Baltic Cruise – Walk around Warnemünde

Wendy and I lost our luggage in Spain and we didn’t get either of our bags back when the ship left Copenhagen so we took a walk around Warnemünde looking for some replacement stuff. We did find some.

Baltic Cruise – Minster of Doberan

Doberaner Münster (Minster of Doberan)

Bad Doberan
Rostock
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern  Germany

The Minster of Doberan, was originally a Cistercian abbey that was fully established in 1368. The abbey itself, is located in northeastern Germany. This is the first abbey in Mecklenburg and was founded in 1171. The abbey was also used as the burial site for the regional rulers of the Nicholan Dynasty, was important both politically and historically. It became the center of Christianity for the region. The architecture and furnishings of the Minster have largely been spared from the ravages of war and pillaging over the centuries. No other Cistercian abbey in Europe has this much of its original interior still intact, such as the monumental cross altar and the sculpted tombs of Dukes and Duchesses and other royals. The main altar is the oldest wing-altar in art history. Even after the reformation and the closing of the abbey in 1552, the church continued to serve as a pantheon for the deceased rulers of Mecklenburg, as well as the regular place of worship for an Evangelical-Lutheran congregation. The government of the state in which it is located has issued a public declaration regarding the preservation of historic building: “The Minster in Bad Doberan is considered the most important medieval building in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, the best example of medieval creativity put in practice, and it is a building of the highest technical and artistic perfection.” ~ This abbey is indeed a unique monument in the coastal region of Germany along the Baltic Sea. (original author J T Demitz) Photographs supplied by KennethAllenPhoto.

Marlee and Nate Gitlin

Had a great time taking photos at Marlee and Nate’s Wedding.

Enjoying sunny day.

April 14th, 2013. Took in some Lacrosse with Ella Kate, Mommy, Daddy, and Grammy.

Typical House Finch

Sitting on the back porch the other day having a decaf and this little finch showed up.

Castle of the Week – Drumin Castle

Sited as it is, on a ridge above the confluence of the Rivers Livet and Avon (pronounced A’an), the castle occupies a natural strategic site. It is likely that the present castle is constructed on the site of previous fortifications and may originally have been an Iron Age Dun. It is now a Scheduled Monument.

There is little written history on the castle and what there is can be open to interpretation. However, it is recorded that King Robert II granted the lands of Strathavon (including Drumin) to his son Alexander Stewart on the 17th July 1372.

Alexander Stewart (1342-1406), referred to as the “Wolf of Badenoch” was noted for his temper and harsh justice. He is mostly remembered for the sacking and burning of Elgin Cathedral (1390) as part of a long term feud with the Bishop of Moray. It is unlikely that he was ever in permanent residence at Drumin, the castle being held by one of his sons. He also owned the strongholds of Lochindorb and Loch-an-Eilean and would more likely be resident there.

It is thought that Sir Walter Stewart, the Wolf’s Grandson, built the current castle in the late 1400’s, replacing an earlier fortification. The same Sir Walter Stewart, however, disposed of  the castle and lands pertaining to Drumin in 1490, when they passed to Alexander, 3rd Earl of Huntly.

The Stewart family continued to live at Drumin and nearby Kilmaichlie, until the early 1700’s when Gordon Stewart is thought to have been the last resident of the castle. It is presumed that the castle fell into disuse about this time.

The only other notable reference to the castle in the intervening period was that the Marquis of Argyll stopped there with his army before the Battle of Glenlivetin 1594.

Texas Wildflowers

Went for a drive this morning and noticed some wildflowers on the side of the road. They were so colorful I had to turn around and take some photos. Lots of color…. especially the Indian Blanket. Lots of bees, moths and butterflies. See if you can find the photo  with a spider. There are also two more insects in that photo.

Castle of the Week – Urquhart Castle

One of the first stops we made coming out of the Highlands was the very small town of Glenmoriston. The town itself consisted of several B & B’s, a convenience store/post office and several homes. We made this our headquarters for several days to see the sites in the area, including Urquhart Castle. Please click on the link for history information: http://www.historyandlegends.com/role-of-urquhart-castle-in-scotlands-history-and-legends.html.

Castle of the Week – Eilean Donan Castle

The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the area, and it is likely that he formed a small cell, or community on the island during the late 7th century.

The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century as a defensive measure, protecting the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or “birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.

Over the centuries, the castle itself has expanded and contracted in size. The medieval castle was probably the largest, with towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island. The main keep stood on the islands highest point. Around the end of the 14th century the area of the castle was reduced to about a fifth of its original size, and although the reason is unclear, it probably relates to the number of men required to defend the structure. By the 16th century a hornwork was added to the east wall to offer a firing platform for the newly introduced cannons.

Eilean Donan also played a role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which ultimately culminated in the castles destruction…

In 1719 the castle was garrisoned by 46 Spanish soldiers who were supporting the Jacobites. They had established a magazine of gunpowder, and were awaiting the delivery of weapons and cannon from Spain. The English Government caught wind of the intended uprising and sent three heavily armed frigates The Flamborough, The Worcester, and The Enterprise to quell matters. The bombardment of the castle lasted three days, though met with limited success due to the enormity of the castle walls, which in some places are up to 14 feet thick. Finally, Captain Herdman of The Enterprise sent his men ashore and over-whelmed the Spanish defenders. Following the surrender, the government troops discovered the magazine of 343 barrels of gunpowder which was then used to blow up what had remained from the bombardment…

For the best part of 200 years, the stark ruins of Eilean Donan lay neglected, abandoned and open to the elements, until Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911. Along with his Clerk of Works, Farquar Macrae, he dedicated the next 20 years of his life to the reconstruction of Eilean Donan, restoring her to her former glory. The castle was rebuilt according to the surviving ground plan of earlier phases and was formally completed in the July of 1932.

Bluebonnets

Lot’s of photographers out this morning snapping the Texas state flower. These snaps were taken at Brushy Creek Lake Park and route 1431.