Hereford Cathedral - IV

Somewhere, at some time, this lion was part of the structure of the cathedral. It either fell or was removed and placed here on the floor.

Today, as this entry is posted, is Christmas day. I want to wish everyone a joyous and restful holiday. We've certainly had a fun and busy year of traveling and seeing things. In fact, I expect to be posting the fruits of our travel for another month, maybe two before I get caught up with the calendar year.

I hope the lights of the holiday season fill you with hope for the new year and smiles upon reflection for the last one. Every year is now so eventful on every scale of our lives, from international to personal, that it is easy to get lost in the rush of time and place. There are several reasons that I break the photos of a place like this cathedral into multiple days that span a week is to give you a chance to slow down and ponder one thing on a time scale that befits its roots in a time when clocks were rare and inaccurate.

Merry Christmas everyone. Over eat and under drink. Enjoy your family and friends. Relax and smile.

Beyond this screen is the choir.

The view down the nave puts the size of the place in perspective. In the foreground is a section of the chandelier seen in earlier images.

As we take our leave, there are some impressive views outside. this is fascinating place. Filled with history and religion and sized to fit the image of both.

In spite of the grandeur and history that fill these places, they are always large, impersonal, stone buildings that are cold even in the summer. From the angle below, there is nothing inviting about the place. If I told you that the door was an entrance to an ornate tomb, you could easily believe it. I suppose that in some ways that is true.