Monday, May 21, 2007

THOUSAND YEAR OLD CHURCHES AND UNEXPECTED SPIDER WEBS

A portion of this church was built nearly a thousand years ago. We walked to another church that is considered new. Two hundred years old. Kind of puts my writing in perspective.

10 pm and warming up to merely frigid.
Norway delivers surprises around every corner. The churches are older than anything I have ever seen outside of dinosaur bones.
The grave yards full of tombstones and poignancy.
And mystery.

Why is this web here? Notice how cleverly the shrub is planted?
Does it have some special significance to the departed?
I wondered about this as we strolled back to my cousin's house.

And then the sheep.
How can you not feel all's right with the world when you watch sheep?
Norway can make you ponder these things.
Tomorrow we begin our circular journey up to Nordfjoreid down to Bergen and across to Voss then back to Oslo.
Where we began.
Like planning a novel.
You need to figure out where to start and how to finish.
And sometimes the end leads you right back to the beginning.
How cool is that?

8 comments:

Lisa R said...

Wow! Great pictures. I felt the same way about Rome. Everything was so old but then right next to something 1500 years old would be a brand new building (of course, their definition of brand new is about 200-250 years old). We can't relate in America. I love the full circle reference. Great!

Gay said...

I remember on my first trip to Europe, I saw a church that was built in 1776. I was excited. I said, "Wow. It's that's as old as my country." My guide said (translating loosely into English, "Oh, darling. That's just a baby church. We will see old later."

I love Europe. It's my favorite place to travel.

Do you start out with the beginning and the end, too? And then figure out how to make them meet? I had a handful of scenes in the middle, as well, and then had to "connect the dots" as it were. :D

The cool thing about blogs is that we don't have to miss you when you're "gone." Love travelling with you.

Kim said...

These pictures are great! I would love to go to Norway - so far the only place I've been to outside the US is Ireland. Ever since I left, I've been bugging my husband about going back. I love the history behind everything. I'm such a nerd that way :)! Reading this now gives me something else to bug him about as well.

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Holly Kennedy said...

Great photos, Pat!
I've never been to Norway even though I've got tons of relatives over there, but I've toured thru Germany and few other countries in Europe and saw many churches and buildings built 100s of years ago. So cool...

Love the headstones, btw.
And before I forget, I died laughing re: the albino moose (or was it an elk -- too lazy to go check that older post of yours right now!) Only YOU would stumble across something so amazingly unique :)

ORION said...

patwoodauthor@gmail.com always works for me!
Walk over and knock on the hull. She walks early.
I'm sure she would enjoy the company.
For everybody--
My sister is "orion sitting" making sure the cats and boat stay on the surface.
Yeah Lisa it is amazing that 200 years old is considered young!
Connecting the dots! That's good gay!
Kim I would love to go to Ireland.
Maybe next year!

Therese said...

Great fun "traveling" with you.

We toured cemeteries in Charleston last weekend, having similar thoughts when seeing headstones from the 1600s.

They were as real as we are.

Must make the most of the time allotted--so back to work for me!

Adrienne said...

You are a great photographer Pat! Still love that one shot of the still ocean from a few weeks ago best, but that sheep is definitely up there!

Sigh, sounds like a lovely trip! Still most jealous!