been a while...

As expected we are spending quite a lot of time in churches and castles - absolutelly amazing stuff. Walking on stone floors, worn down over millenia gives one goosebumps. The granites and marbles have little "valleys" worn into them...

Floor at the Franciscan Monastery

Yesterday we went to an abbey outside of Krakow in Tyniec.

The abbey was originally built in th X century but went through many changes since then. Perched on a lime rock hill, it looks magnificent.

We listened to a bit of latin chanting and went for a walk round the place. In the abbey's museum we came across an amazing thing. During recent archeological diggs, they discovered that there were buildings on the site around 800BC and they were inhabited by the Celts.
Now, talk about a small world!
The Celts were involved in the Amber trade between the Baltic and the Mediterranean.

Celtic capitels, my mum, and some guys discussing sizes of bricks...

Remnants of Celic colums

Jim and Anna, does that mean we might be brothers and sisters (of sorts)?__________________________________________________________________________________

A proof that builders should always read the drawings, and that structural engineers save the day.

Structural ceiling members hit an opening for a chapel, panic strickes, architect away... structural engineer devises a stirrup to suspend the members from the roof struture - "That will do for now" he says. It's been like that for around 1000 years.

Father Leon talking about the history of the Benedictine order and let me tell you, he CAN talk...

In his spare time, he runs a national radio show under the name of "Leon the professional" - get it?

Living proof that 3.6m width is enough to build an arts gallery and a city information office.

Two things to note about this picture. One, while being restored, buildings are covered entirely and the future look is shown on the cover. Two, Aphext Twin is plazing in Krakow, but not until September, so don't wait for me...

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G.