Jordan – Part 2

Desert Castles, Mosaics and Mt Nebo

Umm al-Jimal

Umm al-Jimal (“Mother of Camels”) lies about 80km north east of Amman near the Syrian border. The drive from Amman took us past some huge refugee camps, housing Syrians, I was told. These camps looked relatively organised, but the sight of the home of so many persons was a sad reminder of the suffering of those displaced by war and political upheavals.

Umm Al-Jimal is built entirely of local basalt, including doors and window frames and the roofs, and was described by an American archaeologist as being “Far out in the desert, in the midst of the rolling plain, beside the dry bed of an ancient stream there is a deserted city all of basalt ……(which) appears like a living city rising black and forbidding from the grey of the plain”. (Butler HC 1913 “Ancient Architecture in Syria”). It didn’t seem all that far out in the desert when I visited, but otherwise the description is still apt.

It is thought that the earliest settlement of the site was by the Nabateans in around 1BC, followed by the Romans. During Byzantine times, the city grew – churches were constructed and Roman barracks were stripped of their military purpose.

Of particular interest is the survival of domestic architecture which is unusual. I imagine the basalt could heat up unbearably, but when I was there, the stones lying about were agreeably warm to sit on. The huge basalt slab stone doors are hinged, and still open and shut. One wouldn’t want to catch ones fingers in those doors.

As there was no water source, early residents built an ingenious water system consisting of channels and 18 large reservoirs. These are being reactivated.

Shepherds were using the site for grazing their sheep when I was visiting – a great use for an ancient site.

Just after visiting this castle, the silence was shattered when we stopped for refreshments. Several fighter jets screamed overhead, heading for Syria. Syrian planes we were told. A couple nearby almost freaked out – oh my god, are they going to kill us screeched a woman. Nope, they appear to have better things to do than circle back to kill a few hapless tourists.

Qasr al-Azrac

Qasr al-Azrac is a 3rd century Roman fort constructed of basalt. The Umayyads used the fort as a military base and for hunting from. It was fortified at some stage as a defence against the Crusaders. The Mamlukes rebuilt the fort in the 13th century. A Turkish Garrison was stationed at the fort in the 16th century. During the Arab revolt against the Turks, TE Lawrence spent some time in this fort in 1917, with Sharif Hussein bin Ali. He mentioned Qasr al-Azrac in his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and noted the “unfathomable silence” of the area. That has not changed – it was eerily silent.

Lawrence lived in a room in the tower above the southern entrance, access to which was through a huge basalt door, which Lawrence said shook the whole tower when it was closed. It was apparently not very watertight but Lawrence’s followers, without benefit of a room, were no doubt less comfortable than Lawrence in his leaky room in the tower.

Qasr Al Amra

The Umayyads built Qasr Al Amra, in around the 8th century. It was a bath house, but it was also a residence, and was founded by the Caliph Walid 1. The foundations of a castle are all that remain of the larger complex. The exterior is rather drab, but the interior is surprisingly beautiful – surprising because the walls are covered by frescoes and murals, very colourful, but depicting graven images. It apparently was not until later that Islam banned such images.

It is somewhat startling to enter an Islamic building to be confronted with images of naked women and dancing scenes. There are hunting scenes, which picture salukis. There are gymnastic scenes and there are scenes of groups of rulers – enemies of Islam. The site is World Heritage listed, primarily because of a fresco of the night sky, which show major constellations.

Qasr Al Amra is one of those unexpected, interesting and fascinating delights and which challenged my vision of Islamic art.

Qasr Kharaneh

Qasr Kharaneh is an Islamic fortress dating from the 8th century, and was built at much the same time as Qasr Al Amra, 16 km away. It is an almost square building and has buttresses on each corner. It has brick “dog tooth” decoration banding – an Assyrian type decoration. Qasr Kharaneh sits in the middle of a pretty desolate plain, with not a tree to be seen.

Its function and purpose are disputed – some sources say it was not a fort, even though it looks like one from the outside, and only served as a meeting place, and a base from which to go hunting. TE Lawrence described it as a palace, although he did not inspect it. He said he was too careless to visit it, when he was passing by at midnight, and referred to it as the “lone palace of Kharaneh. Internally, there are long rooms, which were probably used as stables. About 60 rooms surround a courtyard, and the second floor, carvings and mouldings can be seen.

Mt Nebo, the Dead Sea and Mosaics:

Quite a contrast to a day of exploring castles was a day of Moses, swimming and mosaics.

I was looking forward to looking out over the Land of Canaan (the promised land) from Mt Nebo – not because it was meaningful to me in a religious sense, more because it was such a historic story, and I do enjoy myths and legends.

Pope John Paul II, when visiting the site in 2,000, planted an Olive Tree as a symbol of peace. The tree had to be fenced off, because people were taking leaves off it – presumably because of its connection with the Pope, and the biblical significance of Mt Nebo.

The view from Mt Nebo is spectacular, particularly on a clear day. It was not a particularly clear day, but I enjoyed views over the Jordan River, the Dead Sea and the West Bank. I liked the modern sculpture of the Brazen Serpent, Nehushton, by Giovanni Fantoni. The sculpture is symbolic of the serpent taken by Moses into the desert and the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

The Moses Memorial Church at Mt Nebo contains excellent Byzantine period mosaics from around 597 AD. The church was abandoned in the 16th century, but was rediscovered in the 1933. The mosaics were rediscovered when the site was excavated. The large mosaic in the baptistry depicts hunting scenes at the top, and more agricultural scenes at the bottom. The animals depicted are in the main, African.

The road down to the Dead Sea offers changing scenery, the scrubby olive trees and occasional pine trees of Mt Nebo to desert like areas. From one spot on this drive, I had a good view of Jericho – quite green looking in the generally brown landscape. I was interested to see towers on the Mount of Olives, and glints of sun off cars driving down from the Jerusalem University.

My dead sea swimming experience was somewhat disappointing. After picking my way through the stony beach without benefit of water shoes, being slathered with mud and making my way into the water, my high hopes of lying on my back in the water were dashed. The sea was quite choppy, and I didn’t exactly float – well not well enough to have been able to read a book. It was difficult to get the mud off and keep the water out of my eyes at the same time, but I did enjoy semi floating around looking across the water to Israel.

Even though I was only semi floating, I had difficulty getting out of the water as I couldn’t put my feet on the ground. I finally managed to float close enough to the beach to to haul myself out of the water, by getting my arms onto the gravel, and hauling myself out of the water far enough, so that I could finally put my feet down. Not the most elegant way to exit the Dead Sea.

For mosaic tragics, a visit to Madaba is a must. It is known as the city of mosaics, and it certainly has some splendid examples. The 6th century St Georges Church has a stone floor mosaic depicting the earliest map of the holy land. The western part of what remains of the map shows the Mediterranean coast. The eastern part shows the Jordan desert. The north goes as far as Tyre. On the southern side there is a rather odd looking Nile delta. There is a large insert of Jerusalem. Part of the Dead Sea and Jordan valley depiction was defaced by iconoclasts in the 8th century – they removed the faces of the fishermen. Photographs of the map do not do it justice, and I feel privileged to have seen the map in situ. The Madaba reproduction map below (Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0) illustrates the remains of the map which measures 15m x 5.6m

Mosaic map Photo at Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, Madaba, Jordan

The images below are of the detail of parts of the mosaic map.

The Archaeological Park 1 in Madaba has a mosaic floor in the Hippolytus Hall, inspired by a greek tragedy by Euripides – Hippolytus. Those familiar with the tragedy will recognise the various people depicted – I must say that I personally love the cupids, particularly Eros being stung by bees (lower left of upper panel).

I did not have enough time to see all the mosaics in Madaba – a return visit is on the list.

If you have enjoyed reading this you may like to visit Jordan – Part 1

If you love mosaics go to my previous posts Mosaics: Villa Romana del Casale – Piazza Armerina, Morgantina, Sicily. and An Obsession with Mosaics

Jordan – Part 3 is coming soon.

Jordan – Part 1

Amman, Umm Qais and Jerash.

As my plane descended in to Amman, I felt a surge of excitement. I was finally visiting Jordan, a country I had dreamed of visiting for many years. Even the chaos which greeted our arrival at the airport did not dampen my excitement or enthusiasm.

There are Roman ruins, Umayyad Desert castles, and Crusader Castles to explore, many of them UNESCO World Heritage listed sites. Visiting these sites and the Dead Sea, viewing the Jordan River, looking down on Jericho and visiting Petra and the Wadi Rum and so much more awaited.

Amman

Amman is the capital of Jordan, and although it is a relatively modern city today, there are many ancient sites evidencing earlier settlements – the earliest evidence of human settlement is said to be between 4000 – 3000 BC.

Images: Above -Part of Modern Amman, from the Jordan Museum – below street scenes, Amman

Jordan Museum

The Jordan Museum was a perfect place in which to commence a my visit. The museum is contained in a modern building, which was inaugurated in 2013. It showcases 1 (or maybe 1.5) million years of Jordanian history and cultural heritage, and tells the story of Jordan. The museum contains over 2,000 artifacts dating back to the 8,700 year old Ain Ghazal sculptures – they represent the earliest known statues of the human form and are one of the permanent exhibitions at the museum. The Dead Sea Scrolls are also permanently exhibited. All of the scrolls come from archaeological excavations on the west bank, when the West Bank was part of Jordan. Most of the scrolls are of leather parchment or papyrus and date from the third century BC to the first century AD. The only copper scroll (with a 99% copper rating) has been dated to several different periods, with some good supporting arguments for the various dates proposed. One popular estimate is First century AD.

Safaitic rock inscription – warriors in fight scene

The Citadel

The Citadel of ancient Philadelphia (as Amman was known) is an archaeological site on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel al-Qala’a. The site has been occupied since the Bronze Age, and is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world. Archaeological remains from the Ammonite, Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods can be found at the Citadel. Today, it is surrounded by the modern city.

Rome, under the Rule of Pompey conquered Jordan, and its neighbouring countries, Syria and Palestine in 63BC. The principal sites at the Citadel are from the Roman period, and later. The Temple of Hercules was constructed during Marcus Aurelius’ Roman occupation of the Citadel in around 162-166AD, and was dedicated to a supreme Roman deity. Due to the discovery of large fragments (hand and elbow) of a gigantic statue (9-12 metres high), and coins showing the head of Hercules, it was named the Temple of Hercules. Little remains of the original structure, only the restored remains of pillars. Viewing the hand of Hercules, sitting alone on the site, quite starkly illustrates the rise and fall of great Empires – once part of a colossal statue, now just a hand remains. “Look upon me and weep” (Ozymandias, Shelley).

The remains of a Byzantine Church (550AD) sits a little below the Temple of Hercules. The Corinthian columns, which are decorated with acanthus leaves, were taken from the Temple and repurposed for the Church.

In the early 7th Century (661AD), Jordan became integrated into the the Islamic Umayyed Dynasty. Islamic Art and Architecture captured my imagination from the first time I was exposed to it, many years ago, so I was looking forward to seeing the Ummayed Palace complex, which sits on the upper level of of Jabal al-Qal’a, with sweeping views of the city. The Palace is from the same period as the construction of the Dome on the Rock and the Great Mosque in Damascus, and is an excellent example of the architecture from that period.

The Romans knew how to build theatres – among other things. The theatre in the Lower Town in Amman is a fine example. It was built when Antonius Pius was Emperor, between 138AD and 161AD and was carved into Jabal Al-Jofeh. It was designed with the stage facing south, so the audiences would be sitting in the shade. It has three levels – first level for dignitaries, second level for the military and the third level for the plebians – I personally prefer the third tier, which is just as well, since that is where I would have been. Seating 6,000 people, it is still used for performances.

The Corinthian columns along the front of the theatre and a few paving stones are all that remains of the forum.

Travelling North – Umm Qais and Jerash

Travelling north from Amman (and south for that matter) took on a whole new meaning. Travelling on a highway, which was referred to in the Old Testament (Book of Numbers 20:17) is pretty special. Moses asked permission to use the road – denied. Archaeological evidence suggests this road has been in use since at least the 8th century BC. The Kings Highway (Highway 35) traverses Jordan from Syria to the Gulf of Aqaba, and sits on top of the ancient Kings Road. I was heading north to Umm Qais and Jerash and part of the journey was on the Kings Highway.

Umm Qais

Umm Qais, (the site of ancient Gadara) is situated in the hills above the Jordan Valley with spectacular views over the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan Valley and the Golan Heights.

Looking out over the Sea of Galilee at Umm Qais felt somewhat surreal. Not that the view was all that clear, but it didn’t matter. Having heard all the stories from the New Testament as a child, (although I was somewhat doubtful, even then – “ye of little faith”) there is a certain frisson viewing the place where Jesus (supposedly) walked on water, gave the Sermon on the Mount, fed the multitudes and performed various miracles. I particularly liked the miracle of the Gaderene swine, which is said to have been performed at Gadara (Matthew 8:32). I visualised those pigs racing to their death in Lake Tiberius (Sea of Galilee).

Above: 2 miniatures removed from a Gospel Book, depicting the miracle of the Gadarene Swine (Getty Museum).

There is much to see in Umm Qais. There are two Roman theatres – Gadara had a reputation of being cultured. The arts flourished, and numerous poets apparently lived there.

An Ottoman village with remains of 2 houses, a mosque and a girls school with winding laneways and alleyways makes for a very pleasant stroll. The Basilica Terrace contains the ruins of a small Byzantine church and the remains of domed rooms, once a row of Byzantine shops. The whole site was ablaze with colourful wildflowers.

Jerash (Ancient Gerasa)

Gerasa became part of the Roman province of Syria after Pompey’s conquest of the area n 64BC. The city was laid out on a grid style, and is an example of of a typical Roman provincial town of the time.

Although I had heard a lot about Jerash and had some idea of what it looked like, the reality was far more spectacular than I had imagined. From Hadrian’s Arch, the forum, hippodrome, theatres, temples, Nymphaeum and palaces, I felt as if I was on a constant adventure. As a bonus, if one was needed, the site was covered in wildflowers. Spectacular.

I entered the site through the impressive 13 metre tall Hadrian’s Arch, which was was constructed in 129AD during Emperor Trajan’s time. I do love the Roman Triumphal Arches. Looking over the site from Hardian’s Arch, I could imagine Gerasa when it was at its peak, with 15,000 to 20,000 residents. The view was glorious – a large assortment of columns to the hills beyond.

I could write a chapter about the history and use of each of the monuments in Jerash, but I couldn’t do the topic justice. I shall just provide a pictorial journey of my visit.

If you have enjoyed reading this, watch out for Jordan Part 2, coming soon.

Waimarama Beach – New Zealand

A Pictorial Journey

Close to Hastings and Napier, Waimarama Beach has a lot to offer. Fishing, swimming, surfing, walking, beach sailing and beachcombing.

I have been visiting family at Waimarama for more years than I care to remember. Memorable feasts of crayfish, mussels and freshly caught fish. Sitting on the deck looking out over the ocean and Bare Island sipping on a NZ sauvignon blanc watching the island changing colour with the time of day. Walks along the beach watching the surfers, the numerous birds and beach sailing. Fossicking in the rock pools on the rocky outcrop, and if in luck, discovering paua shells. These are a few of my favourite things.

Several generations have happy memories of fun at the beach. The younger ones enjoyed playing in the stream at the northern end of the beach, but the surf always beckoned.

Building a bonfire on the beach was always greeted with great joy. I wonder if fires are allowed on the beach these days. Watching the moon rise over the sea, is always special.

The drive from Havelock North to Waimarama provides magnificent views of Te Mata Peak on the left, and the Tuki Tuki River with hills rising up behind it on the right. Apart from the breathtaking scenery, Craggy Range Winery, which was established in 1998 on premium grape growing land makes for a wonderful stopping off point for lunch or dinner at the restaurant, or to visit the cellar door. The restaurant is the recipient of 2 Hats, and was awarded the title “Winery Restaurant of the Year” in the Cuisine Good Food Award. Dining there is a very special experience, and although my preference for white wine is generally a Sauvignon Blanc, I had a Craggy Range Chardonnay with my lunch – it was superb. Looking up at Te Mata Peak from the restaurant added a very special touch.

If you have enjoyed this, you may like to read about my efforts to make Hastings “My Home Town.” https://travelwithgma.wordpress.com/2022/02/15

I owe a great debt to the Jones family for making possible all these wonderful visits.

Iran – Visiting Ardabil

We were travelling from Tabriz in North West Iran to Bandar E Astari, on the Caspian Sea, a distance of approximately 398km, visiting Ardabil on the way.

The landscape between Tabriz and Ardabil is varied. Some very arid areas with bare brown hills all around, and occasional greener spots here and there.

Hay was being harvested around the villages we passed through, and every house was crowned with a huge hay stack. The courtyards of many of them were also filled with hay. Dotted along the roadside, crude shelters had been erected, from which people were selling their produce with all manner of produce laid out along the roadside. The further east we travelled the greener the landscape became, and more trees appeared.

In some places we were driving very close to the border with Azerbaijan. Very tall lookout posts, all manned, each one within sight of the next were interspersed between a stretched a barbed wire fence, with very nasty looking razor wire strung along the top. They were so close that I could see the guards and their guns quite clearly. Photographing the guard posts and fence did not seem like a prudent thing to do.

Ardabil is home to the Shrine complex of Safi al-Din (1253 – 1334). He was a mystic and founder of the Safavid order of mystics, and considered to be the founder of the Safavid dynasty. On his death, he was buried in a tomb tower adjacent to his Khanqah, which became a place of pilgrimage.

The shrine complex was built between early 16th century and the late 18th century, and contains a collection of tombs, including that of Shah Ismail I (1487-1524). He became the first Shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death. The graves of many of those killed in the wars of Shirvan – 1500, and Chaldoran -1514 are also contained in the complex.

The complex is said to be of the finest examples of Safavid architecture and art. The exterior is decorated with a combination of blue glazed brick and tiles and Kufic and Riqa calligraphy. On the tomb tower of Safi al-Din, the name of Allah is endlessly repeated. There are very fine mosaics, tiling, Safavid calligraphy, Sufi spiritual messages and beautiful Muqarnas. I was quite overwhelmed by the beauty.

Front: Tomb Tower – Safi al-Din. Rear Tomb Tower – Shah Ismail

On entering the complex, visitors are greeted by a lovely garden. A pathway leads to the Shrine of Safi al-Din which is divided into seven steps, reflecting the seven stages of Sufi mysticism. There are eight gates separating the steps. These gates represent the eight attitudes of Sufism.

The tomb of Safi al-din is approached through the Ghandil Khaneh (the prayer hall), a beautiful hall with gold paint decoration, and magnificent Muqanas. The carved wooden coffin sits under a double shelled dome. The walls are wooden, with lacquer paintings and works of calligraphy as decoration.

Photo Credits Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

The tomb of Shah Ismail I is contained in a beautiful room, tiled in blue, with inscriptions and gilded murals. The coffin is a carved inlaid wooden case with geometrical patterns. There is a giant hand etched on the blue tiles. The hand shows the Twelver Shi’a sign of Panj-tan-e Al-e Aba (five close relatives of the Phrophet).

Right Photo Credit Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

The Chini Khaneh (China room) in the complex contains a collection of Chinese porcelain, donated by Shah Abbas I in 1608. The porcelain pieces were gifts by the Chinese Emperor to Shah Abbas. The initial collection comprised of around 1162 pieces, but after the 1828 invasion by Russia, the Russians took most of the collecton. By 1956 there remained only 805 pieces. The porcelain taken to Russia can be seen in the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Shah Abbas apparently ordered that one of the tomb chambers must be converted into a Chini Khaneh, and what a beautiful room it is. The lower walls are covered by colourful tiles up to two metres. Above the tiles, the upper walls contain niches, in the shape of the pieces of porcelain, although the porcelain is now displayed in glass showcases. The muqarnas are spectacular.

A carpet was commissioned for the Shrine in the late 1530’s, which by that time had become a place of pilgrimage. The carpet measures 10.51m x 5.31m, and is the world’s oldest dated carpet. It is able to be dated because of 4 line inscription on one edge, which reads: ” There is no refuge for me anywhere in the world except on your threshhold” then “The work of a slave of the portal Maqsud Kashani” and the date, 946 – Muslim calendar (equivalent to AD1539-1540.)”

The carpet has 25 million knots (340 per square inch) and apparently up to 18 weavers could work on it at any time. The dyes used to colour the carpet were natural and included pomegranate rind and indigo.

The carpet however is not in the Shrine. It was sold to a Manchester carpet firm, who sold it in March 1893 to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London for GBP2,000 in March 1893. William Morris, a British textile designer inspected the carpet for the museum prior to the purchase. He reported it as a”singular perfection – logically and consistently beautiful”. The carpet is displayed in the centre of the Jameel Gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and in order to preserve its colours, it is only lit for ten minutes every half hour. I have viewed this carpet many times, and have darted back and forth every half hour in an attempt to properly examine the detail in the design.

The Ardabil carpet, Photo credit Peter Kelleher, V & A London.

If you would like to read more about the Adabil carpet go to http://vam.ac.uk/articles/the-ardabil-carpet

There is a reproduction of the Ardabil carpet in the Shrine complex.

I could have spent longer at the Shrine complex. There was so much more to explore (eg the Mosque, the school and library), however time did not allow for a longer visit.

After lunch at a Caravanserai (barley soup, a lamb and egg dish and black halva), it was time to drive over the mountains to Bandar-e-Astara. The mountains were misty, but when the mist cleared there were beautiful views of the forest.

We had afternoon tea at the top of the Heyran Pass – eating halva and watching the mist rolling in. The hills were invisible within a few minutes.

That evening, sitting beside the Caspian Sea, I celebrated a perfect day with a glass of non alcoholic Apple Beer.

Images of Safi al-Din. The first image is a miniature of Safi al-Din surrounded by disciples, from a 16th century manuscript of the Safrat as-safa. The second image is a sculpture which is in Safi al-Din Park in Ardabil.

If you have enjoyed this you may also wish to read my previous piece “Off the Beaten Track in Iran https://travelwithgma.wordpress.com/2017/01/22

A Week in Hawea – South Island, New Zealand

Hawea, Wanaka, Queenstown and Surrounding areas – a pictorial view.

Flying in to Queenstown from Australia generally provides spectacular views of the Southern Alps, particularly in winter.

We were staying at an awesome house, situated at the end of a “goat track” accessible by 4WD or walking, on the western side of Lake Hawea with spectacular views.

View over Lake Hawea from our house.

The house was so comfortable, it was hard to get off the couch in front of the fire, or out of the deck chair, or off the swing to explore.

Holiday house – Lake Hawea.

Hard as it was, we did manage to do a bit of exploring. Hawea is around 100km from Queenstown, and only a 15 minute drive from Wanaka.

The intrepid ones climbed the Isthmus Peak Track, close to Hawea. A trek for advanced walkers – 16km return, taking 5 to 7 hours, with fabulous views of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka. The weather was unkind, they thought they were going to die, it was so cold and windy.

Wanaka

Wanaka is a little less hectic than Queenstown, although in the ski season it is popular with skiers who prefer a more tranquil place to spend their evenings.

Queenstown and Glenorchy

Queenstown sits on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, with views of the Remarkables – part of the Southern Alps, across the Lake. The mountains glow at sunset. A photographer’s paradise.

Glenorchy sits at the head of Lake Wakatipu and is a 45 minute drive from Queenstown, along the lake. The scenery is spectacular.

Mt Rosa Winery, Gibbston.

Mt Rosa Winery is an approximate 1 hour drive from Hawea – a most enjoyable destination.

Hawea

The views of the mountains and lake from our house were ever changing, depending on the time of day and the weather. A never ending delight.

A significant celebration was the reason for this magical week in a very special place – and celebrate we did.

The views flying out of Queenstown to Wellington may not be as spectacular as flying in over the Southern Alps, but they are still pretty awesome.

If you have enjoyed viewing the spectacular scenery, you may enjoy viewing my previous adventure in this area, which is not for the faint hearted, into Skippers Canyon, near Queenstown. Skippers Road, Skippers Canyon, New Zealand.

Curonian Spit – Lithuania and Jurmala, Latvia

The Curonian Spit is a sand dune peninsular which separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. It has been a UNESCO listed site since 2000.

The spit is 98km long and between 0.4 – 4km wide. The northern part is the Lithuanian Curonian Spit National Park, and the southern part is the Russian Kurshskaya National Park, part of the Kaliningrad Oblast.

For me, the Curonian Spit was was a “must visit” destination on our driving trip through the Baltic States. Environmentally, I was impressed with the efforts made to maintain the sand dunes, which tend to move, change and even disappear. Dune stabilisation, protection and management is continual. Forests of pine trees have been planted and maintained. The Curonian Spit is also a place where migratory birds stop off on their travels, so a special place to observe bird life. The tree planting has assisted in conservation efforts, and there was an abundance of wildflowers about.

The car ferry from Klaipedia, on the mainland, took us and our car, on the short trip to Smiltyne on the Curonian Spit – though not without some angst at Klaipedia. We drove round and round and up and down to wharves from which the ferry did not depart. My navigator put in a less than satisfactory performance that day.

We were staying just north of Nida, the main town on the Curonian Spit, a short drive south of Smiltyne. The accommodation was less than memorable, but the sunset that night was splendid.

Just south of Nida, about 1.5km north of the Russian border is the highest drifting sand dune in Europe, the Parnidis Dune, a semi permanent coastal sand dune rising to around 52 metres. Having trudged up and slid down many sand dunes in many places over the years (NZ, Western Australia, Mingsha Dunes in Western China and in the Wadi Rum in Jordan, to name a few) I was very keen to see the Parnidis Dune. There was no question about sliding down this dune. Any such activity would, at the very least be considered as irresponsible human activity. There are designated places where people can walk up the dune, but none for sliding down. Nevertheless, visiting the Parnidis dune was an awesome experience, and really, sliding down 52 metres would have proved pretty challenging.

Parnidis Dune – Photo credit Wikimedia Creative Commons (creative commons.org/licences/by-sa/4.0/)7

We accessed various beaches along the Baltic sea coast on pathways through the pine forests. The contrast of the green in the forest to the white sand on the beaches and the dark stormy looking Baltic sea (each time we visited a beach) was quite marked. Apparently, particularly after storms, amber can be found on the beaches. Unfortunately, despite my best endeavours, I did not discover any amber. The wildflowers attracted numerous butterflies, and the walks through the pine forests were quite enchanting.

For centuries, fishing was the main occupation of those who lived on the Curonian Spit. Until the 19th century, most people made their living from fishing. A large number of traditional fishing villages have been buried by sand dunes but Nida, a resort town these days, was a traditional fishing village. The old wooden fishermen’s cottages, painted in red or blue, some decorated with wooden carvings now house museums or provide tourist accommodation. The Fishermen’s Museum occupy one of these buildings. I did not get to visit the museum, as it was not open at any time I was there. Viewing the traditional Curonian fishing boat outside the museum, I hoped it had been confined to fishing in the Curonian lagoon, and did not venture into the Baltic Sea.

I have always been fascinated by weather vanes, from the humble rooster to the very ornate, to the extent that I spend a lot of time photographing wind vanes. I have written about my fascination with weather vanes in the Baltic States and you can see many of the weather vanes I have photographed at Baltic States -Wind Vanes and other photographic themes from other places.

Apparently, unique to Lithuania, carved wooden weather vanes were attached to the main mast of fishing boats – on one version apparently not for the purpose of ascertaining wind direction, but to identify the fishing boat, and the area from which it came. Irrespective of their purpose, I loved the replica weather vanes on poles – replicating the main masts.

The German Jewish Nobel prize winning writer, Thomas Mann, and his family spent holidays in Nida, and he built a summer house there (1930-32). I had read a lot of his books, and had been intrigued by his relationship with Germany during and after World War II. I was very pleased to visit that summer house, which is now a museum and cultural centre. The house is on a hill above Nida, and has wonderful views. Mann built the house with the money from his Nobel Prize award in 1929.

The museum contains a permanent exhibition about his life, including photographs, books and documents. There was nothing in the museum that appeared to be authentic possessions of Thomas Mann. During the three summers the family spent in Nida, Thomas Mann wrote, among other things, some of his four part novel “Joseph and his Brothers.”

I am very interested in witches, folk stories and myths and legends, but for some reason (ineffective research) I did not discover the Hill of Witches near Juodkrante. It was once the site of a midsummer festival – Jonines – which combined a christian feast with pagan tradition. The site contains a large number of wooden carvings, most depicting characters from Lithuanian folk tales, including devils and witches. I would have loved it.

I try to console myself with the fact that “you can’t see everything”, but I could have seen the Hill of Witches. I did see some wood carvings in Nida, but no witches. Our last afternoon on the Curonian Spit was spent strolling around Nida.

Jurmala

We were heading for Riga in Latvia when we arrived back in Klaipeda. I wanted to visit Jurmala, a resort town on the Baltic Sea, which is about 20km from Riga, primarily to see the beautiful 19th and 20th century wooden houses. These include 23 architectural monuments – of both local and state importance.

I was not disappointed. These houses were a visual delight, and included many styles – art noveau, art deco, neo gothic, neo classic and neo baroque.

Jurmala was a fishing village until the 1830’s, when swimming became popular and the town became a resort town over the years.

We had lunch on Jonas Street, a 1km pedestrianised strip, with numerous cafes to choose from. I enjoyed a baltic herring salad.

The Curonian Spit was a very special place to visit, and the short diversion into Jurmala to view the beautiful wooden architecture was the highlight of the drive to Riga.

Gardens in The Lake District, England

Further Travels with Lolly Girl

We were heading to the Lake District from London (and the Porche of previous trips – see link below – was no longer available). Rather than drive from London we decided to catch the train to York, and hire a car there.

Travels with Lolly Girl.

We were staying at Sawrey House Hotel, which I had assumed was in Sawrey. The sat nav could not find Sawrey. It found “Near Sawrey” and “Far Sawrey”. Even the hire car people couldn’t find Sawrey. Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey are little villages dating from the 14th century, and it takes 11 minutes to walk between them, so it didn’t actually matter that there was no Sawrey, as such – even though there were signposts suggesting there was. Lolly Girl’s paper maps came into their own.

Sawrey House Hotel sits on 3 acres of gardens, and overlooks Esthwaite Water, with magnificent views across to Grizedale Forest beyond. It was built as a house for a Vicar in the 1830’s – Vicar’s apparently did OK for housing in those days. It is situated in Near Sawrey.

Lolly Girl approved of Gma’s choice of Hotel, and was most enthusiastic when we drove in. She was even more enthusiastic to discover that the hotel was next door to Hilltop, the house Beatrix Potter lived in from 1905, and where she created many of her books. It probably should be said that Gma, a literalist, even as a child, had never found Beatrix Potter’s books to be of any interest at all. Rabbits do not wear blue jackets after all!

We were able to visit several beautiful gardens during our stay, although we did not have time to visit all of them, as we had many other places to explore.

Brantwood House Garden

Some years ago Gma had read and enjoyed John Ruskin’s “Stones of Venice” – a book about Venetian Art and Architecture, first published in 3 volumes from 1851-1853, and she wished to visit Brantwood House, and its surrounding gardens on the shore of Coniston Water. Ruskin lived at Brantwood from 1872 until his death in 1900. He was an English art historian as well as a poet, artist and writer, and Gma was keen to see what kind of garden such a person would create.

The gardens cover an area of 25 acres, created by Ruskin, his cousin Joan Severn and the head gardener Sally Beamish. They are divided into three areas, with eight different gardens.

The first garden leading up from the carpark is the Zig Zaggy, which was designed by Ruskin himself, and is based Dante’s Divine Comedy, telling the story of journey of the soul from hell to heaven. Gma loves The Divine Comedy and is fascinated with all art created which illustrate Virgil’s journey from hell to heaven, so she was very keen to explore this garden. Gma doesn’t think Lolly Girl finds depictions of the soul moving up the various levels of hell to purgatory and then on to heaven as interesting as she does, but she definitely enjoyed the garden. The link below contains a video describing the Zig Zaggy, and the way in which it illustrates the journey of the soul from hell. There are also videos describing the various gardens far more eloquently than I could. https:/www.org.uk/the-gardens-at-Brantwood

A pictorial of our journey through the gardens and views over Coniston Water follows:

Image directly above – a nod to the Stones of Venice – the steam Gondola.

Our visit was primarily to see the gardens but we did visit Brantwood House, now a museum, which is filled with “stuff” collected by Ruskin, including art, furniture and minerals. The house has glorious views of the Lake, and contains some very nice furniture. Gma is not generally interested in the interiors of the castles, palaces and stately homes in which very privileged people lived their lives – other than their libraries. However, homes of writers, poets and artists, particularly those whose work Gma has read or seen are another matter. It is always interesting to see how these creative people lived, items they created and to view items they accumulated during their lives.

Later that afternoon, relaxing on the terrace at Sawrey House overlooking gardens and Esthwaite Waters we enjoyed watching the sun set down behind Grizedale Forest. Gma emptied the bar of half of its total stock of Prosecco. That is not as bad as it sounds, the bar only had four quarter bottles.

Levens Hall

Levens Hall is not far from Kendal, and is an Elizabethan Mansion which is home to a family, who have held it for over 400 years.

Levens Hall has the most extraordinary topiary gardens, and these were what Gma and Lolly Girl were interested in. Although the house is open to the public, we spent our time there in the gardens and did not visit the the Hall.

Topiary Gardens originated in Roman times around 44BC, and have come in and out of favour over the centuries. The topiary garden at Levens Hall is recognised by the Guiness Book of Records as the oldest topiary garden in the world. It was created by a French gardener, Guillaume Beaumont, gardener to King James II between 1869 and 1712.

The topiary garden at Levens Hall has over 100 specimens, some of which are very old. There are huge abstract shapes and others quite distinct and named, such as king and queen chess pieces. At times, walking around the topiary garden we felt as if we had fallen down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole.

The parterre gardens under the topiary are filled with colourful flowers, which are home grown and bedded twice a year with over 15,000 plants.

There is a lot more to the gardens, beyond the topiary, including an apple orchard, a nuttery and herb garden, herbaceous borders, wildflower meadows, a rose garden planted exclusively with David Austin roses and a fountain garden. In all, there are five acres of gardens, which contain over 100 ancient box and yew trees.

We were told that the garden retains almost all of the essential elements of the garden when initially completed, which is shown on maps of the gardens in 1730.

After leaving Levens Hall, we checked out various restaurants with a view to dining out that evening. Plenty of interesting options. We decided to watch the sunset on the terrace before going out. After the bar ran out of Prosecco, our determination to dine out evaporated – the dining room beckoned us.

Sizergh Castle Garden

Driving on very narrow, almost one lane roads around Sawrey was somewhat challenging as we kept meeting trucks, and vans, which were bad enough, but by squeezing our car right into the hedge on the side of the road, the larger vehicle could get past. The day we went to Sizergh Castle, we won the prize – we met a truck, carrying a house on a corner! The house overhung the truck, on each side, and took up the whole road, and could not be seen coming towards us because of the trees and the bends in the road. We had to reverse until we could find a wider spot, and even then we still had to squeeze the car right into the hedge more or less to enable this behemoth past, which it did very slowly, inch by inch. Lolly Girl was less than impressed when the driver of the monster did not show any appreciation of Gma’s very skilful manoeuvres to let him past.

Sizergh Castle is a Grade 1 listed building, and is has been home to the same family for more than 750 years. It is still their home, although the property is now owned by the National Trust. It is a short drive from Levens Hall, close to Kendall.

The park and garden cover about 6 hectares, and the garden is a registered Grade II garden.

There is a magnificent rock garden, which was constructed in the 1920’s, and covers around 0.1ha. It is constructed with local limestone and is the largest limestone rock garden owned by the National Trust. We enjoyed wandering along the paths discovering different plantings around every corner, including ferns and conifers, with splashes of red leaf acers, providing cheerful splashes of red among the green. Small flowers surround rocks here and there.

The very picturesque lake is surrounded by lawns, trees, shrubs and gardens. Walking along the pathways around the lake provide views with numerous different perspectives, including views up to the castle. We were delighted to see many swan families sailing majestically around the lake. Reflections of the castle and trees in the lake added to the beauty.

There is a Dutch garden created in 1926, with topiary and clipped box hedges. The topiary was traditional – no Alice in Wonderland stuff here. Herbaceous borders seem to be a speciality in Britain. The one at Sizergh is 50 metres long, and lived up to the tradition of providing a vision splendid.

A very large kitchen garden produces food for the cafe. There are open parklands, dotted with mature trees, a wildflower bank, woodlands and wetlands which attract a large number of birds.

Leaving Sizergh Castle, we didn’t even bother to check out possible dinner venues. We knew the Sawrey House Terrace, watching the sunset – with a chilled sauvignon blanc, would seduce us once again.

Beatrix Potter’s garden, although right next door to Sawrey House was never open when we were at “home” , so we had to content ourselves with looking through the trees between the properties.

If you have enjoyed reading about the Lake District gardens, you may like to read my previous garden posts.

Gardens of Stresa, Northern Italy.

Tivoli – Italy

Croatia – Part 2. Hvar

The ferry trip from Split to Hvar Town only takes about an hour, which was just as well because we were sharing the trip with a seething mass of humanity, who were already in party mode. I can only imagine how glorious the trip could have been if we were on a smaller boat, or better still, on a yacht – to enjoy the beauty in peace and tranquility would have been perfection. Still, giving up on peace and tranquility was a small price to pay for the privilege of journeying across the impossibly blue and crystal clear Adriatic sea with glorious views of islands along the way.

Coming in to Hvar, we had some tantalising glimpses of rocky coves, the Fort on the hill, surrounded by the old houses and the belltower of the Cathedral of St Stephens, before being set free to explore the places we had glimpsed.

The wharf area was busy with the people who had disembarked from the ferry, and a lot of people queuing up to get on the ferry for its return trip to Split. The cafes and bars were all doing a roaring trade, and the harbour was full of boats of all shapes and sizes – from floating palaces to small runabouts.

Walking to our accommodation along the main waterfront, then around two lovely little bays, we left the crowd, and peace reigned, more or less. Not only did these bays offer great spots to swim, one of them was overlooked by a 15th century Renaissance Franciscan Monastery and bell tower.

The beach beside the monastery was somewhat rocky, but having navigated the rocks, the water provided a welcome spot to cool off, very close to our accommodation. The monastery itself was not open to the public, but the church, cloisters and garden were. The Croatian poet, Hannibal Lucic’s grave is under the main altar. The paintings included a rather colourful last supper, which gets rave reviews, but I wasn’t overly impressed. I far preferred the black Madonna and child. The garden is lovely, and contains a 300 year old Cypress tree – poor tree, all propped up by metal poles. Reminded me of the oak tree in Sherwood Forest supposedly Robin Hood’s larder, although the oak tree was far more decrepit than the cypress, which still looks dignified. I also loved the sculpture of the monk in the garden.

The London family were staying in the beautiful old town, below the fort. We planned to meet up for celebratory drinks and dinner in that part of town, a short walk for KT and I, along the path around the bays and the waterfront.

Drinks before dinner, watching the sun go down from a balcony above the Hvarska Pjaca (Square of St Stephen) was a delightful experience. With a view of the Cathedral of St Stephen to the right, the old town and the Fort above, the sun slowly sinking to the left of us and a glass of gin and tonic with the family, it couldn’t get better than this.

We thought that catching up with the London family would be cause for celebrating getting together again. Well it got better than that. They had become engaged, on a little island off Hvar the day before. Champagne and a fabulous feast to celebrate. Where better to celebrate than party island.

A car had been hired to facilitate explorations beyond Hvar Town, to Stari Grad and Jelsa on the north coast.

The old road took us through lavender fields and olive groves. The sea views were spectacular for most of the drive. The lavender season was almost over, so we did not get the purple vision offered by lavender fields in full bloom, but there were still enough in bloom for us to experience the sweet scent. The lavender fields and olive groves are divided by dry stone walls, themselves quite stunning, running down hillsides and creating a patchwork like appearance.

Stari Grad is said to be the oldest town in Hvar, originally named Pharos by the Greeks from the island of Paros, who settled there in 384BC. The waterfront promenade was made even more beautiful by masses of colourful flowers. We were lucky to have the lovely narrow streets lined with old stone houses, almost to ourselves. I imagine would have been a less than pleasant experience if we had to share with the seething masses.

We had decided to have lunch at Jelsa, about a ten minute drive from Stari Grad. Jelsa was founded in the 14th century and is said to named after alder trees (Jalsa). This is because these trees grew in a swamp near Jelsa. The swamp was drained in the 19th century, and the alder trees disappeared. I wonder what else disappeared – swamps contain such diverse and productive ecosystems, draining them tends to produce more losses than benefits.

We did not have much time in Jelsa – we had a celebratory feast organized that evening in Hvar Town – celebrating the engagement and farewelling the London family who were leaving the next morning. We did however enjoy a walk around the harbour prior to a superb seafood lunch.

Our farewell feast included copious amounts of champagne, and I have no recollection of the food which accompanied the champagne, other than it was delicious.

KT and I had another day in paradise, which eased the sadness of the departure of the Londoners.

After the farewells, we decided to visit the 13th century Hvar fort and the old town. The fort was built on the site of a 6th century Byzantine citadel. We passed by many market stalls, and succumbed to those selling lavender products. The we had to tackle the stairs before reaching a pathway, which winds its way up to the Fort. Pine trees, lavender bushes and aloe vera lined the pathway.

The views from the fort make the climb worth while. With panoramic views of the harbour, the old town, the mountains beyond and the Pakleni Islands I felt that if there was a heaven, then this was it.

The rest of the day was given over to hedonistic pleasure. Swimming at the beach beside the monastery. Leisurely lunch in Hvar Town. A stroll along a walkway beside the sea, lined with various cacti and trees. Swimming at a spot near Falco Beach Bar where there was no beach – just rocks to sunbathe on and watch boats passing, with a ladder into the beautiful blue Adriatic for a swim, followed by a refreshing drink at Falco Beach Bar.

For our “last supper” in Hvar we decided to go back to Falco Beach Bar for cocktails, watch the sunset and have a leisurely dinner under the stars.

We departed from Hvar the next morning on an early morning ferry back to Split. The mood was subdued – no one was in party mode. Leaving paradise does have that effect.

If you wish to read Part 1 of my Croatian visit go to Croatia Part 1 – Split.

Croatia Part 1 – Split.

Arriving in Split late at night, some hours later than scheduled, with no taxis in sight, I did something I have never done before – that is accept as genuine a person pretending to be a taxi driver, but who was in fact from a chauffeur service. Well, luckily for us, he was from a chauffeur service, so other than a few anxious nail biting moments and costing several times more than a taxi, at least we were delivered to the place on the waterfront where we were to be met by the owner of the apartment where we were staying. To make it worse, I was with KT, who as the wise elder, I had always advised to never, ever accept a ride from a tout, no matter how genuine they seemed, and no matter how tired she was.

We were staying in an apartment in Diocletian’s palace, which had sounded very exclusive, although somewhat difficult to find late at night after a much delayed flight from Rome. Luckily the owner met us at the waterfront to take us through the old town, to the apartment. An apartment in Diocletian’s Palace is not quite as exclusive as it sounds – there are lots of shops, apartments and houses built into the walls of the palace, but it was exotic. Imagine sleeping in Diocletian’s Palace.

After winding our way through what felt like kilometres of narrow, winding passageways, we arrived at the apartment at around midnight. Tired as we were, we toasted our arrival in Split with the wine thoughtfully provided by the owner, looking out to the bell tower of the Cathedral of St Domnius which was beautifully lit up and seemed to shimmer through the darkness.

Diocletian’s Palace was built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian, between 295 and 305CE, as his retirement home. He renounced the imperial crown in 305CE and lived in Split until his death in 316CE. I have some reservations about Diocletian. He was all for torturing and killing those who did not worship Rome’s pagan idols – nothing much has changed over the centuries really. Religious (or pagan in this case) intolerance seems to be a vote winner everywhere.

We only had one morning in Split as our main destination was Hvar, and the late arrival of our flight stole a whole afternoon of our time in Split. We managed to cover a lot of ground that morning, thanks to the owner of the apartment, who offered to give us a guided tour of Diocletian’s palace.

Wandering around, it was difficult to imagine that when it was built, Diocletian had it all to himself – well other than servants and military, but essentially it was his. Bet no one told him that he really should downsize, just as nobody today suggests that the British Royal Family and their like should downsize.

The Cathedral of St Domnius, was originally built as an octagonal mausoleum for Diocletian in AD305, and in which he was interred in 311AD. The Church was consecrated in the 7th century, and the Bell tower was erected in the 12th century. The Temple of Jupiter, which was built by Diocletion between 295AD and 305AD, was converted by Christians into St John’s Baptistry.

The carved double wooden doors of the cathedral are spectacular. They were created by Andrija Buvina in around 1214, and consist of 28 carved panels, depicting the times of Christ. They are carved from walnut and were originally coloured and gold plated. The main altar was created by Morlaiterm, a Venetian in 1766.

The entrance to the Temple of Jupiter was guarded by a black granite Sphinx, one of 12 sphinxes ordered to be bought from Egypt by Diocletian. The faithful Sphinx is still guarding the entrance to the now St John’s Baptistry.

I loved the sculpture of St John the Baptist in the Baptistry. It was created by Ivan Mestrovic in 1954, and stands where Jupiter once stood. Those fingers!

Sphinx at entrance to Baptistry (photo credit archer10(Dennis)

Ivan Mestrovic also created the huge statue of Gregory of Nin, in 1929, situated just outside the Roman Golden Gate (the gate through which Diocletian came and went.) Gregory of Nin is 8.5m tall, has a most expressive face, fingers similar to those of St John. He has huge feet – people rub one of his big toes for good luck. World wide, people seem to rub parts of bronze statues to attract favourable outcomes – I wonder why.

We had time for a quick stroll around Split, and a snack in Pjaca Square, home of numerous cafes and restaurants, and surrounded by lovely buildings, including the Gothic Style Town Hall, former Palaces and a clock tower, which has a 24 hour clockface, with roman numerals. The famous Morpurgo Bookstore, which was founded in 1860, in an old Venetian Palace sadly was not open – and it closed permanently a couple of months after our visit.

Photo credit for clock face: Ante Perkovic/Wikimedia Commons.

Reflecting on Diocletian and his persecution of Christians, I recalled a painting I had seen in Georgia (Caucasus) of St George slaying Diocletian. Given that Diocletian is said to have had St George tortured and beheaded, maybe the artist was depicting good triumphing over evil by replacing the dragon with Diocletian. As a lover of myths and legends, I have previously written about the depiction of St George in art, and included an image of the slaying of Diocletian by St George. If you would like to read it, or at least view the painting, go to Myths and Legends – in search of St George and the Dragon

It was time to catch our ferry to Hvar, so we reluctantly made our way to the wharf, where our ferry was waiting to take us to party island, to meet with family from London, who were already there, partying no doubt. Little did we know.

travelwithgma

Journeys of all kinds