GOSIA'S FENCES AROUND THE WORLD

For Gosia's fence meme this week, I am once again digging into my archives.  In 2015 we were visiting Totnes, not too far from my home where I lived from the age of 15 years until 25.  In 1975 I met my husband and subsequently moved to the States.

Totnes is in South Devon and my photos were taken of an old church that had been sold, purchased and turned into a private residence.

I visited Totnes frequently when I lived a few miles away.  I had friends who were on the outskirts, and at other times my Mother and I would go shopping.  

The town is at the head of the estuary of the River Dart and about 21 miles from Exeter, another place I visited frequently.  Totnes has a recorded history dating back to 907, when its first castle was built.  By the 12th Century it was already an important market town and merchants' houses built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries can still be seen.

I would have loved to have looked inside to see how the owners decorated their home, but was content to take photos of the old iron fences out front.  

I am sharing the last two photos because I loved the name, Ticklemore Street.  
The same street with one last fence.

I am sharing a map of its location in South Devonshire.

Thank you for hosting Gosia.  If you would like to see other Fences Around the World, or join in with your own, you will find the link here.

GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE PLAINS

Grace Episcopal Church, Main Street, The Plains, Virginia.  This beautiful church is built on the lines of a 13th century rural English Gothic design.  

In 1917 the building of the first part of the present church was begun.  A silver trowel originally used by George Washington to lay the corner stone of the Capitol Building, was also used to lay the cornerstone of the church.  Many Italian stone masons were brought over to build the church, which was designed by local H. W. Irwin Fleming.  Stone from the surrounding countryside was used for the original structure.  The bell from that original structure still rings before services held to this day.  

This link will share a page that tells you what you can find in The Plains.

I turned a couple of my photos into 'art', this one and also in the next post.  I will share the originals sometime.  I used an app I downloaded on my iPAD called 'ArtCard'.  There are several artistic effects but this one was my personal favorite at this point in time.

A VISIT TO NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL IN 2014

À vaillant coeur rien d’impossible. 

~Jacques Cœur~

“For a valiant heart nothing is impossible.”

In 2014, I was in Paris and had the blessing of seeing Notre Dame Cathedral with my own eyes.  The tragedy of the fire affected me deeply.  

This is my humble tribute to Notre Dame, to Parisiennes everywhere, to the people of France.  

"And just as the Phoenix rose from 

The ashes, she too will rise,

Returning from the flames clothed

In nothing but her strength,

More beautiful than ever before. 

~Author Unknown~

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

The following photos were taken below ground level, where there are five small chapels known as The Crypt.

This is The Resurrection Chapel, and contains mosaic scenes which depict the appearances of Jesus following his resurrection.

The mosaics in the back were designed by one of the most prolific and long-lived cathedral artists, Rowan LeCompte and his wife Irene.  




So the story goes, Mr. LeCompte became enamored by the stained glass on a visit to the cathedral when he was 13 years of age, and he took up the craft.

He has designed more than 40 stained-glass windows for the cathedral, including the great West Rose Window and all of the clerestory (top-level windows in the nave).

If interested I found a YouTube video on the making of the mosaics.  If you can't see it below, the link is here.  The video wasn't very clear at times but the narration was informative.



The cathedral would appeal to those who are not Christian, and people of all faiths can be seen here. It truly is a magnificent structure, and its architecture, history and artwork is amazing.

This is the final resting place of Alfred Harding, the second bishop of Washington National Cathedral, his wife Justine and their infant son.

I am not sure where I found the painting below, except that it was in the crypt.  A hallway between chapels perhaps.


The only other we entered was The Bethlehem Chapel.  We intend to go back to see the others.

There was a lady here.  She was sitting in a pew to the side, quietly reading a book.  After the hot, muggy weather outside, the coolness underground was very much a comfort.  One could sit in quiet contemplation for a long time without being disturbed.  

Bethlehem Chapel was the first part of the cathedral built on top of the foundation stone, at what is now the crypt level.   Beneath its altar is that foundation stone, which contains a piece of rock from a field near Bethlehem.  It was set on September 29th, 1907, in a ceremony attended by President Theodore Roosevelt.

A worship service has been held here every day since it was finished in 1912.  Bethlehem Chapel was dedicated to the first bishop, Bishop Satterlee, whose remains are laid to rest behind the altar in an alabaster sarcophagus, along with those of his wife Jane.  Bishop Satterlee was a major player in getting the cathedral constructed.  

The chapel also contains the tomb of Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Spanish-American War and later a member of the Cathedral Chapter.

More photos of our time at the cathedral in later posts.

BISHOP'S GARDEN AT THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

In the above photo, near the second car from the right parked next to the wall, is the archway leading into the Bishop's Garden.  We are on the seventh floor where we can see the most incredible views.  The photo only shows half of the garden.  There is a large lawn to the right out of sight.

The roses were a little past their prime but I loved the sunflowers.  They were the star of the show today, not forgetting the Cathedral behind them.

I have a few other photos from here, which I will share later.  However, I wanted to finish this post with a pretty mockingbird atop an old carved stone in the garden.

RANDOM PHOTO

Driving back home a few weeks ago, we found ourselves in Wakefield where we had lunch at the Virginia Diner.  I noticed the reflection of the church across the street in one of the windows.

GOOD FENCES

Visiting the historical part of Clifton, Virginia recently, I took a lot of fence photos for Theresa's Good Fences.  These were from the Clifton Baptist Church on Main Street.  

The history of the village of Clifton can be found here.  I will have more photos soon.

Thank you for the fun Theresa.  

You can see more fences if you click on the button below.