Tuesday, March 07, 2006

PEI Churches: Maritime Travels 7 Out Of 12






As we traversed the western end of Prince Edward Island last August, my daughter got used to screeching wheels whenever we went just a little too fast past a churchyard. A couple of times she even sighed and said helpfully, "Mom, you actually missed one," and then waited patiently while I tried to find the right photographic angles.

They are all my favorites. I was entranced by Celtic echoes in the graveyard of the church in the top photos, which I happened upon early one morning when I was out looking for birds along the coast. People often associate the Celts only with Ireland and Scotland, but Celtic tribes covered most of northern Europe until they were pushed to its fringes by the Romans, and many of their descendants from France, Britain, and Ireland turned up in the Canadian Maritimes hundreds of years later. The one with the reddish roof is St. Mary's of Indian River, and boasts the most astonishing carvings, I presume of the disciples, around the base of its steeple. (Remember, you can enlarge the images with a click.) And the last one -- I just loved the glint of sea and sky through the window.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful churches! And you said the one on top comes with a waterview? Wow!

emmapeelDallas said...

These are beautiful, and they remind me of a trip I took, years ago, to San Antonio, which, coincidentally, is ringed by a series of missions. I wanted to see all of them, but by the time I got to the last one, my oldest, Alex, was singing that old Elton John song, "Burn Down the Mission"...she was tired of my fascination with them.

Judi

V said...

Wow! Beautiful!
I remember your trip.
V

Anonymous said...

#4 put me in front of and walking towards that place of worship.

Anonymous said...

Truly intriguing and surprising. Would like to know dates/denominations. From southwest desert missions to far northeastern chapels, it's amazing what lovely monuments rustic people in isolated areas created by hand in the past. As awesome as the scenery. Your photos do invite us to enter and sit a bit in quiet meditation--how nice before heading off to bed.
*debbi*

Paul said...

All are gorgeous, but that last photograph is a work of art.