GUTTENBERG

                         Mainz and Guttenberg  Museum

          

            Mainz, Germany, on the left bank of the Rhine, the third longest river in Europe, has bounced from German to French rule many times. This bustling city, capitol of the German state Rheinland-Pfalz, is home to the oldest castle on the Rhine.

Mainz remained a walled city until the late 1800s. The old city is 2000 years old, the new city from the 1800s. There is a mix of old and new buildings, often side by side, but they blend quite well. Bombing of WW II destroyed 85% of the city. Buildings were needed quickly and the old facades were not added until the 1960s

Our delightful city docent stopped in front of St. Martin’s and said, “This 975 cathedral, was built for coronations at a time when the city had a population of only 2-3000 people.  In the 11^th and 12^th centuries seven kings were crowned in the cathedral. The cathedral completed in 1009 burned down on its dedication day, but was rebuilt in 1036 and most of the present structure dates from 1239. The cathedral escaped damage in WW II bombings, but being made of limestone it is always in some state of repair or restoration.

“The clock is 200 years old. Look at the top of the spire. A single cross designates a church, but a double cross designates a cathedral. Inside, the pulpit will be on the right if it is a church, on the left in a cathedral. Before people could read, monks had different floor tile designs so people would know where they were. Dom means dominate, to the highest power.”

The highlight of my visit to Mainz was the Gutenberg Museum. Johannes Gutenberg was a Mainz native. After inventing movable type he printed 180 copies of the Gutenberg Bible, of which 49 remain and are priceless. His error-free replaceable text revolutionized the printed word.

 A docent is necessary to understand the Bibles displayed in the darkened temperature-controlled room of the Gutenberg Museum, which opened in 2000. The Bibles have no page numbers. The cost of a Bible was four oxen, and owning a Bible in those days was a status symbol. The Bible was delivered as separate pages. Then the purchaser had to take the pages to an artist for color to be added in various places, then to a binder.

Centuries ago people would pay a pilgrim to travel to a place or church to relieve them of their sins. This was called selling indulgences. The pilgrim would return to the person with a coupon or token as proof that he had carried out his mission. Pilgrims often wore beards as they had little time to shave, and beards were seldom seen on men other than pilgrims.

We wrapped up our visit to the museum in a replica of Gutenberg’s workroom where we watched a demonstration on how the press worked. It was a tedious process to produce a single page, but once the page print was set up many pages could follow and it certainly was an improvement over the time consuming task of hand copying a page, which was often done by monks.

It was pretty exciting to be in the place where such history-making events had taken place.

A COUPLE HEIDELBERG STORIES

                                       Heidelberg Lunch and Kiss
An Interesting Lunch

We arrived in Heidelberg  just about lunch time and our first stop was the Castle Restaurant where we were served a student lunch.  The meal started with a large green salad that was followed with mouth pockets.  What an interesting name for the large ravioli-like pastas filled with a cheese, spinach and meat filling. They were very different, but I really liked them even though it seemed strange not to have a sauce on them. Lunch finished with a very good apple strudel (apfelstrudel).

It was a delightful hearty lunch. The large restaurant is filled with long tables.

The Student Kiss

Our local Heidelberg, Germany guide told a story related to the students at the local university.  Heidelberg University was for boys only in days of old. However, they soon discovered that girls from finishing schools congregated at what now is Heidelberg’s oldest café in the center of the old city. Everyone liked Fridolin Knosel the good natured pastry cook who owned the café. The girls, accompanied by their watchful governess, frequently encountered merry students. Under such conditions innocent flirtations were kept under wraps.

However, the young ladies’ secret longings did not escape Mr. Knosel who decided to help them. One day with a big grin, he surprised them with a chocolate pastry he called a ‘student kiss’. The governesses did not object to the girls accepting the pastry.

Since then, much time has passed and much has changed. But the ‘student kiss’ is still available from the same café and serves as a reminder of the romantic past and has become part of Heidelberg’s history and image.

After concluding our city walking tour, we walked through the ancient towers and across the old stone bridge for a different perspective of the city. It was an excellent spot to get a really good view of the castle high up on the hill. After taking a couple of photos we returned to the café to buy a couple of kisses.

It is fun to learn these cute little stories as one travels as it helps to bring history alive. This picture is a copy of the kiss wrapper.  I managed to get a couple of the treats home to share with family as I related the story.

SOULAC'S ANCIENT CHURDH

                                   An Amazing History

When biking in Bordeaux, France we detoured into the seaside town of Soulac for both lunch and to visit an ancient church that had been buried for over 200 years!

Soulac is sheltered by pine-covered sand dunes, and is rich in history. Pill-boxes pepper the coastline, and add a dramatic and exciting element to the breathtaking scenery. The wind was blowing so hard that if we did not keep all our food covered, and our drinks capped, we were eating grit.

The Notre Dame Basilica de la fin des Terres, dating to the 12th century, is a major pilgrim destination for French people. Located in Soulac, a beach community near the Atlantic coast was totally lost to a sand dune by the 1741. Records show that the church was threatened by sand since its construction in the 12th century. 12^th and 13^th century documents also relate and describe the advancing of sand and how the church floor was raised by  5-6 feet. The main entrance was moved from the south to the west side of the church. As the sand progressed, the choir and the entire first floor had to be abandoned. By 1741 the church was totally buried.

In the middle of the 19th century, the dune blew away uncovering the Roman- style church, which now is a designated UNESCO world heritage site. It was discovered that this church was actually built on top of another church, a small part of those ruins are visible from a certain spot.

As is commonly seen in Benedictine churches, modern restoration has taken place on the almost 50-meter long church. The nave has three aisles. The church tower at the north-western corner was built at a later date. What a remarkable history.

After visiting the church we headed to the beach area and the breath-taking views of the Atlantic Ocean. The pounding surf was music to our ears and the water, so clear and blue, looked so inviting. Unfortunately we had no time for swimming as we had time restraints to meet a ferry. The strong wind was a wonderful tail wind. Once balanced on my bike, I kid you not, I didn’t even have to pedal to move! What fun that was! It was easy peddling to move at a pretty good clip. Had that wind been head on we would have been in for a really tough pedal and no doubt would have missed our ferry ride.

We made the ferry terminal with a wee bit of time to spare.

BEAUTIFUL CITY HALLS

                                      Masterpieces Themselves

                            

  OSLO’S Radhuset

Scandinavian city halls are spectacular, nothing like dreary work buildings elsewhere. We were stunned at the gorgeous insides of all the city halls in the capitols of the area. City halls, instead of churches, dominate cities in the northern corner of Europe. In Oslo city hall is the political center and the workplace for 450 municipal employees and politicians.

            The proposal for the Oslo’s City Hall was made in 1915, but because it was in a slum area it was denied.  A competition for the building was held in 1918. The foundation for the Radhuset was poured 1931 when the slum was torn down. The building was interrupted by WW II and not completed until 1951----to celebrate the city’s 900^th birthday. In the main hall a colorful 20,000-square-foot mural shows folks, country folk and all peoples, working harmoniously for a better society. The hall has a 20-meter-high ceiling and floor space of 1500 square meters. The twin towers are of red brick. Outside the entrance, under the overhang, the walls showcase carved wooden reliefs of Norse mythology. 

Three resident artists have access to studios at the top of the tower.

On December 10 every year, the traditional ceremony for the Nobel Laureate is held in the Oslo City Hall.  The ceremony was moved to city hall in 1990 which can host 1000 guests.  Since 1905, members of the Norwegian Royal Family have been regular guests at the ceremony.

It is an amazing building.

DENMARK’S Radhus

            Denmark’s City Hall is the landmark between the train station, Tivoli, and the Stroget. The 345-foot high tower has 300 steps leading to the top. The tower’s carillon chimes its familiar tune all over the capital. The building is full of Danish symbolism inside and out. The golden statue is of Bishop Absalon, who founded Copenhagen more than 800 years ago. The Round Tower was built in 1642. Polar bears climbing on the roof represent Danish protection from Greenland. An iron gate in the center of the floor is an elevator for the transport of 1200 chairs.  The building itself was inspired by an equivalent building in Siena, Italy.

            Construction began in 1892, and the current building was inaugurated in 1905. The architect  designed it in National Romantic-style. It is dominated by its richly ornamented front, the gilded statue above the balcony and the tall, slim clock tower. In addition to the tower clock, the City Hall also houses Jens Olsen’s World Clock.  The architect used Italian Renaissance-style and  medieval Danish design.

            A fire in 1728 destroyed the original building. The second city hall was built in 1728 and destroyed by fire again in 1795.

BEATRIX POTTER

                         A Remarkable Woman

          We arrived at Beatrix Potter’s home, Hill Top, in the afternoon knowing a whole lot more about Peter Rabbit’s author from the lecture the night, before then we knew before leaving home. Beatrix Potter, the first child of Helen and Rupert Potter, was born in July 1866. Her father, a wealthy barrister, made money from cotton, and did not have to work. Beatrix and her dad were very close.

Beatrix Potter's home, Hill Top

            Mrs. Potter’s job was to take care of five servants and to host teas and dinner parties. Beatrix found her mother cold and domineering.

      As a child Beatrix had little contact with the family as she stayed on the third floor of the family home, Bolton Gardens, with a governess. She was excited when at age six a brother was born--- now she would have a playmate. She was in her mid teens before she joined the family for dinner.

      Beatrix kept a journal between the ages of 15-30, but it was all written in code. When the journal was discovered in 1950 it took nine years to decode. Because of this journal it is known what her early years were like. Why a code? Some speculate her mother was nosy and intrusive.

      At age 16 she met and became friends with Vicar Roonsly who encouraged her to write and draw. She and her brother kept all kinds of critters in their third floor abode. Beatrix named them all and created stories about them. She was a naturalist at an early age! At 24 Beatrix started drawing greeting cards, receiving   six pounds for the first batch. This turned into a profitable business for her for several years.

      She also became an expert on fungi, an interest which was sparked on vacations to Scotland. She conducted extensive experiments and, at age 31, presented a paper on spore formation and other theories. The paper was presented under a male pseudonym, as in those days women did not do such things or attend ‘male conventions’.

      Her last governess, Annie Carter, left to marry. When she had children Beatrix sent picture letters to the children—the beginning of her books. However, she submitted Peter Rabbit to six publishers, only to receive six rejections, so she self published 150 copies, sold them to friends, and then ordered 200 more copies. Peter, Flopsie, Mopsie, and Cottontail have been famous ever since. As we all know her books combine fantasy with reality joining children and adults. She drew all the illustrations for her books.

      Beatrix was very much dominated by her parents. She met and fell in love with Norman, and of course  her parents  did not approve. They did not marry as    Norman    died   shortly afterward unexpectedly of  pernicious anemia. Devastated by Norman’s death Beatrix moved to England’s Lake District in 1905 buying Hill Top and its 34 acres for a sum of 2800 pounds.

      When 46, she  met and fell in love with William Heelis. Again her parents disapproved as they were getting older and wanted her around to take care of them. Fortunately, her brother returned home at this time and informed his parents that he had been secretly married for six years and that they should let go of Beatrix. In 1913, at age 47, Beatrix and William married, and there after she was known as Beatrix Potter Heelis. She became a sheep farmer’s wife only writing four books after her marriage.

      But Beatrix was no lady of leisure. She often was thought to be a bit eccentric. She dressed as a farmer’s wife not as the wealthy person she had become. She often wore hats to cover the bald spots left from a bout of rheumatic fever she suffered in her 20s. Beatrix, a bit of a recluse, shunned publicity. She put electricity into the barns before she put it in the house because she thought the animals would appreciate it more.

      Saving the Herdwick sheep from extinction to a now thriving population is accredited to Beatrix Potter Heelis.  She became the first woman to serve as president of the Herdwick Sheep Association.

      Her father died a year after her marriage. After being widowed, her mother moved in with Beatrix, but five years later Beatrix bought her mother a farm and moved her into it. Thereafter, she visited her mother for one hour each Wednesday afternoon. A stroke caused the death of her brother at age 46.

      In 1929 she wrote Fairy Caravan which was published in the United States and not sold in England until after her death. It is said to be autobiographical and mentions many local residents.  She died of bronchitis on December 22, 1943.She donated 15 farms and over 4000 acres to the National Trust. Hill Top has been open to the public since 1946.

ST STEPHEN'S --PASSAU, GERMANY

                         An Old Historic Church

        

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Passau, Germany at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz Rivers three times. The first time we were biking, and we just biked on into the city of three rivers. The second time we were grounded on the Danube River because of low wate, so we bused into the city.

            On the first two  visits we ended a city walking tour over cobbled streets and small alleys at  St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the largest baroque church north of the Alps, just in time for an organ concert. St Stephen’s with its onion topped twin towers sits on the highest point in town. There is a third, higher tower. The 1662 fire that destroyed eighty percent of the city also destroyed all of the church except the Gothic nave. 
         Built of sandstone, restoration is always on-going. Many of the large sandstone blocks were being replaced with limestone. Each new block is marked with the mason’s signature with a cross above it. We were told that it takes three months to cut and replace each large stone.

        Italians rebuilt most of the city, including the church, which accounts for the heavy baroque influence. The new part of the city is 400 years old.  Italian baroque is a little less ornate than Romanesque baroque, but you could have fooled me! Baroque churches do not contain stained glass windows.

       During World War II, bombing was confined to  areas around the railroad tracks so the church escaped damage. The fountain in the church square was erected in 1903.

        Inside the church we had time to absorb its beauty. The ceiling is 90 feet high, but in the nave 110 feet high. Statues are nine feet tall while the angels are six feet. The ceiling fresco allowed for no errors as it was painted on fresh plaster. The largest church organ in the world has five organs and 17,774 pipesand 80 miles of electrical wiring!  The 1928 organ is placed on an 18^th century casing.  (The Mormon Tabernacle organ is larger but is not considered a church organ.)

It is the custom in this part of the world to have the cemetery within walls that surround the church. The wall is usually concrete and about five to six feet high surrounding the property’s perimeter. Then each grave in the cemetery has a raised bed for a flower garden. Relatives often tend these mini gardens with great care. Sometimes the family hires someone else to do it and there are people, often elderly women, who make an occupation of just tending these little gardens.

            For 600 years the church was closed to the public and used only by clergy. By 1803 the church had lost a lot of its power and the reigning Hapsburgs returned the church to the people. In the early 1990s the church underwent a 12-million-Mark restoration.(before the Euro currency.)

High water marks are dated on buildings near the river. A bus takes one across the river and to the castle high on the hill opposite the main part of the city. Otherwise the city is very walkable. Passau has a lot of character and a very friendly feel to it.

NOVA SCOTIA

Memories of Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island ---PEI

Historic Pictou

            A replica of the Hector sits in the harbor at Pictou on Cape Breton Island, Canada.

in the historic village of Pictou.  She sailed from the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands with 200 passengers. A piper wanted to sail on the Hector, but had no money for the passage, so the other adventurers took up a collection to pay for his passage.

            He played the bagpipes during the difficult passage to keep everyone’s spirits up. When they landed on the island, Indians greeted them---not sure friendly or otherwise. The piper played a greeting, which scared the Indians who took off running.

            Strolling down the main street of the historic town we stopped several times to read waist high brass markers giving a single historic fact. I thought this was an excellent way to relate the city’s history. The markers were easier to read than a plaque on a building, which is such a common practice. One fascinating tidbit was that chloroform was produced in Pictou in 1848, ----the first time in North America.

Charlottetown

            PEI is the birthplace of Canada dating back to 1864 when there was discussion of a British Union. PEI is divided into three counties: Prince on the west, Queens in the center, and Kings in the east. The Micmac called the island Abegeweit meaning land cradled by waves. About 1000 Micmac reside on the island and the culture thrives here.

In the French River mussel farming is a thriving industry. There are no true rivers on the island, but the brackish inlets are called and named rivers.

            PEI grows potatoes in its red soil, feeding most of Canada its spuds. The 30 varieties grown on the island are grown for food, seed, and the huge French fry industry. Canadian Farms, a French fry processing plant, is the largest industry employer on the island. It takes 27 tractor loads of potatoes a day to run the plant at full capacity!

Part of the gardens at Victoria Park

            Canadian Bloom is a nationwide project of beautification. Charlottetown is covered with window boxes and concrete planters producing gorgeous blooming flowers. A water truck rides the city each day watering the planters. Many pocket parks throughout the city lend an air of spaciousness as well as peace and quiet. There are also many lovely parks.

            Grass covered sand dunes, salt marshes, sandstone cliffs, and red clay lanes rolling over the picturesque undulating countryside has virtually nothing to spoil the lovely scenery. The north coast has 24-miles of beach in the Prince Edward Island National Seashore.

            By far, the biggest tourist attraction on the island is the Green Gables Museum---the house where Lucy Maud Montgomery visited her aunt as a child and is the setting for her stories about the red headed orphan Anne, spelled with an e.

People living on the island are from here, and everyone else is from away.

ENGLAND'S LAKE DISTRICT

                               A Delight Part of the Country

            I strongly believe that one of the best ways to see a new place is to walk or bike it. A few years ago I was not about to let anything stop me from taking my first European hiking trip. Fortunately the cast came off my broken foot a few days before departure. My good hiking boots kept severe swelling at bay when on my feet all day. Each day upon returning to the hotel, before going to my room, I went to the desk for a bag of ice. While my good friend poured us a glass of wine I removed my boot. Before applying the ice to my foot I removed a couple of cubes to ice to cool my wine. Priorities, right? My foot really gave me no trouble and I was able to enjoy a wonderful trip and learned a few neat things.

      Years ago when there was no church in town, coffins were carried over a coffin road to the nearest cemetery. We walked over a coffin road which now was no more than a hiking path.  

Making charcoal    

We detoured onto a pit stead    which we learned is a flat area that is needed for charcoal burning and is often elevated. A large pole (motte peg) was placed upright in the center of a circle. Coppice wood cut in 4-5 foot lengths was placed spoke fashion around the motte peg and piled 8-10 feet high. Then the whole pile was covered with bracken (fern like plant), leaving a small vent at the bottom.  Dirt was placed on top of the bracken. The motte peg was removed and the hole left filled with hot coals. Then the coals were covered so the whole thing was airtight. If air got in, the result was ash instead of charcoal. It was left to burn 2-3 days. The charcoal was cooled with water, sacked, and placed on a packhorse to be carried out. By 1913 the charcoal industry gave way to coke.  (Neither the drink nor the drug, but a type of coal)

Coppice wood is woodland that is cut every 15 years.

Oak bark was soaked to produce tannin and is the foundation of the expression ‘I’ll tan your hide.’

Pack Horse Bridges

We walked over the 400-year-old Slater’s pack horse bridge. There are many of these old bridges around. These stone bridges were very narrow and beautifully arched over becks (small streams).Many of the arched bridges and old pack horse bridges, are still standing 300-400 years later and are in good condition! 

Arched lumber was laid over the stream and anchored.  A key stone was placed on the center top, then rocks were laid to the edges. When the wood was removed the rocks locked themselves in place. The pack horse bridges we passed over were very narrow requiring single file, so it is hard to imagine a horse dragging a 2- wheel cart over them. With no mortar the bridges are so sturdy I wonder if they could even be torn down.

An Interesting Stile

We climbed over an ancient stile built into the wall. The stile used cantilevered stones as steps. A one-foot wide space in the top of the wall was used for one to turn so he could climb down the opposite side on more cantilevered stones. This whole concept was new to me and maneuvering the first time was a bit of a challenge, but one that was quickly conquered.

Gates and Pastures

Although people live and farm in England’s National Parks, they are still open to the public. We walked through many pastures, climbed several stiles and opened and closed many gates. Passing through one pasture we were scolded by loud blatting from the rear. We stopped to see what was going on. Suddenly the noisy sheep saw a clear passageway and kicked in the afterburners. When he arrived on the other side of us he wandered over to another sheep. It was pretty cute.