2017: A year in review and an announcement

2017 started, as all years do, with a lot of high hopes but it went the same way as its predecessors. Looking over the international headlines for the year that is about to end does nothing to alleviate the perception that life for hundreds of thousands of people around the world was harsh and horrendous. From the racial cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, to a hurricane season from hell, 2017 delivered, but not in a good way.

On a local level, the murder of journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia that I wrote about in Dear Daphne, stopped  Malta in its tracks – if only for a few days. Our attention spans are short and we flit from one piece of tragic news to another the same way bees dance from flower to flower in a spring garden. Three men have been arrested in connection with Daphne’s murder but the motive remains unclear. In the meantime, an impromptu memorial in her honour has been set-up on the Great Siege memorial in front of our law-courts and thousands of people are still hoping that justice for Daphne will be done.

On a personal level, our trip to the US was the highlight of our year. I made my acquaintance with Florida and re-visited a few favourite haunts in Missouri. Unfortunately, the three weeks passed too quickly and we were soon back home, dealing with one of the hottest summers in the past few years. Having said that, Florida was hotter than I could have imagined but it rained every day in the afternoon (which is normal in the tropics) so that alleviated some of the heat – although it did nothing to help the humidity. During our trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios we rode the infamous Tower of Terror, which was definitely the scariest part of our trip, for me, at least – much scarier than waiting for a tornado to pass overhead as we visited friends in Kissimmee.

During 2017 we got to discover Malta a bit more because we went on quite a few hikes off the beaten track. which helped us appreciate the last-remaining beauty spots of this island. This enthusiasm for discovery was triggered by the loss of the Azure Window and the concrete jungles that are springing up in so many of our towns and villages. It seems that what Nature has preserved, we are keen to destroy – which puts into perspective just how much some people really care about our environment, in spite of all the public rhetoric.

A little bit about our Christmas …

We had a lovely Christmas with colder-than-usual temperatures that added to the season’s spirit. On some days the air was so crystal clear that we could see Mount Etna snowy cap, which added a bit to the magic of the season, I baked four different types of cookies: peppermint chocolate chip, orange cranberry, mocha coconut crinkle and chocolate orange. I also made champagne chocolate truffles and a chocolate cherry cake accompanied by a boozy cherry syrup for tomorrow’s New Year’s Day lunch. The links will take you to the recipes but I might share some of them on my blog in the coming year. We spent Christmas day with family. My cousin moved to Malta from the UK this past autumn and my aunt and uncle, who would usually spend Christmas in the UK with him, stayed in Malta this year. So we really enjoyed our day and had some laughs over a game of Trivial Pursuit.

During the holidays (I was so happy to be off of work between Christmas and the New Year) we enjoyed an evening at MADC’s pantomime ‘Cinderella’ during which dames Dulcey and Duda had the audience, especially the children, in fits of laughter. We spent another evening at the newly refurbished Suq tal-Belt (I will write about it in 2018) and had some time to critique Valletta’s Christmas lights. I did not particularly like them as I thought they were too glitzy and kitschy for Christmas (you can see them in today’s post) and would have looked better in downtown Las Vegas than in a city that takes so much pride in the Mannerist and Baroque buildings that abound in its streets. But, as they day, to each his own, as the majority of people seem to like them.

An announcement

At just 18 posts, 2017 was my least productive year and there are many reasons for this. Foremost amongst them is my inability to stop (unfavourably) comparing my writing to that of others, coupled with a nagging feeling that something needs to change for me to recapture my spark. But I also had some major issues with technology and with Windows in general, and there were many days when I turned on my laptop which started to automatically update. Except that two or three hours later it would still be updating. Luckily, my cousin managed to fix whatever issues it had.

And so, we come to my ‘momentous’ announcement. I have decided to stop updating this blog and start a new one called Sincerely, Loree. The URL for this blog is new too. So those of you who would like to subscribe or follow along, please go to:

www.sincerelyloree.blogspot.com (www(dot)sincerelyloree(dot)blogspot(dot)com)

The final layout is still not completely finalised so please have patience with me if you come across some strange things while I tweak the template.

I will dedicate my first entry (I hate calling them posts) on my new blog to why I felt that this change was required. My main hope is that I will really get back into the blogging groove. I have read up about blogging quite a bit and my aim is to write about subjects in a more realistic and informative manner, without forsaking a touch of whimsy every now and then.

And finally …

My best nine on Instagram

Since it is the end of the year, I want to share my best 9 on Instagram, as I feel that these photos usually bring back some wonderful memories. This year all the photos were from Malta. Five of them were taken during our forays onto the island’s coast but the other four are very close to home.

From top to bottom, left to right, they are: the cliffs at Fomm ir-Rih, the view from the balcony at the back of our house, the geological formations at the bay in Fomm ir-Rih, a pair of colourful doors in the neighbouring town of Rabat, red balconies in Valletta, Crown Daisies at Fomm ir-Rih, looking down from the cliffs at Ghar Lapsi, poppies in a field in front of my parents’ house, and Kalanka Bay.

I sincerely thank those of you who take the time to like or comment on my photos. Anybody that would like to find me on Instagram may click here. incidentally, as from tomorrow, my user name on Instagram will change to Sincerelyloree. The URL will remain the same,

Dear Readers, I would like to wish you and your families a wonderful year. May 2018 be kinder to people everywhere. and may we all do our little part to make it more joyful to those around us.

The most wonderful time of the year

Christmas is here once again and, as it does every year, it brings with it hope of peace, joy and good things. In these two short weeks before the year is born anew, I find myself living in a self-created bubble of optimism – as if the beauty we create within our homes and our towns, and the hundreds of twinkling lights that shine out of our windows can somehow make their way into the world and into the hearts of men and women. Beauty and light. We need more of them in our  lives. May we each do our utmost to spread them far and wide.

I was planning on writing a totally different and much longer post than this, but the preparations for Christmas, the baking, the cleaning, the decorating, the shopping, the wrapping, took much more time than I expected – even though I had promised myself that this year would be different; that this Christmas season I would be organised. But, once again, it looks like everything will be done in the nick of time, leaving me frazzled and breathless. But I will  have a week off to recuperate. Then January will be upon us and it always seems a bit dreary and drab after all the glitz and glitter that Christmas brings with it.

But for now we’re counting down the days to the most magical day of the year. I wish you all good things, wonderful moments, a dash of glitter and a soupcon of sparkle..

Merry Christmas to you all.

All photos were taken during the Natalis Notabilis Christmas market in Rabat, December 2017

Penhaligon’s Lothair: My new favourite scent

I’ve been on the hunt for a new scent for close to a year, trying different fragrances every time I entered a perfumery. But although most of them smelt nice, they either did not last long enough on me or the scent lacked that something special that I was seeking.

Then, last Saturday, almost as an afterthought, I tried Penhaligon’s Lothair. The initial whiff was a bit fruity, nice but not too memorable, I thought. Two hours later the scent had evolved into something more earthy, reminiscent of fragrant, exotic woods. And that is what made me decide to buy it. That rather mysterious, seductive, almost powdery, base note.

The nose behind Lothair is Bertrand Duchaufour and, in the company’s own words, it is:

“Inspired by the famous Tea Clipper Ships that navigated the globe to bring exotic wares to British shores, Lothair opens with the salty tang of grapefruit and juniper, and a brilliant green sensation from fig leaf. The smoky heart of black tea is softened by fig milk and magnolia, sailing into an ambergris, cedar and wenge woods base, reminiscent of the varnished decks of these elegant ships.”

I first heard of Penhaligon’s Perfume House on Travel Channel’s ‘Jenny’s Streets of London’ and soon after I visited their store in Covent Garden, where I was drawn in by the enticing scents that wafted out of their open door. Penhaligon’s was established in 1870 by William Penhaligon in a store on Jermyn Street. The shop was destroyed during the war but the fragrances endured. Penhaligon’s has been granted two Royal Warrants: one by the Duke of Edinburgh and the other by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. It’s nice to learn that I share my perfumer with royalty.

Related links:

- Penhaligon’s: A Short History

- Lothair reviews

November days

I want to start off by thanking all those of you who left a comment on my last post. I didn’t reply to each of you individually but just left a general comment to express my gratitude. A month has passed since Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination and, to date, we have no answers. Not even one single suspect, if any exists, has been questioned by the police. The silence is deafening. Frighteningly so. And yet, life goes on for the living and November has all but flown by. Lots of people here love to hate this month because it brings with it shorter days and cooler weather and also because, in the not too distant past, it was dedicated to the dead.

I look at November as a month of transition: from autumn to winter and, personally, I enjoy its anticipatory feel. Some Christmas lights have already gone up in places, even in our neighbourhood, and I am looking forward to decorating the house, baking cookies and other naughty treats, lighting candles and making home-made mulled wine, while dreaming about Vienna. Because Vienna is absolutely magical and breath-taking at this time of year and it smells of roasting chestnuts and gluhwein and spice and all things nice.

But back to the present and back to reality. Because before Christmas there is Thanksgiving and, even though it it not a holiday in Malta, in this house it is celebrated. So I’ll be making some lists, doing some shopping and remembering all the people and things that I am so thankful for. It’s not easy, sometimes when so much of the world seems shrouded in darkness. to sit back and reflect on all that is good and beautiful and wholesome, But we have to do it. For the sake of our sanity and for our children, we have to let go of all that’s ugly and rotten and, instead, give thanks for our multitude of blessings and look with hope towards the future..

Happy Thanksgiving

These photos were taken a long time ago (in 2003) when we lived in the US and I experienced my only Thanksgiving in America.

Dear Daphne

It’s already been two weeks since the cowards blew you up in your car and a part of me still does not want to accept the fact that you are gone forever. You’ve left a void that no one can fill because nobody has your inimitable style or your courage, We all thought you were invincible – one lone woman reporting and writing on an almost daily basis about all that is rotten in our society and our country, about the rampant corruption and the criminality that has infiltrated our institutions. The very institutions that should be there to protect us, but which are now turning not one, but two blind eyes at all that is taking place just beneath the thin veneer of respectability that still remains. You were one lone voice in the wilderness and we let you soldier on by yourself because it’s always convenient to have someone else fight our battles. Or maybe it’s because we never fully understood the implications of all that you revealed.

Whatever it was, we are all guilty of your death. Because of our collective complacency, our infamous Mediterranean apathy and laid-back attitude, our lack of discipline, our culture of silence and omerta’, our xenophobia, our unwillingness to educate ourselves about the Constitution of our country, our acceptance of so much that is unacceptable within our government, our judiciary and our police force, as long as it didn’t affect us directly. But now it seems as if your horrendous assassination has woken some of us out of our stupor. Journalists seem to be finding their voice again and, the Sunday after you were so brutally murdered, thousands marched in protest for justice to be done on your behalf. Your assassination has been reported in some of the world’s most influential newspapers and websites like The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Politico, BBC News and many, many others. Journalists have held vigils in your memory here in Malta, in London, Rome and Brussels, and the European Parliament has named its press room after you. While your killers sought to silence you, the world is making sure that you, and all you stood for, will never be forgotten. In  their annihilation of your physical body they have given credence to all that you have been revealing, especially during the past two years. We all know that whoever did this did not do it because you mocked their fashion sense or because you called them out for parking on a double yellow line, but because of far more serious accusations. Like the cowards they are they thought that they could make everything you wrote die with you but I think they ignited more than the bomb that killed you, something they had not bargained for and could not foresee.. They’ve ignited little sparks of courage and indignation in many people that, if fanned properly, will blaze into a fire that will ensure that we will see the changes that many of us know are necessary for this country to regain a semblance of normality. At face value, it does appear to be normal, but you knew better and paid for it with your life.

Were you a saint? No, definitely not. You were human, like the rest of us and, like us I am sure you made mistakes. Figuratively speaking, you stepped on a lot of toes and managed to offend many, because the truth hurts, and too many people could not stand seeing their heroes knocked off the pedestals they themselves had placed them on. So they started calling you vindictive, a witch even. They would not mention you by name, called you ‘the hate blogger’, vilified and harassed you, calling your articles fake news, and had internet trolls hound you on a daily basis. They fanned the flames of hate so well that somebody thought nothing of placing a bomb  under your car and detonating it just a few metres down the road from your home. The message is clear: they want to scare and intimidate us into silence. It’s hard to believe this has happened in Europe, in 2017, in a supposedly democratic and sovereign member state of the European Union. And, of course, the powers-that-be in this country are continuing their campaign of discrediting and dehumanising you even in death, not openly, of course, but for those of us that can cut through the rhetoric, the message is very clear: you had it coming, is what they’re saying, because you had the impudence to uncover their sordid secrets; because their concept of free-speech does not extend to those that hold them to account. They are treating us worse than Marie Antoinette ever treated the French peasants yet, unfortunately, there are many amongst us who are content to eat cake, crumbs even, while the heads of the innocent roll in the dust of Maltese soil and any thought of revolution is blown away by sultry Mediterranean winds.

******************

This post is written in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist and Malta’s most influential blogger. She was a columnist for The Malta  Independent and editor of Taste & Flair Magazine.. It was not uncommon for her blog Running Commentary to receive 400 000 hits in one day. Daphne was assassinated on Monday, October 16 2017. She was 53 years old.

Snapshots of Florida

What struck me most about Florida was the heat – the humid, all-encompassing humid heat that embraces you as soon as you step outside and drives you half insane. As a friend of ours remarked, it’s almost as if there is no ozone in the atmosphere. But aside from the heat, I was surprised at how lush and varied the vegetation is. In my mind, intense heat goes hand in hand with months of drought and a dry landscape. But then, I didn’t know about the rain.

We stayed in Florida for almost four full days and did the things that tourists do.  We spent our first afternoon in Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney), an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. My son and husband had a grand old time at the Harley Davidson merchandise store – especially since they got to pose with all the bikes on display, while I spent a wonderful hour at Anthropologie; and we all agreed that The Ganachery was a chocoholics heaven. We were seriously thinking of going for a ride in the Characters in Flight tethered helium balloon that soars to 400 feet but, due to a thunderstorm warning, all rides were cancelled, and, sure enough, it wasn’t long before the rain started to pour. We soon learnt that torrential downpours are part and parcel of daily life in Florida. No wonder the place is so green.

Our first full day was spent at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where we mostly passed the time chasing characters from the Star Wars movies to the extent of waiting in line for 45 minutes to take a photo with Chewbacca (I learnt that he’s the tall, hairy guy). But thankfully, we queued indoors where it was nice and cool. The most memorable and terrifying ride was the Tower of Terror and the one I enjoyed most (because it was a staid ride in an open vehicle) was The Great Movie Ride which has since closed down. I opted out of the Rock ’n Roller Coaster and was pleasantly entertained by two street performers in their 1920s costumes who soon had the crowd gathered round them in fits of giggles. Although we would have loved to stay for the fireworks show, we had friends to visit and left soon after seeing the Storm Troopers perform their final march for the day.

The next day we drove to Kennedy Space Center which is about an hour away from Orlando. Space enthusiasts have plenty to see and learn here and even though rockets and spacecraft are not quite my thing, I was still thrilled to learn more about the Moon landings and Saturn V, the gargantuan rocket (111m long) that propelled Mankind to Earth’s closest neighbour. The space shuttle Atlantis is another jaw-dropping exhibit at Kennedy Space Center. I was especially moved by the memorial to the crews of the Challenger (lost in 1986) and the Columbia (lost in 2003) tragedies. A guided tour bus took us ‘Behind the Gates’ to the launch pads at Cape Canaveral. We got to see the cavernous building that houses the spacecraft and learnt how special, gigantic vehicles called crawlers transport the rockets to the launch pads. We stayed till closing time and were disappointed that we did not have time to see and experience everything, especially the Shuttle Launch Experience. which simulates the shuttles’ eight-and-a-half minute ascent into orbit. We arrived in Orlando just in time for a tornado warning that came complete with thunder, lightning and a downpour that lasted close to an hour.

On our last day we drove back to Cape Canaveral to visit friends and swim in the Atlantic – it was the first time that I swam in an ocean and not in a sea. The water was surprisingly warm but the swell was a force to be reckoned with. The beach we were on stretched for miles, the sand  had an unusual mud-like quality to it and there was a wonderful breeze. I was loathe to leave but black clouds loomed on the horizon and before too long we were driving in an infernal storm that satisfied my longing for rain for a while.

Our trip to Florida was vastly different to the things we see and places that we usually visit when we travel. It was more about fun, friends and, well, thunderstorms. I am glad I got to experience it and cross another State off my bucket list: 11 down, 39 to go.

Hannibal: Attractions in America’s home-town

This was not my first visit to Hannibal. Since it is only about 45 minutes away from where my in-laws live, this was probably my fifth visit – I’m starting to lose count.

Hannibal was founded in 1815 and, strangely enough, was named after the famous Carthaginian leader who fought the Romans during the second Punic War (218-201 BC). He was the one who marched elephants across the Alps in a desperate attempt to conquer Rome.. He failed; but I am sure he would be happy to know that he has not been forgotten and has lent his name to a little town on the banks of the Mississippi – a far cry from Rome, but such is the irony of history. The place where Hannibal is located was long occupied by various indigenous Native American tribes. In the mid-1800s it became an important trading post due to its proximity to the river. Nowadays, it is mainly remembered for being the boyhood home of writer Mark Twain, who used Hannibal and its surroundings as inspiration for two of his most famous novels: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn..

Things to do in Hannibal

• Take a stroll in the downtown area

The most picturesque part of  Hannibal is undoubtedly N Main Street which is lined with colourful store-fronts – some of them dating back to the 1900s although, back in the day, the colours would probably have been more muted. The businesses are quite varied in nature and include art galleries; stores selling vintage and antique items, jewellery, chocolate, souvenirs and quirky collectibles; boutiques and restaurants.

My personal favourites are:

- The Native American Trading Company which specialises in Native American arts, crafts and jewellery.

- The Alliance Art  Gallery that features the work of member and guest artists. My husband was lucky enough to be the featured guest artist in December 2011, when he exhibited a number of paintings inspired by the Mediterranean. Member artists include, amongst others, Missouri native Kimberly Shinn, Hannibalian photographer Connie Stephens, potter Ron Cook and fibre artist Bella Erakko.

- Java Jive Coffee Shop and Deli that is located in the most colourful building on the street. It is impossible to miss the eye-catching combination of  the yellow and turquoise facade, with touches of fuchsia. We always stop at the Java Jive whenever we are in town. We love the friendly, relaxed and cozy atmosphere of this coffee shop and I have to commend the staff for their excellent customer service as they replaced my Italian soda free of charge after I spilt it all over my toes. The Java Jive also doubles as a gift shop. Apart from souvenir t-shirts and coffee  mugs, a selection of pottery by Steve Ayers and paintings by Brenda Beck-Fisher are for sale.

• Get to know Mark Twain at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum

The boyhood home is one of nine properties that make up the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum complex. The two-storey boyhood home is surrounded by the now legendary white-washed fence of Tom Sawyer.

The museum has a collection of many first editions by Mark Twain, family photographs and numerous personal items. The museum also houses the second largest collection of Norman Rockwell paintings that were commissioned as illustrations for a special edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer  and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Also on display are 54 original pen and drink drawings by Dan Beard who was selected by Mark Twain to illustrate A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. From time to time the museum also hosts touring exhibits.

Currently, actor Jim Waddell, as Mark Twain,, is recounting the the childhood experiences that led to the  creation of Tom Sawyer. Performances take place every Thursday in August and September at 4pm in the Mark Twain Museum Gallery auditorium. A frequently updated list of activities may be found here.

• Ride the trolley

Trolley rides are always fun no matter where they are and the trolley ride in Hannibal is no exception. The narrated tour covers 14 miles, with stops at Sawyer’s Creek, Rockville Mansion, Mark Twain Cave and downtown Hannibal. The trolley ride is always one of my favourite things to do while visiting Hannibal especially since each of the tour guides, who are generally the trolley drivers, narrate the history of the town and its attractions in his or her own inimitable style – so it never gets boring.

• Visit Rockcliffe Mansion

Rockcliffe Mansion is a Victorian edifice in the Georgian Revival style. It is situated high on a limestone bluff overlooking downtown Hannibal and the Mississippi. Visitors may tour the building and the gardens are open to the public. Alternatively, anyone wishing to experience a glimpse life in a Victorian mansion may book accommodation in this boutique hotel for a few nights.

• Admire the view from Lover’s Leap

A perfunctory search on the Web will reveal that Hannibal is not the only town on a river that boasts of a place called Lover’s Leap. The Hannibal legend was started by a certain Arthur O. Garrison who claimed to have  obtained the details from ancient inscriptions. Not much else is known about Garrison. According to his story, a brave warrior loved by a maiden named Altala, was killed during a battle on the river. When Altala, who was watching the battle from the top of a high cliff, saw him fall, she leaped over the edge and into the river. You may find the full story here

Similar stores abound in places where there is a cliff overlooking a river (there are 8 in Missouri alone) and the veracity of these tales has never been established. Most people will shrug their shoulders and move on but I prefer to believe there is some truth in this legend – it’s the only way to explain it’s popularity and longevity.

• Tour Mark Twain cave

The cave is located about 1 mile south of Hannibal and it rather unique in that it consists of a number of winding passages that spread over 6.5 miles. Originally named McDowell’s cave, it plays an important role in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as ‘McDougal’s Cave’. Mark Twain cave was discovered in 1819 by a local hunter named Jack Simms. Guided tours of the cave take around 55 minutes. It is open year round.

• Other places of interest

- Molly Brown (the ‘unsinkable Molly Brown’ of Titanic fame) Birthplace and Museum

- Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse

- Tom and Huck Statue

By American standards, downtown Hannibal is a very small place but, if you are ever in the area, you will definitely find plenty of interesting things to do and I would recommend a visit, even if it is a short one. Summers are hot and clammy in this area of Missouri so a visit during spring or autumn will definitely be more pleasant and I think that, like me, you will enjoy the pleasant, friendly atmosphere of this town.

Update

It's been over ten days since we returned from the US. A part of me feels like we've returned from the moon - adjusting to the smallness of Malta is always hard, no matter how many times I go away. But life has to go on and I am more or less back to my normal routine. The word 'normal' however, does not seem to include blogging and other social media. I always struggle with that in summer and this year is no exception. Anyway, back to our trip …

For probably the first time since we've been crossing the pond, we arrived in St  Louis at the decent hour of 5pm, which meant that it was midnight back home and we had been awake since the ungodly hour of 4am or something like that (by now I'd lost track, but who cares when you're on holiday?). Also for the first time ever, our whole trip went without a hitch and even the Homeland Security guys didn't seem too threatening this time round. This meant that we arrived in St Louis with smiles on our faces and an enormous appetite which we immediately sated at IHOP - an American breakfast in the late evening sounded like a perfectly good idea. We spent the next 4 days in Canton, my husband's hometown in northern Missouri. It's a place of cornfields, farms and the sluggish Mississippi and is perfect for a few days of perfect relaxation.

From Canton it was back to St Louis on the 4th of July to fly to Florida.  We spent 4 days in Orlando (more about that some other time) and managed to fit quite a bit into our schedule including meeting up with some friends. From Florida we flew back to St Louis for 5 days and then spent the final week in Canton. Some firsts on this trip were an evening at a county fair, a jet-ski ride on the Mississippi, a tour of an old brewery that is being restored, a terrifying theme park ride, an up-close-and-personal look at the Saturn V rocket that propelled mankind to the moon, a swim in the Atlantic and a family photo shoot in a meadow complete with an old barn and some very lovely horses. Most importantly of all we reunited with family and friends (and I made some new ones).

Today I downloaded my photos and spent some time re-living the memories. Unfortunately, the heat must have addled by brain because I only took about half the amount of photos that I usually do. I will make sure to share some of our 'adventures' in the coming weeks. I hope you are all having a wonderful summer and that it's not infernally hot in your part of the world. I am already looking forward to cooler days and to wearing boots and beanies.

Searching for answers

I did not mean to go so long between posts but for the past month I have sat at my laptop night after night hoping that, against all odds, I would be flooded with a dose of inspiration. But it hasn't happened yet; and chances are that it will not happen any time soon. It's been a rough month, not just for myself but for the whole country. A lot has happened here and none of it was good. It's a long story, but in an effort to keep it as simple as possible (and also because political discussions are not my forte) I will just say that  four years ago the people voted in a new political party. While in government, this party systematically incapacitated the different institutions necessary to ensure separation of power and the proper functioning of democracy. It did this by, to put it prosaically, lining the palms of  many with silver - many times over, and placing buddies and 'persons of trust' in positions in which they have no business to be. Evidence was also brought to light that high ranking officials in our government, including the Prime Minister himself, were involved in corrupt practices and money laundering. An election was called, a year early, and the people voted to return these crooks to power. I have been trying to come to terms with this decision. I have been trying to understand why human beings can be so perverse at times. Unfortunately, I am still without answers and I doubt I will ever find them.

As many of you know, I can usually be found tightly ensconced in my own little cocoon, surrounded only by the people and things I love; the little world I retreat to in an effort to regenerate myself. I do not usually stray out of it for very long. But, during the past months, I have had to. I have had to stop and take a good, long look at the outside world. And the sight that met my eyes was not pleasant. In some ways, I am still reeling from the shock. I am finding it very hard to get back to my safe cocoon. Truthfully, I don't think I have quite found my way yet and I feel like someone who is in the wilderness - even the gentle buzzing of words in my head has ceased. Instead of my little dream world, inhabited by half-finished stories and jumbles of sentences, I am forced to acknowledge the harsh reality that my fellow countrymen and women have either not understood what is going on or, worse, they have and they just don't care. Either way, I have to revert to who I used to be before this whole debacle turned the world as I knew it, the world where right is right and wrong is wrong, on its head.

Maybe I am not being entirely fair but, right now, I feel as if a dark cloud hangs over this small country. Whereas before all this started I sought out the things that made me smile  and soothed my soul - the pretty, quirky, quaint things - now I can only see the blemishes and the scars; the potholes in our roads; the rubbish that people leave indiscriminately anywhere and everywhere; the inconsiderate drivers; the general lack of manners. It makes me feel that the island I so loved to write about has changed beyond recognition and I have become a stranger in my own country. It is not a good feeling. But now that I have got all of that off my chest I will try to find my way back home again.

Glastonbury Abbey: the legend and the history

Glastonbury Abbey has always been high on my bucket list - not only because of its association with King Arthur but because its destruction was wrought at the hands of King Henry VIII, whose notoriety lives on, centuries after his death. At Glastonbury Abbey I was able to learn more about the Arthurian legend and the tempestuous reign on the Tudors - folklore and history, two of my favourite subjects.

"… among all the greater churches of England, Glastonbury is the only one where we may be content to lay aside the name of England and fall back on the older name of Britain." Professor Freeman (archeologist)

 

The Legend

Glastonbury Abbey is purported to be the earliest Christian church in Britain and it is linked to Joseph of Arimathea and also to the burial place of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere. Joseph, who buried Christ's body in his own tomb after the crucifixion, is said to have travelled to Britain with the Holy Grail (the cup used by Jesus during the Last Supper) and burying it in a secret place in what is now Glastonbury. It is claimed that he also established the first monastery in Glastonbury and built the first wattle church on the site. It was also believed that Joseph was buried somewhere at the abbey.

In Arthurian legend, on of the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table was the quest for the Holy Grail. In the 12th century, the Abbey was destroyed by fire and, in an effort to raise more money from the pilgrims, the monks spread the tale that they  had found the bodies of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. To this day, a site in the Abbey grounds is marked as their tomb.

Other legends associate the whole area around the Tor, a hill located a few miles from the town of Glastonbury, with the legendary island of Avalon, the place where King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, was forged and where he was taken to recover from his wounds after his last  battle at Camlann.

"Now I do not ask you to believe these legends; I do ask you to believe that there was some special cause why legends of this kind should grow, at all events why they should grow in such a shape and in such abundance, round Glastonbury alone of all the great monastic churches of Britain." Professor Freeman (archeologist)

The  History

The history of Glastonbury Abbey is as long as it is eventful. In an effort to keep it simple I will just mention the most important milestones. The first church on this site was probably built in the 7th century by King Ine (or Ina) of Wessex. The church was enlarged in the 10th century by St Dunstan who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Following the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066, skilled Norman craftsmen added magnificent buildings to the existing church. By 1086, Glastonbury Abbey was the richest monastery in the country. The Norman church and monastery were destroyed by fire in 1184 and in 1191 the story about the tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere was circulated. The first structure to be built, in 1184, was the Lady Chapel which was later annexed to Glastonbury Abbey, also known as the Great Church. The Great Church was re-consecrated in 1213 but work on it continued until 1348. Both the Abbey and the Lady Chapel were destroyed in 1539 during Henry VIII's quarrel with the church and the subsequent Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was the last of all the religious houses in Somerset to be destroyed and despoiled of its riches, which passed to the Crown.

 

Artist's impression of what Glastonbury Abbey may have looked like

The Architecture and the  Ruins

Both the Abbey and the Lady Chapel are in ruins, albeit the Lady Chapel is in a better state. Most of its walls are still standing and one can get a good idea of what the original building must have looked like. The chapel is Romanesque in design and highly decorated. The crypt beneath the chapel, which was dug out in around 1500, is largely intact.

Glastonbury Abbey has both late Romanesque and Gothic styles incorporated in its structure and, despite the fact that not much of the original building is left, the surviving ruins are a legacy to its original grandeur and majesty. The Abbey had a long nave and choir, with a square central tower and twin towers at the west end. There is no doubt that this used to be a magnificent edifice which must have looked pretty awe-inspiring to the pilgrims that travelled here from around the country.

"bare ruin'd choirs / Where late the sweet birds sang" (from Sonnet 73). William Shakespeare

The Abbey Grounds

Entrance to the abbey grounds and museum is through Magdalene Gate, a large stone arch dating to the 14th century with some 16th century alterations. Close to the entrance is a small chapel dedicated to St Patrick that is from the 16th century and has survived to this day.

Unfortunately, we had to rush through the museum as we did not have as much time on our hands as we would have liked but, from the little that we saw, I can confirm  that there is a wealth of information about Glastonbury Abbey and its environs to pass an interesting hour or two. The abbey ruins are situated on 36 acres of parkland that has areas dedicated to public recreation. Also located on the grounds are the ruins of the Abbott's Hall, the cloisters and the still largely-intact Abbott's Kitchen. The latter is an octagonal-shaped building from the 14th century that served as the kitchen at  Glastonbury Abbey. The Abbott's Kitchen is one of the few surviving medieval kitchens in the world. It  used to be connected to the Abbott's Hall, of which only one small section of wall remains.

My Impressions

Needless to say, I loved exploring the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey and the Lady Chapel. Even though the connection to King Arthur is tenuous at best, the rich and varied history of the abbey made the visit extremely interesting. While I would have loved to see the abbey as it would have looked like before its dissolution, the scale of the ruins only reinforced the feeling of awe and mystery that washed over me as soon as I laid eyes on them. A visit to Glastonbury Abbey may not be everyone's idea of a fun-filled afternoon but there is a lot to learn and explore as none of the ruins are off-limits. The stately ruins, looking almost skeletal against the darkening sky, were absolutely fascinating to this amateur photographer. I would have been content to photograph the beautiful bones of this once-stately structure till the last sliver of light disappeared. There is an almost mystical sense of peace here that completely shuts out the world outside. Some people believe that natural energy lines run through Glastonbury. I saw others in deep meditation on the place that used to be the High Altar. It seems as if an aura of sanctity prevails and perhaps a little bit of magic too. Or maybe my imagination is up to its tricks again.

 

Related Links

• New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia: Glastonbury Abbey
• Sacred Destinations: Glastonbury Abbey
• Glastonbury Abbey Official Site