BATH, SOMERSET, ENGLAND

Sue drove us all the way to Bath on Monday, the 28th.
I really wanted to see the city, having heard its curious 
name since I was little.  We, my friends and I, thought
it was hilarious that a city should be named Bath.  No
one ever told me that the reason it was called Bath was
because of the ancient Roman baths that were built at
the site of the hot springs in 60 AD.  I'm sure the hot
springs were well used before the Romans appeared!
Apparently the Britons worshipped the goddess Sulis 
there, and it's likely that a shrine existed long before
the Roman baths were built.

This is the upper part of the entrance to the baths.  Below, there were so many tourists, it
spoiled the feel of the place!

Don't remember what this is!!  A church, by the looks of it.  Many of
the buildings are built with this pale stone, much of which is limestone. 

Bath is well known for this area called the Circus, which 
means circle, or line, from the Latin and the Greek.  The
buildings are astonishing - I could only get a portion of
it, but they go all around in a vast circle.  Very elegant
and posh, and I would have loved to have been able to
go poking around inside!

It's really a beautiful old city, with amazing architecture,
gorgeous shops, good restaurants, and absolutely full of
tourists!  Sue took me to her favourite clothes shop, and
I spent money!!  Cath, wait til you see what I bought!

More photos:

One of the weirs on the river Avon in Bath, built to bring the river into one single
channel, from what used to be streams and swamps and ponds.

Sue and Simon, my amazing wonderful hosts, sitting by the river Avon.

We finished the day off with a beer in the smallest pub
in Bath, perhaps in any city in the south of England.  A
tiny little hole in the wall, with really good beer.  I really
loved this day out, from start to finish.

MORE ON THE ANCIENT CHURCH

I was sure I would remember all the details of each 
thing I saw, but needless to say…..
I'm fairly sure the church is St. Thomas, and I 
wrote in an earlier post that it is built on the 
foundations of a much older building associated
with the Knights Templar.  It is called The Round
Church of the Knights Templar.  I read that the 
Knights were a military monastic order! who were 
often in the front lines during the Crusades.  They 
started out very poor, but quickly amassed lots
of wealth.  

In the church, an impression of a sword is in one of the altar stones - perhaps the remnant of a Knights' gravestone?

Looking back at the open door

I was told there was always a devil or an evil creature somewhere
in the building, as a kind of safeguard against evil entering.
I like it, crouching there.  

Looking toward the altar from the front door of the church

This is what greeted us when we came through the front door.

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED!

One last picture from Dublin….I walked
in to a pub and ordered a Guinness, just 
because I couldn't face telling people I
hadn't had a single Guinness while in 
Ireland!

It's only 10 days since I left Ireland, 
getting on the ferry at Dun Laoughaire,
but it feels like much longer.

At the back of the ferry, watching Ireland disappear behind us….

The ferry arrived at Holyhead, in Wales, and I was
picked up by Sue and Simon, and we drove through
the gorgeous Welsh and English countryside until
we arrived at their home.  It was a long drive, and
we were all wiped out.  Early to bed, and then the
next day was a do-nothing day for all of us.  The
day after that was a beautiful sunny Sunday, and we
decided to go for a ramble….

We walked through fields, and met a curious herd
of cows who followed us to the fence.

Good friends, leading the way...

Not too far away is the Manor, belonging to the 
Lord and Lady something-or-other….not 
meaning any disrespect.

The Manor, Your Ladyship….

Crossing through fields

And passing through the village

And finding marvellous trees

And climbing into them

One of
the few
remain-
ing red
telephone
boxes,
not so
well
used.


















And a very old church, called, I think
St. Thomas.  It is built on the foundations
of a church connected with the Knights
Templar, from back in the 1200's.

OK, now I'm only 8 days behind….but I need to post this
one so that I can be ready to go out for my final dinner
in Paris!!

GLENDALOUGH

On my last full day in Ireland, Marion R. 
came and picked me up to take me out
for the day to Glendalough, an early
Christian monastic settlement.  It was
founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century.

This hermit priest founded the monastery, and
then retired up into the hills.  I was told a story
about a woman named Kathleen finding her 
way up to St. Kevin, intent on seduction, but he 
didn't like people much, and really didn't like
women, so he beat her with nettles and pushed
her off the path where she fell into the lake
and drowned.  Saintly.

The round tower made me think immediately of
the tower in the Psyche and Eros story.

This round
tower is about
30 metres 
high, and 
was built 
as a store-
house, but
also as a
refuge in 
times of 
attack.
The walls are
very, very 
thick, and
the whole
feeling of 
the thing is 
of something utterly impregnable, with 
a strange, solid beauty.

Marion and I wandered through the ruins,
touching this ancient rock, and marvelling
at the feeling of time and loving the deep 
quiet that is here.  There is a feeling of
sanctuary, as you cross the threshold into
the monastic space.  In those ancient
times, as soon as anyone went through 
the arches that mark the entrance, they 
were safe (except for Kathleen).  The 
old stone walls and the open doorways 
are evocative, and made me wonder 
who were these men and women who 
sought refuge here, and what was it like 
as they built up a small city - apparently 
the monastery included workshops, 
guest houses, an infirmary, farm 
buildings, and a large lay population.

A gravestone from 1780 - relatively recent!

We left the grounds of the cathedral and 
the tower, and walked to the Upper 
Lake, taking the path that went through
the marsh and passed Lower Lake.
We passed some beautiful wooded
areas, with very very old trees.

It was a really special day, Marion.  It still
resonates through me, as I look again at
the pictures.  Thank you so much for sharing
it with me!

We thought this was an ancient burial mound, and
could feel a powerful energy here.

Photo of the area, taken before we got to the site.

CATCHING UP

It feels like so along ago already, but it was 
only last week that I had a couple of good
visits - though too short - with two Irish
women, while still in Dublin.  Sarah came 
over to where I was staying, with her little 
son Luke, who sat happily on my lap in the 
kitchen while his Mum grabbed a bite to 
eat.  Our visit was way too short, because 
I had made plans to meet Abigail in town,
and Sarah had been held up in her arrival.
Abigail and I met in a very cool little
restaurant, and I had a late lunch while we
visited.  These are women who I know
from our workshops, and we don't really
get time to visit properly while at 
Dunderry.  It was so good to spend time
together.

It was while I was on my way home 
from being with Abigail that I ran
into a very small demonstration, 
protesting the deaths by Israeli 
attacks on Palestine.

I was stopped in my tracks when 
the people involved began to lie 
down on the street, some of them
wearing t-shirts splattered with 
red paint, holding signs with the
names of people who had been 
killed.  Then one of the women
sat and read the names and ages 
of the people who had died, just
in the last two days.  I was
riveted by hearing names and
ages, which somehow made the
whole thing much more personal.
Especially hearing the children's
names.  And seeing two kids,
lying with their eyes closed, very
still - it was hard to stay, but I
felt I had to.

JUST A BUNCH OF PHOTOS

Can't remember what these are called, but they grow wild everywhere.

I went for a gorgeous walk while in West Cork.

Another image of Drombeg

I liked this old empty building.

On my walk….

Yup, this one too….

OOPS

I didn't mean to highlight those last posts
with a white background.  Julia, I wish you
were here to help me with this!!
Oh well, I think it's just family and friends
who are reading this, so I know you won't 
mind.  I mostly just want to get the images
and the thoughts out there to you, and I
don't like the fiddling with text colour and
all that.
Here are two more pictures, of one of the
rooms where I'm staying, and of the lilies
which greeted me when I arrived.