Cathedral junkies!

 

Dan says I'm a closet Catholic because I like going to cathedrals so much.  That's not true, the cathedrals we have been visiting in England are Anglican, having started out as Catholic and then changed during the reformation.   But I'm not a closet Anglican either.  I just like the rich history, amazing architecture, dazzling stonework, and classical religious art that only cathedrals have.  

One of my favorite books, Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, documents the building of a cathedral over a number of decades during the 11th and 12th centuries.    The book is accurate in many of the building details  and in what it was probably like to live back in those times in various walks of life.   Follett's novel is loosely based on the building of Salisbury and Exeter, which we saw today.    I'm grateful that Dan indulges my fascination and allows me almost as much time as I like in visiting each one.

The Nave at Exeter

I See Dead People (OK, they're Stone)

The one on the left is alive.

12th century grafitti

Bunk Beds

And my favorite. . . Click to enlarge.

 

For Janice:

Real Icons

         

  Doing the big ongoing task of restoration.  Mix a little lime with ground stone and paint it on.  Keeps the stonework restored for another five years.

 

Astonishingly, the real Virgin On the Rocks by Leonardo Da Vinci is in Exeter cathedral.  Even more surprising is how little is done to preserve it.  It's just hanging on the wall with a little light above it that you can switch on and off to get a better look.  Unfortunately it's very high on the wall and I had to reach up very high with the camera to get this shot.  Even so, the photo is pretty poor.   I couldn't believe the people wouldn't let me stand on a chair to photograph it better.

We had to leave the cathedral before we were finished looking at everything because there was a funeral going on.    Apparently, people still use this church for religious purposes.   Since it was lunch time, we trekked around looking for food and ended up in a French cafe.  

French Cafe in Exeter.