The Beauty of Salisbury Cathedral

 I have so many pictures to share from our recent trip to England back in March. I have been slowly showing them all to you in little packets of photo pleasure. 

In an earlier post  I shared the photos of my daughter and I exploring the town of Salisbury and its famous Close. 

Today is part 2 of that day out - the part where we discover Salisbury Cathedral.

 

Here was our first view of the Cathedral:

 

It is easy to see why, centuries ago, pilgrims were overwhelmed by the sheer heavenly majesty of this church. 

 

 

Salisbury's spire was added between 1300 and 1320 and is the tallest in the UK (123m or 402 ft). It is probably the heaviest too.  In fact, if you stand under the pillars that stand directly below it inside the church, you can see how much the pillars are buckling under the weight!

 

As is typical of most gothic-style cathedrals built during this period, the front façade is covered with ecclesiastical carvings of every kind.

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm always blown away by the sheer talent of medieval stone masons who worked with nearly primitive tools to create these arches and entryways.

 

I love the juxtaposition of these two carvings - scary looking gargoyle and elegant angel.

Reminders of "who's in charge."

 

 

 

By far, the most impressive part of the cathedral for me was the Cathedral Font. 

It was designed  British water sculptor William Pye and was installed in September 2008  during the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral. 

 

The water within it is completely still even though small waterfalls run off each of the four points of the cross-shape at all times. Because it is so still, it acts like a mirror, allowing visitors to view the soaring ceilings of the cathedral by looking down instead of craning their necks upwards. 

 

 

Afton and I had some fun trying to take the perfect "reflection" picture.

 

 

The afore-mentioned arches and ceiling mosaics.

 

 

It was a pretty gloomy, grey day outside the cathedral, but light still poured in, illuminating the windows and lighting the beauty of the church for all to enjoy.   
 

 

 

 

One of the guides inside the cathedral told us the story of this particular wall decoration we found behind the main altar.

Do you see how the centre cross-shape seems dug out and roughed-up?  It used to contain a cross of pure gold that had decorated this wall for a few centuries. Then while King Henry VIII was in power, he ran a little low on cash and had all the gold decorations removed from his churches and added to his own coffers. It was never replaced and  the loss was never rectified. 

 

I guess no-one gets to tell Henry VII what to do!!

 

 

 

Besides the stone tracery found in these old cathedrals, my second favourite aspect of an ancient church is the cloisters.  It is magical to think about who walked here before me, over the centuries.  What did they contemplate? What were their beliefs? Did they think of who would walk here AFTER them? 

 

After seeing the inside of the church, it was lovely to emerge back outside to a new blue sky and the songs of happy birds. 



I'm told I am never in enough of the pictures. 
Here I am.   (Photo credit : Afton)

I hope I've shown you a big enough variety of Cathedral pictures as to not bore you like a school history lesson might!

 

Salisbury was day two of trip to England.  Just think - I have 6 more days of photos to show you!!

 

Next up - the Columbia Road Flower Market!

 

Have a lovely week everyone!

 

XOXOXO,

 

Bronwyn

 

Five On Friday - A Few From My Phone

Joining in again today with Amy at her blog, Love Made My Home and her Five on Friday photo linky party.

Just like last week, I have chosen five pics from my phone to share with you today.  I tend to use my phone's camera much more often during the week, capturing the little "daily" details that happen during every day life.  I tend to save my "big" camera for weekend outings and events where I take multiple shots of  the "action." I try to dump my camera photos onto my computer's hard drive each weekend so that my phone stays clutter-free and I never lose any precious photos by accident!

Here are my favourite five from tonight's photo"dump":

Number One: This week's manicure.  I went subtle this week opting for some "bridal" colours that my manicurist was dying to try out.  It's mostly just some glitter on four fingers and some daisy-shaped sparkles on my index finger only.  Pretty, huh?

 (The girls in my kindergarten class ADORED it!)

Number Two:  Doing some summery sewing.  I've been seeing so many bloggers making beautiful, flowery quilt tops that I decided I HAD to join in.  The toughest part is always picking the fabrics - making them match, or balancing the colours.  But not this time. I simply cut squares out the fabrics I liked best, whether they went together or not! The way I figured, flowers always look good mixed together in my garden, why can't it be the same way on a quilt!?

Number Three:  Spring has finally arrived in my part of Canada.  That temperature says it all!

Number Four: One of the main reasons we decided to get a dog was to encourage our family to get out more, enjoy the natural spaces around us and to get some much needed exercise.  So this past weekend, hubby invested in a season's pass to all the conservation areas surrounding our home.  After looking into it, we realized we could walk once a week for the next 20 weeks and never see the same tree, rock or root.  

We headed out on a perfectly sunny Sunday with the pooch and a picnic and did our first 3km hike.  The kids and the dog loved it!  This weekend promises perfect hiking weather again, so we will be off and trekking once again!

Number Five:  Victoria Sponge.  

I am baker. A quite experienced and comprehensive baker. However, I have to admit, I had never made a traditional Victoria Sponge cake.  Until now.  I made it a priority this past week and used this Mary Berry recipe.  

And it was devine!!

I guess I'll be  permanently adding this one to my repertoire!

Thanks for all of your lovely comments on my previous posts.  I try to reply to them all as soon as I can.

I'll be back early next week with another post.  Salisbury Cathedral or more pics of the hiking trip? 

Or who knows what we might get up to this weekend?? 

Maybe I'll share that here, too!

Hugs to all,

XOXO

Bronwyn

A Daytrip to Salisbury

I've finally had the time to sit down and sift through all of the pictures I took while my daughter and I visited Salisbury as a little day trip out of London on our recent vacation in the UK.

We ended up is Salisbury for several reasons.

ONE:  I had been there once before in 2012 with my husband but literally had only 2 hours to eat, check out the exterior of the cathedral and pee.  We were on a bus trip on our way from Cardiff to London and there wasn't any time to stop and see anything!

TWO: I had recently finished reading Edward Rutherford's book, Sarum, which tells the story of the Salisbury Plains from 6000 BC right up until the 1900s. It was a brilliant (and long) book and I couldn't wait to see its central setting in real life. 

And...THREE - my daughter was dying to go on a REAL train ride.  She'd been on short haul steam trains that were meant for children's entertainment, but in her words she really wanted travel a real distance sitting on a train "just like Harry Potter does." 

That settled it. We were off to Salisbury.

The train ride lasted just less than 2 hours across sheep fields and through pretty little towns.  Afton said that it was everything she'd hoped it would be.  She watched the world go by listening to Ella Henderson on her ipod while I caught up on some travel journaling.  

We walked from the train station into the center of town.  Within minutes we were viewing the history and beauty of this ancient town.  

It was a clear sunny day, but the wind was very cold.  We wished had worn more layers but kept moving, in and out of buildings catching some extra warmth where we could.  

We came across the Salisbury main market square - and it was market day!

We bought some yummy cheese and nibbled on it while we circulated through the stalls.  We both wished we could have brought one of these pretty primrose planters back to London with us.  It would have added a lot of lovely colour to our hotel room.  

Once we had had enough of the busy market square, we journeyed down some back streets in search of the quieter parts of the town.  

We soon came across "The New Inn."  Right away I had my phone out in hopes of finding out when it dated from.  

"A 12th-century inn situated in the heart of historic Salisbury, The New Inn offers traditional pub accommodation 10 miles from Stonehenge."

We were too early for lunch, so we had to be satisfied with the view of the outside of this historical public house!

After walking a few more blocks, we entered Salisbury Close through St. Ann's Gate.  Immediately we were greeted by these amazing trees covered in a plethora of  spring blossoms.  

A bit further down the lane, we came across one of the huge green spaces that surround the cathedral.  We had purchased some fruit at the market so we sat down on a bench (cold on the bums!) and enjoyed our raspberries and apples.  

We continued to walk the private roads through the close viewing several gorgeous homes, ranging in date from early medieval times to more recent refurbishments.  Originally most of these homes were built for clergy of the church, but more recently have been leased to private citizens who can afford to pay the incredibly high rents!! 

This was our favourite house (below).  It was hidden neatly behind this metal gate and flint and brick walls.  

And behind the gate.......

(Look at the mix of materials.  A little bit of everything over the centuries!)

By now, Afton and I were famished and REALLY cold, so we voted to head back out of the Close through the High Street Gate

and out into the streets of Salisbury.  

We had a cozy lunch inside a small little restaurant whose name I totally forget!   But-- you can sees it's bay window jutting out into the high street in the bottom of the picture above! : )

After lunch we spent nearly 3 hours in the Cathedral.  But that is a whole other post.  

Share that with you next time?? 

It's a deal!!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm so glad to see so many new followers.  And the comments you leave really make my day!

Hugs to all,

Bronwyn

Five on Friday - Pictures From my Phone

 Happy Friday everyone! I'm posting today because I want to join in with Amy over at her blog, Love Made My Home.  She does a weekly linky party called, "Five on Friday" where bloggers are encouraged to share a list of five things that bring them joy and might bring the same  to others.

  

This is only the second time I've taken part, but I look forward to reading about what all the other bloggers post about using this theme.  

What are my five things? Well - they are five photos I've chosen from my phone's camera roll.  They capture simple moments from my week and bring smiles to my face when I view them.  

I hope they do the same for you!

Number One: Making a cute breakfast for my sweet little ones. Who wouldn't enjoy pancake "soldiers" dipped in real maple syrup?  And when that syrup comes in a cute heart-shaped bowl - it tastes even better!

Number Two:  My oldest son has an unusual name - well at least here in Canada!  I know their are many, many "Bryns" in Wales because that is where the name hails from. Needless to say,  finding this license plate in the school parking lot absolutely made his day!!

 

Number Three:  Spring has disappeared from our part of Ontario, Canada.  Actually - I should clarify.  Spring is here... except that it is the gloomy, wet, muddy, rainy version of spring.  Tonight when I got home from school I was completely chilled by the dampness and in need of something warm and cozy.

What better to fill that void than a creamy latte with extra whipped cream and a squeeze of chocolate sauce to top it all off!!  

Number Four: Last night our children's school had a "International Celebration" where the students celebrated the world through food, song, costume, display and dance.  

My daughter had been preparing for weeks to perform with  the school's Bollywood dance group.  She was the only non-Indian child participating in the dance and had to borrow some be-jewelled traditional dress from a friend. 

However we encouraged her to participate to the fullest and enjoy every minute  of it - and she did!  She absolutely rocked it! We cheered so loudly when she and her friends completed their routine.  They had literally brought the house down and our little lady was the star! People stopped her throughout the rest of the evening congratulating her on her fantastic performance.  One dear friend, who is Indian, stated that Afton was the most "Bollywood" of them all. Even the principal of the school emailed to let Afton know how proud she was of her!!

(I couldn't get any good pictures - I was shaking too hard!! Afton is the one in the pink.)

Number Five :  Hubby and I met at Music school nearly 20 years ago (OMG!). He was a jazz musician and I was an opera singer.  We didn't travel in the same circles but we knew of each other but didn't start dating until our fifth year of university when we both attended a Faculty of Education to become teachers. 

 I don't sing anymore (except in my kindergarten classroom) and he rarely gets to play. But tonight he was invited to be part of a funk band's performance at a nearby venue so I took the kids to see him play.  They LOVED it! (and so did I!)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

I hope it is sunny and warm wherever you are.

XOXOX, 

Bronwyn

Our Easter Long Weekend in Pictures

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter break! Ours was  far from restful (they never are!), but we fit in as much fun and excitement as we could in the 4 days we had at home.  

On Thursday, we were invited to our children's school because our youngest, Camden, was going to receive the first grade French award! He was so excited to finally win one of the "big kid" awards that his brother and sister have won in the past.  

 Later that night we visited the pet store to stock up on the last few things we needed to welcome a dog into our family! We had been discussing it for a few years, and the day had finally come.  He would arrive the next morning and become a permanent part of our lives!!

On Good Friday, before the doggie arrived, I managed to get some Easter decor up around the house.  Better late than never!

For lunch we enjoyed "eggs and soldiers" served in these adorable bunny egg cups I bought years ago.  We used to have 6 - now we are down to 3.  Must make a note to buy more before next Easter!

Waiting for the dog, the kids killed time jumping on the trampoline. This was something they hadn't been able to do since last October. Welcome spring!!

And then he arrived!!  Please welcome our newest family member -- Casey!!  He's a beagle mix and is a rescue dog that desperately needed a home. Now he is part of ours!!

  

On Easter morning, the Easter Bunny left carrot-shaped bags of coloured popcorn  and 3 chocolate eggs for each of the kids.  Usually he does a egg-hunt, leaving mini-eggs all over the house. But because of the new dog  and the possibility of him being poisoned by the chocolate, EB stuck with just a few bags of candy left high on the counter , out of harm's way!!

While the kids bonded and play with our new pooch, I took some time to sit, drink tea and eat cake.  

Bliss.  

I'm savouring each and every tea bag - brought back from Fortnum and Mason on our London trip. 

Oh, London...how I miss you already....

For dessert to go with Easter dinner, I made a Lime and Cream pavlova.  It was delightful and the perfect colour to celebrate the arrival of spring!

And today is Easter Monday.  We go back to work and school  tomorrow. 

 All of us are savouring our last day of rest.

This is how I'm enjoying it:

This is how Casey is:

We may have worn him out!!

Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful week!  

I hope to be back in a few days sharing those pictures of Salisbury I promised you!

Hugs to all,

Bronwyn

Afton's 9th Birthday Party

Just before I start this post, I want let you know that, yes, in fact, I do have other children.  Not just a daughter.  My last few posts have been all about her only because we've had some big adventures lately!!  Hopefully over the next few posts, I'll be able to share some wonderful insights into the lives of my 2 boys too. 

But not today. Today we celebrate Afton's 9th Birthday!!

Afton woke on her birthday to her favourite breakfast - croissants and cheese, and a bunch of beautiful flowers just for her!

As the morning progressed I readied the party room ( our kitchen!) for the arrival of several little girls to celebrate in "High Tea" style. Vintage tea bits definitely helped set the mood.

I began the food prep.  Afton requested ham and cheese finger sandwiches and cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwichs.  Crusts off , of course!

Second course - wholemeal scones with clotted cream and 2 kinds of jam - strawberry peach and black raspberry. 

Last, but not least - mini cupcakes and fluffy pink meringues. 

Add in some lovely little girls - and one cheeky boy, and you've got a birthday tea fit for a princess.

Make a wish and blow out the candle!

And before the girls headed for home, after eating and having a little dance party in the basement, we put together these darling lollipop bunnies made out of styrofoam balls and pompoms.
 So cute, eh??

Recently I had a cousin express here sadness that her last child was having her first birthday party.  Never again would she celebrate "One" in her home again.  I quickly messaged her back and assured her that 6th, 9th and 10th birthdays (and everything in between)  are just as FUN!

Afton agrees.  Now she's already planning her 10th Birthday party!!

Hugs to all,

Bronwyn

PS Next time - Salisbury!