This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love; the more they give, the more they possess.
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 – 1926)
10 Comments CherryPie on Jul 15th 2012
His journey’s just begun
Don’t think of him as gone away
his journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched…
for nothing loved is ever lost
and he was loved so much.Ellen Brenneman
14 Comments CherryPie on Jul 15th 2012
Fragments of the knights’ fresco can be seen on the barrel ceiling above the cross seen in the previous post. This is the only room of the castle to have kept a fragment of its medieval decor (thought to be late 12th century).
16 Comments CherryPie on Jul 13th 2012
12 Comments CherryPie on Jul 13th 2012
16 Comments CherryPie on Jul 11th 2012
The city of Carcassonne is dominated by the feudal castle of the Trencavel family. It was built on the Roman wall in the early 12th century. The watchtower was raised and the defences were strengthened with crenelations before the crusades against the Cathars took place. In 1266, Carcassonne was annexed to the domain of the king of France and in the 13th/14th centuries, the fortress was was transformed into a lordly residence.
I particularly like the wooden hording at the top of the castle walls, because I had not seen anything like them before. The hording is built overhanging the castle wall to strengthen the defence of the castle in times of siege. Due to its design it was possible to shoot vertically downwards from it. These hoardings were widely used in the 12th and 13th century, but they later replaced by stone machicolations which posed less danger from fire.
14 Comments CherryPie on Jul 10th 2012
