Wondering

It took me less than two hours to walk from Mas Pinell to the small town Torroella de Montgrí (Spain). I started walking around 7am in the morning. Taking care that I would be back before the sun would become too hot. 

Alone. Water. Bread. Toilet roll. Mobile phone. Camera. And a cap! I have required one since 2 years ago ... if not, my head would get burned :(

From the town up to the Castell del Montgrí took me almost 1 hour (or was it less?). Steep hill. No road. Only a small donkey path. I was pretty tired when I entered the Castle that was built between 1294 and 1301. The view was worth the sweat. What a view!

Most castles in Europe are empty skeletons. But the story of this castle is even more strange. It's a castle that  never was completed. No-one knows why. Out of money? Changed political and/ or military alliances? Or ...?

I enjoyed the view. Took a few pictures. Drank 'Caffe Americano' and 'Fanta lemon' - and ate some sweet cake - in Torroella. And walked back to the Mediterranean Sea.  

By 2pm I was swimming in the sea. Tired but satisfied. Wondering - a sensation I always have when I swim in the Mediterranean - how the Egyptian soldiers felt when they were swimming in the Suez Canal on October 6, 1973. Doing their routine activities as deception while the first bullets were shot of the Yom Kippur War. Were they misguided too by their officers? Did they survive the war?

In The Distance

... - THAT!

I wrote on my first two moments of enlightenment: Czestochowa (1984) and Aswan (1987). I never wrote about my third - and last one until today - in 1990. In a way I was not ready for it - not telling you.

Holiday in Portugal. N and I. Fly and Drive! We drove from Lisboa along the coast to Porto. Along the river Douro to Braganca. Along the Spanish border via Castelo Branco to Marvão.

I fell in love with this part of Portugal. Remote. Hot. Medieval. For days I was pregnant with 'that'. N wanted to read a book near the swimming-pool and didn't want to visit Marvão for a second time. I drove early in the morning all the way up to this big eagle's nest. I needed to see it for a second time. Strolled for a few hours along its walls. Making pictures and enjoying the views. Nothing happened. On my way back to the hotel in Castelo de Vide I saw a little chapel on the left. Wondering how the view would be of Marvão from the 'Capela de São Salvador do Mundo'. (I found out later it's name and history.) I changed my plans and drove to the Capela. Parked my car. Couple of old people were cleaning the remnants of some party.

Sitting alone. Capela on my back. In the distance Marvão. Enjoying the view. And there it was again: THAT!   

Lost world: land as fuel and it's house as engine

Land. Country houses. Land as fuel and it's house as engine. This world is gone. Better: this world is gone in Western Europe.

I'm fascinated by country houses. I love to look at them. Just like I love to look at an old woman. The grey hair. Mysterious eyes. Wrinkles. Guess how she looked like in her twenties. Curious for her tears, fears, good and bad days, her personal history and her memories. Wondering what secrets she has and never will share with anyone. more

Quote - Mark Girouard, Life in the English country house (1978) p. 2-3:

"For many centuries the ownership of land was not just the main but the only sure basis of power. (...) From the Middle Ages until the nineteenth century anyone who had made money by any means, and was ambitious for himself and his family, automatically invested in a country estate.

Land, however, was little use without one or more houses on it. Land provided the fuel, a country house was the engine which made it effective. It archived this in a number of ways. It was the headquarters from which land was administered and power organized. It was a show-case, in which to exhibit and entertain supporters and good connections. In early days it contained a potential fighting force. It was an image-maker, which provided an aura of glamour, mystery or success around it's owner. It was visible evidence of his wealth. It showed his credentials - even if the credentials were sometimes faked. Trophies in the hall, coats of arms over the chimney-pieces, books in the library and temples in the park could suggest that he was discriminating, intelligent, bred to rule and brave."

These days country houses are the private seats of rich and famous people. No longer an engine. A place where families live their private life behind walls. Not open to the world and radiating it's power but show the world it's back.

P.s. My blog 'History of castles. Development in 4 pictures'.
P.s.s. Picture is from Belton House.

Of mice and men

Is it a coincidence that Michel de Montaigne and Dulce Maria Cardoso favorite pastime is just let time pass by and do nothing? Just like me. Why do we like this so much? Is it your favorite pastime too? Why?

This weekend I returned from my summerholiday. For 3 weeks I was with my family at the Mediterranean near Martigue (France). What can I say?  It was a good and lovely holiday. The weather was warm (>25C) and sunny. In my country it rained for more than 2 weeks. I read  6 books. Kids swam a lot at the swimmingpool and in the sea. We made a trip to Marseille twice. I loved the "wild" Calanques between Marseille and Casis. Strolled on the streets of Vincent van Gogh' Arles. Visited Cezanne's old atelier on a hill  (Lauves) in Aix-en-Provence. After 100 years Mont Sainte-Victoire is no longer visible from his/ this spot. Big trees everywhere. My kids were impressed by the  castle of  Tarascon. I missed the medieval smell. I looked for mouses (didn't see any). I made 2 coastwalks of more than 5 hours alone. I love to walk alone.

I could give you many more details.  I could show you all the pictures that were made. You could interview me, my wife and our 4 kids. We could ... - there must be more - but in the end we will end with "empty" hands. The truth is that we can't freeze or grab the days that pass by one by one. In a way I enjoy my life most when I don't freeze it. When I'm out of control. When I have no real target other than just let time pass by. Read a little. Dream a litte. Talk, eat, make love and hug a little. Write a little.

Since 10.000 BC species 'homo sapiens' settled down. No more walking around looking for something to eat. They settled down in farms and cities. Enough food nearby. Cooked food. More and more of us hardly need to invest time in getting and digest something to eat. So much much spare time compared to the other 'homo' species. It made us the species of today.

What's my point? We as species 'homo sapiens' lost something  since the agricultural and city revolution. Before this revolution - in my opinion the only two real ones - we had only one target: food, shelter, safety and reproduction. What did we lost? We lost track of our species dedication. We gained distraction. We gained so much distraction that most of us are most of the time lost. Lost! Got lost in distraction.

Since our species settled down we live together with mouses. Just realize every now and then that most of our species 9.000 generations of ancestors were not familiar with mouses. Nor with houses. Nor with cities. They walked around looking for ...

Question: are those whose favorite pastime is 'Just let time pass by and do nothing' those who are NOT lost in distraction?

History of castles. Development in 4 pictures

Castles! What about castles in western Europe? According to Van Dale dictionary a 'castle' (dutch 'kasteel') is: 1 reinforced building 2 large and beautiful house. In a nutshell it tells it all. One thing missing: it's historical development.

Phase 1. Safe home in times of endemic wars

Starting in the 9th century feudal lords built private fortress-residences for defence. Wars were endemic in those times. The fortress was built on a defensible height. Surrounded by a dry ditch and surrounded by a wooden palisade.

Phase 2. Siegproof

Castles and outer walls were made out of stone. Walls get thicker. Sophisticated circuits of curving outer walls and towers to defend all sections of the wall. Never ending arms race of siegers and defenders.

Phase 3. Military importance lost AND residence of landowner

With the use of gunpowder  and artillery the castle lost its military importance around the 15th century.  The thick stone walls no longer withstand bombardments with cannonballs. New and bigger windows. Gardens. House of a rich landowner of noble origin.

Phase 4. Make it profitable

Taxes on inheritance and costs of materials and personnel make most castles too expensive to live in since the 20th century.  Castles no longer belong to the same family who lived there for centuries (generation after generation). 3 D's that causes selling castles: death, debts and divorce. Castles have to be profitable. Selling home made country products. Museum. Zoo. Country garden. Bed and breakfast. Restaurant. Hotel. 

Details. (1) model (2) Krak des Chevaliers (3) Château de Chenonceau (4) Huis Bloemendal