Will be in Europe for 3 weeks this Summer

[Marcel]

Chatham? Don't ask ask what a Chatcham Pocket is Marcel

so you guys really admit he seriously kicked the British arse?

 

[Matt308]

Shush! We are hunting wabbits!

 

[Readie]

so you guys really admit he seriously kicked the British arse?

haha... you are partly right with 'arse' Marcel

 

[A4K]

Echo Chris' post!

Cathedrals like the one in Köln are over 800 years old and are INCREDIBLE; a very small temple up the road in Pécs was too, with original wall frescoes still largely visible; the Mátyás Templom in Budapest is one of the most decorated buildings I have ever seen in my life (even has preserved graffiti from the 1500s); Irish monastery ruins are fascinating to visit; etc, etc...
Point is, whatever your take on religion, these places are absolute havens for history, art and architecture, and not just the big ones. Well worth taking the time to see!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Echo Chris' post!

Cathedrals like the one in Köln are over 800 years old and are INCREDIBLE; a very small temple up the road in Pécs was too, with original wall frescoes still largely visible; the Mátyás Templom in Budapest is one of the most decorated buildings I have ever seen in my life (even has preserved graffiti from the 1500s); Irish monastery ruins are fascinating to visit; etc, etc...
Point is, whatever your take on religion, these places are absolute havens for history, art and architecture, and not just the big ones. Well worth taking the time to see!

The one in Koeln, is so impressive. Absolutely breathtaking.

 

[A4K]

Sure is... was almost bombed too as you probably know Chris.
Story goes the US bomber pilot assigned to hit it was so awed by it he didn't have the heart to, and sent his bombs wide stating 'strong wind conditions' for the deviation. How true that is I don't know, an ex's uncle (local) who has a deep interest in the history of Köln and Aachen told me.

In any case, the bomb hits to the street on the right of it revealed the original Roman road, long since excavated and open to the public.

 

[Readie]

I wonder if a LW pilot felt the same about St Pauls during the blitz?
Its a mircale that anything of historical worth survived area bombing.

 

[yulzari]

Should you follow advice to see Canterbury Cathedral, make the extra effort to go to St. Martin's church in Canterbury which is much older. Predates England and was the chapel of Queen Bertha when Kent was a country not a county. Dates from 597AD and was a rebuild on the site of an old Roman church.

Salisbury? Pah! Modern. Barely more than half St. Martin's age. Salisbury is scarcely more than twice the age of my house (though probably much better built.) Now when I was young we had proper churches. Not this modern Gothic pointy arched rubbish..................

 

[Readie]

I agree, Canterbury is the heart of the Church of England and steeped in history. The city walls, West Gate, the nave, the Buffs memorial and so on. You'd do well to see everything in one day.

 

[Airframes]

And then there's this, and the rest of the beautiful, ancient City of York, wandering along the banks of the Ouse. Just a couple of hours by train from London, with the National Railway Museum right next door to the train station, and the Jorvik Center (describing the Viking heritage) a stroll away.

 

[Readie]

Magnificent.
You also have the National Railyway museum with our pride and joy 'Mallard'.
Every American should go there to see what a proper steam locomotive looks like

 

[GrauGeist]

Alot of history in the old Churches, even if a person isn't religious. The events that surrounded them, the architecture of the time periods that they represent, not to mention that they were often times the largest building structures in the world (until a new one came along) and the art that adorned them.
In Bulgaria, I visited some churches that were beyond old, some even being built from reclaimed Roman building materials and still in use to this day. The Boyana church in Sofia has some of the oldest medieval art in the world, from the 9th century...

So if you haven an opportunity to visit one of the cathedrals, definately do it!

 

[Marcel]

The chuch I go to here in Dordrecht is from the 9th century and still active. Posted some pictures when I visited the more inaccesible parts of the building a few years ago

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The chuch I go to here in Dordrecht is from the 9th century and still active. Posted some pictures when I visited the more inaccesible parts of the building a few years ago

The Church I was married in was from the 13th Century. Such an amazing experience.

 

[Matt308]

The Church I was married in was from the 13th Century. Such an amazing experience.

Not ****! I don't like weddings, not even my own. But you managed that, man! Flippin' awesome!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Not ****! I don't like weddings, not even my own. But you managed that, man! Flippin' awesome!

I think it was 13th. I will have to ask the wife. It was somewhere between 13th and 15th, and still in use today.

Edit: just looked it up myself. The cathedral was built in the 13th century, but destroyed during the 30 years war. It was rebuilt in the late 1600's.

 

[Shortround6]

Magnificent.
You also have the National Railyway museum with our pride and joy 'Mallard'.
Every American should go there to see what a proper steam locomotive looks like

We know what they should like;

 

[Readie]

I agree your locomotive is impressive SR6 but, our Mallard is sleek, fast and holds the LSR by the way

 

[A4K]

Great stuff Chris!

 

[Airframes]

Not ****! I don't like weddings, not even my own. But you managed that, man! Flippin' awesome!

I gave up on weddings when I discovered I could buy marzipan in supermarkets .............