THE SILENT CITY

ONE OF THE SILENT STREETS OF MDINA MEDIEVAL CITADEL- MALTA

Another image from the island of Malta. This one was taken at the medieval citadel of Mdina which is known as 'The Silent City'. The whole of Mdina is an architectural treat. It is the oldest city on the island. Settlement of this area goes back 4,000 years and the Phoenicians fortified part of the town about 1,000 BC. The city received it's present name Mdina from the Saracens who took over the island in 870 AD. For reasons of defence they seperated Mdina from it's nearby suburb of Rabat by a deep moat and surrounded the hill-top section of the city with stronger walls and defence towers. It is from these walls that present day visitors can get great views of the surrounding countryside.
Vehicles have very restricted access to the city and over it's long history the islands gentry and nobility have adopted the city as their 'capital'.
All around the city you will see closed and silent doors and windows and there really is a silence that pervades  throughout the whole citadel.
When taking this picture I wanted to pass on a sense of history, as well as the peace and tranquility that is so much a part of this ancient area.

THE SELMUM PALACE - MALTA

THE SELMUM PALACE- MALTA

Formerly, the Selmun Palace was the summer residence for the grand masters of the Order of Saint John. Domenico Cachia built it during the 18th century, in the style of the Verdala castle, located in the south of Malta, near Dingli. This domain was the property of a religious congregation, created by the initiative of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt, in order to raise funds to pay for the ransom of Christians who had been captured by the Ottomans. The chapel that is close to the castle has been christened as Our Lady of Ransom in honour of this congregation.

THE SHED

THE SHED

It is said that every man should have a shed.
It's somewhere to while away the hours.... somewhere to lose yourself. You can spend hours just fiddling-tinkering-fettling-adjusting or just plain old playing with things.
A shed is a sanctuary... a place of peace and tranquility.... a place of escape from the pressures of the world....a place to escape from everyone else.

But it might have a darker side........
When I was a youngster and I brought home from school my term report, the shed was where I was sent by my Mother because that is where my Father would be. I would then offer up to him the proof that I was not and never would be an academic. The proof that I was failing to come up to my Father's high standards. The proof that I was not meeting my parents expectations.

I have never forgotten the feeling of standing in the shed unable to come up with any explanation as to why my report was so bad.......and the smell of the creosoted wooden shed completely enveloped me.

Every time I enter a shed I think back to those moments.

HUNTINGDON CROSS

HUNTINGDON CROSS - DARTMOOR

This cross is situated in a hollow near the Western Wella Brook on Dartmoor. It is 5Km from Didworthy and just 1Km from the old clapper bridge. It is a boundary marker and was set up in the 16th century after Buckfast Abbey had suffered dissolution. The wall seen behind the cross is of more recent construction.

This marker is beside the Ancient Abbots Path which at this point forms part of the Two Moors Way which is one of the National Trails. The cross makes a good lunch stop for walkers on the trail.

DEATH.....

Nor dread nor hope attend
A dying animal;
A man awaits his end
Dreading and hoping all;
Many times he died,
Many times rose again.
A great man in his pride
Confronting murderous men
Casts derision upon
Supersession of breath;
He knows death to the bone
Man has created death. 

William Butler Yeats 1865-1939  

THE DERRICK

THE DERRICK AT PORTLAND BILL

Portland is famous for it's stone which has been used extensively as a building material throughout the British Isles. Buildings that have used the stone include St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace.The Cenotaph in Whitehall is also made from Portland Stone.
The stone is also exported to many other countries - for example it was used in the construction of the United Nations Headquarters in New York city in the USA.
The stone is a Limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period.
A few hundred yards from Portland Bill lighthouse (which was shown in a recent posting ) can be found this Derrick. Cut stone slabs used to be transported from this point by sea to various destinations. A Derrick was used to lift the stone on to the sea going barges.

ON THE MOOR

ON THE MOOR ABOVE TAVISTOCK

Dartmoor is an area of the country that I visit often. My wife was brought up close to the town of Tavistock and I often spend time walking and camping in the area.
The moor covers an area of 954 square kilometres (368 square miles) and the granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The highest point of the moor is High Wilhays at 621 metres (2037 feet). The whole area of the moor and the towns and villages in it's vicinity is a very popular tourist destination .
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