is a king and the other a bishop - but I have no idea of the significance - any ideas folks? (I am looking especially at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
keswindhover...)
The work to return what was left into a working church was mainly carried out in the 1950s - and is really rather beautiful. The church is now dedicated to Peace and Reconciliation. I was very impressed by the reredos. Here you can see how it sits beneath a modern stained glass window, above the altar.
And here it is a little closer -
And now for something completely different.
I spent part of the afternoon with my laptop out in the garden. I was going to take the netbook but it needed charging - and this newest laptop is very light with a pretty good battery life, and so much easier to write on. This is where I wrote about 1,000 words of the BigBang story -
And yes - that would be an alcoholic drink with some of my fresh mint out of the garden in it!
This year the garden is mostly doing pink - here is the view if I glanced around from the screen -
And yes - those are Lollo Roso lettuce in that pot - although they are prettier than they are tasty.
The geraniums and Surfinia are doing well in the wall baskets. Although the baskets themselves are getting a bit tatty.
And this is what was just behind me -
Those lollo rosso have been well cropped - they're getting droopy!
Of course, in the end I stood up, and began to do a bit of dead-heading. Three minutes later I turned around...
I decided it was time to come indoors.
It's still nice out there, though. I might go back later, with a cup of coffee.
Both two weeks ago, when I was still in York, and today at home, the temperature is pleasantly warm and sunny. Probably about 20C, which I know sounds cold to friends in California - but it's a pleasant summer temperature for me. I mention this because D-d is in Buenos Aires where the temperature had dipped down to zero at night... She's having a lovely time though - a mix of museums, maté, and nights out.
I must share her description of maté - it is a bit like a herbal tea but looks, smells and probably tastes a lot like cat-nip.
Any way - the pictures. I have passed St Martin's church in York so many times - it is on one of the main shopping streets. This time I stopped to look properly. The church was called St Martin the Grand - now knowing that there are beautiful medieval churches on almost every corner in the old city of York, you might expect this to be a very impressive church indeed. It is - but not in the way it used to be. The oldest parts of the building date back to the eleventh century although much of it was a little more recent - being fifteenth century. But almost all of it was destroyed in one of the Baedecker air-raids in 1942 leaving only the fifteenth century Tower and the South aisle.
Some churches so badly damaged have been rebuilt, others were demolished. St Martin's was restored so that that tower and aisle became the entirety of the church.
So, this would have been a small part of the church - but now it is the whole church...
And as you can see it has some nice medieval stonework. I like this - I assume it is a small demon; it looks like a rather bad tempered cat -
And my eye was caught by the drip stones at either side of the door - it seems to me as if one is a king and the other a bishop - but I have no idea of the significance - any ideas folks? (I am looking especially at
keswindhover...)The work to return what was left into a working church was mainly carried out in the 1950s - and is really rather beautiful. The church is now dedicated to Peace and Reconciliation. I was very impressed by the reredos. Here you can see how it sits beneath a modern stained glass window, above the altar.
And here it is a little closer -
And now for something completely different.
I spent part of the afternoon with my laptop out in the garden. I was going to take the netbook but it needed charging - and this newest laptop is very light with a pretty good battery life, and so much easier to write on. This is where I wrote about 1,000 words of the BigBang story -
And yes - that would be an alcoholic drink with some of my fresh mint out of the garden in it!
This year the garden is mostly doing pink - here is the view if I glanced around from the screen -
And yes - those are Lollo Roso lettuce in that pot - although they are prettier than they are tasty.
The geraniums and Surfinia are doing well in the wall baskets. Although the baskets themselves are getting a bit tatty.
And this is what was just behind me -
Those lollo rosso have been well cropped - they're getting droopy!
Of course, in the end I stood up, and began to do a bit of dead-heading. Three minutes later I turned around...
I decided it was time to come indoors.
It's still nice out there, though. I might go back later, with a cup of coffee.
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no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 06:41 pm (UTC)Our gardens are blooming in synchronicity!
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Date: 03/07/2011 07:01 pm (UTC)St Martin's would be worth a moment or two of your time if you are up there. I must have been quite spectacular before it was bombed, too.
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Date: 03/07/2011 07:21 pm (UTC)I could do with your 20C temps... we're around 33C and the A/C is *not* working as it should. So I'm sitting under a fan. Thank goodness the real heatwave from last week is over. It was nearer 37C for a few days then... maybe that's what wore out my A/C. :P
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Date: 03/07/2011 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 07:57 pm (UTC)And your garden is gorgeous. I like the pinks and purples; that's mostly how mine ended up this year too. I love geraniums. So cheerful!
And I'm a little jealous of 20c. It's about 16c here and stormy. I just changed clothes because I was too cold trying to hang out in my little micro- garden!
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Date: 03/07/2011 08:20 pm (UTC)The way they have used what was left of their church is really good, I think.
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Date: 03/07/2011 08:27 pm (UTC)But I do recognise the tactic you describe all too well. Actually My Mum's dog (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y109/curiouswombat/Willow/Willow001.jpg) is a skilled practitioner and can take over an entire single bed...
no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 08:29 pm (UTC)We are gardeners of the same ilk - lots of geraniums in pots! The nicotinia are a new thing for me - they are doing quite well at the moment. 16C is just a little too chilly to sit out in, I find.
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Date: 03/07/2011 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 08:54 pm (UTC)Different hemispheres, different seasons. :)
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Date: 03/07/2011 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 09:22 pm (UTC)To be honest if it was summer she'd be too hot in Buenos Aires - with her red hair and white, white skin (She could easily play Elizabeth the first with no make-up at all!), she burns in anything over about 25C even in the factor 50! she wasn't expecting it to be quite so chilly though - but she can borrow an extra jumper from her friend.
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Date: 03/07/2011 09:24 pm (UTC)I think that mason must have had a demonic cat at home!
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Date: 03/07/2011 09:55 pm (UTC)Your garden looks lovely, the perfect place to settle and do a spot of writing.
I so agree that 20C is quite warm enough. I had the shearers in today which was hot work even at that temperature!
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Date: 03/07/2011 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 10:17 pm (UTC)The back yard is a nice spot to sit out when the weather allows - but if you had the shearers you won't have had any time to do similar today, I'd guess!
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Date: 03/07/2011 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/07/2011 11:24 pm (UTC)Yes, we are having a very cold winter. Temperatures have dropped below zero in many towns in Southern Brazil, and there's frost all over there. Of course, it doesn't get half as bad for us in Rio, but considering the kind of winter we usually have this year is proving to be very chilly indeed
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Date: 04/07/2011 12:58 am (UTC)You are correct, one head is royalty - kingdom on earth, the other, the bishop (likely not the archbishop at that time, but why not go that extra step and say archbishop) for the kingdom in heaven. The two lynchpins of the cathedral. Loved the pics.
- Erulisse (one L)
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Date: 04/07/2011 01:09 am (UTC)I do like the nicotinia; though growing tobacco ornamentally just amuses me!
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Date: 04/07/2011 04:05 am (UTC)I think mate is really good, but it's definitely an acquired taste.
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Date: 04/07/2011 04:36 am (UTC)I am glad D-d is enjoying herself. What an adventure. You might have said, but is she travelling alone or with friends?
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Date: 04/07/2011 07:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/07/2011 07:52 am (UTC)The odd thing about the heads is that they certainly don't have them at the main entrance to The Minster (York's cathedral)! But they really caught my eye on St Martins.
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Date: 04/07/2011 09:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/07/2011 09:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/07/2011 09:52 am (UTC)And I love your cat! :)
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Date: 04/07/2011 11:26 am (UTC)She didn't really make it clear whether she liked the mate or not!
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Date: 04/07/2011 11:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/07/2011 11:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/07/2011 11:31 am (UTC)York is a good place if you like ancient buildings!
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Date: 04/07/2011 04:19 pm (UTC)I love that reredos too (though had to look it up to find out what its function was).
Glad D-d has arrived safely - and I'll remember never to take any semen with me if I ever go there. *g*
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Date: 04/07/2011 04:54 pm (UTC)And think how useful it is to know not to carry semen into Argentina!
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Date: 04/07/2011 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 06/07/2011 07:22 pm (UTC)It's been miserably hot here, but last night brought an air mass from the Rocky Mountains, and it is delightfully cool. Well, 80°F/26.6°C, which is a nice respite from the triple digit weather we'd been experiencing. The heat was great for harvest--the wheat loves to bake at the end of its cycle--but it's been hard on the row crops. We better enjoy today, as we're scheduled to a return to the furnace blast tomorrow with triple digits for the weekend.
Thank you for the tour of church and garden.